My how times have changed...

Had an eye-opening experience in my Black Sexualities class with Khary Polk. He had us google Jet and Ebony magazine back in the 50s and on, searching for ads that represented the Supermasculine Menial and/or any Black woman archetypes. Here's just a few that I found.

I'm not even sure what to say about this. It looks like a cheesy photoshop but this is just how they wanted to advertise for what I can only assume is a skin lightening cream.

Because women are dainty? I wish I had a male focused cigarette ad to compare these two potentially very different ad campaigns. When people think of Black women they might not have dainty come to mind. In fact they might, myself included, think of the strong, powerful, in charge woman.

Now we start to see the Black is Beautiful movement. It's an advertisement for hair care products that emphasize the fro.

But the same year in a different magazine emphasizes Black is beautiful not through hair but through "a girl for every month". This girl in particular does not rock the natural do as the previous image. I'm even inclined to think that quiet, dainty, Black women is beautiful but the afro'd, loud, powerful woman is not.

Maybe I'll look into more of these stark images.
Til next time

-Kimdolion