This PI**ES me off to no end!

[NinjaPoodle]

I live in San Francisco, California. One of the MOST racially diverse places inthe world. When I walk by any news stand, and look at the BRIDAL magazines,(no I'm not getting married) tell me WHY out of at least 10 magazines, NONE of them have a woman of color on them?(note: Martha Stewart doesn't put people on
her wedding mag, so she doesn't count) I know for a fact that there are magazines that are especially for Latina, Af-Am, Asian/Pacific Islander, etc.. because I've SEEN and read them. Did I miss something here? Is it that only caucasian women get married? It seems to be that way because not only the magazines do this, but the bridal section [at the local bookstores] is/are like this also. There had to be over 70 different titles (I kid you not) and the ones that had photos, ALL of them had only or majority caucasian women pictured. Now, I'm not hatin' on my caucasian sisters, just hatin' on the industry. It makes me SICK that we don't do something about this. I have actually gotten to the point where I just may
create my own! I'm tired of going the the book store and seeing mags that don't represent mine and other cultures. It's not right and it's not fair. And please don't tell me that there is no market for it because I'm not the only person bitchin about it.

Sidenote: Yes, I do know about:

*Jumping the Broom: The African-American Wedding Planner by Harriette Cole

*Going to the Chapel: From Traditional to African-Inspired, and Everything in Between--The Ultimate Wedding Guide for Today's Black Couple by Signature Bride Magazine

*African-American Wedding Readings by Tamara Nikuradse

*The Nubian Wedding Book: Words and Rituals to Celebrate and Plan anAfrican-American Wedding by Ingrid Sturgis

because I OWN all of them. But like all books, these get tired.

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! Frustration!


sorry, I needed to vent

[SeriousSigma22]

Sorhor Ninjapoodle,

You are absolutely right! However, I have to fault us for this exclusion because so many of us allow the media to portray us in such a negative light. Take for instance those video _______ you can fill-in-the-blank. Are some of us so desperate for a job that we will put aside our morals and basic home training for that almighty federal reserve note? I was really ashamed of the 2002 Oscars simply because Halle picked up the award for acting like a garden tool! Sorhors, sisterfriends, and just folks in general if you don't like what you see it's time to make a change don't accept that exclusion. We need to hound all of the magazine industries to present black women as brides, true leaders, educated individuals, and real role models. Many African American women by into the stereotypes and myths that we aren't good enough to be brides or even the bride's maid. I know that we are the only culture that thinks it's funny to be ghetto fabulous? What a crock of crap! So many of our youth walk around with that thug image and it basically has warped their minds and attitudes to not even want to be married. For instance, most of my black females went to the prom with a group of girls because the brothers had someone else on their arm for the prom or they didn't even bother to attend that event. What's up with that? And the one's that attended the event weren't dressed properly and they didn't even look like they were clean! Who want's to go to the prom with folks that lack basic home training? Can you imagine when it's time to say "I do" how they will even look? Who would want to marry someone looking so tacky and with that attitude?
I'm sorry for going off on this subject but a lot of it is our fault. Remember that a person's actions speak louder that words.

Serioussigma22 I'm mad too!

[sleepy]

I totally agree about the fact that blacks are not in enough books truthfully the only book now days you find us in is either the gossip or slave books sad to say. but about the video girls I don't fault them all the way because some of those are dancers and very good ones and are living out their. you can't say the same for others. But for the ones that are not dancers and perfer just to be nasty then that is a problem because a lot of kids watch t.v. and all of a sudden that is what they want to be instead of a doctor or lawyer. On Halle Berry I must say she went to far with the sex thing. By her already being Black she attracted more attention to herself. But you have to think about it when you are an actor or actress you are called to play all types of roles and if you can handle it go with the flow. She is not worry she has money, husband and friends and she accomplish what a lot of actress that haven't been around long accomplish. You can't say she did not earn her oscar. If it was a white woman no one would care but cause she is of color she is looked upon bad. Its girls who are actually out thier doing way more what she did. I say if she felt comfortable and wasn't afraid then hey do the thang.

Originally posted by SeriousSigma22
Sorhor Ninjapoodle,

You are absolutely right! However, I have to fault us for this exclusion because so many of us allow the media to portray us in such a negative light. Take for instance those video _______ you can fill-in-the-blank. Are some of us so desperate for a job that we will put aside our morals and basic home training for that almighty federal reserve note? I was really ashamed of the 2002 Oscars simply because Halle picked up the award for acting like a garden tool! Sorhors, sisterfriends, and just folks in general if you don't like what you see it's time to make a change don't accept that exclusion. We need to hound all of the magazine industries to present black women as brides, true leaders, educated individuals, and real role models. Many African American women by into the stereotypes and myths that we aren't good enough to be brides or even the bride's maid. I know that we are the only culture that thinks it's funny to be ghetto fabulous? What a crock of crap! So many of our youth walk around with that thug image and it basically has warped their minds and attitudes to not even want to be married. For instance, most of my black females went to the prom with a group of girls because the brothers had someone else on their arm for the prom or they didn't even bother to attend that event. What's up with that? And the one's that attended the event weren't dressed properly and they didn't even look like they were clean! Who want's to go to the prom with folks that lack basic home training? Can you imagine when it's time to say "I do" how they will even look? Who would want to marry someone looking so tacky and with that attitude?
I'm sorry for going off on this subject but a lot of it is our fault. Remember that a person's actions speak louder that words.

Serioussigma22 I'm mad too!

[sigmadiva]

From time to time I get Neiman Marcus catalogs and without fail, in each one (except the Pink Sale catalog for linens) the Black models are always towards the end of the catalog and never featured on the cover!!! What does NM think, 'hey, "our" customers only flip through the front of the catalog so why feature a Black model in the front.'

I usually look for stuff like this too. I never really noticed the wedding mags because I am not getting married any time soon. Hey NinjaPoodle, I think you have just discovered a unique niche in the publishing market: Black-oriented wedding mags.

[bluethunder]

alright, i feel my sociology major kickin' in...
when it comes to the media--especially in the case of magazines-- anything that deviates from the "norm" will not be featured... when we discuss diversity, we usually end up asking, "where are all the minorities at?" and this is an appropriate question, given that we have the same issues and concerns as everybody else... however, let us consider diversity in it's fuller sense: when was the last time we saw a plus-sized woman of ANY color in a magazine besides the lane bryant catalog? have we seen a big girl--or hell, an AVERAGE girl--advertise in ANYBODY's lingerie catalog? when was the last time we saw a bald-headed woman or one with a big gap in her smile or a woman with LOTS of freckles in an advertisement or in a magazine? when was the last time we saw an OLDER woman in a magazine? i know i am going on a tangent, but the bottom line for me is that diversity comes in so many forms and when i acknowledge that as a black woman i see images that don't represent me, i cannot neglect that there is a slew of other women(asians, indians, plus sized, older...) who similarly aren't represented and as a woman, i have an obligation to question why that is as well. we need to start pulling for realistic images for EVERBODY. until we get positive and realistic representation, my solution is simple:
don't buy or support what doesn't reflect you or your interests. this summer, in my women's studies class, i did an evaluation of several magazines--those that were mainstream and those that were geared toward african-americans and BOTH sets were biased and narrow in what they represented. i was shocked at the magazine XYZ(a black woman's magazine), but prior to my evaluation, i failed to realize how black publishers and advertisers do the same thing as say, ALLURE or YM-, just in a different way. maybe folks need to start dropping some letters to these magazines and letting them know what we're thinking.

[SeriousSigma22]

Sorhors and Friends of Sigma,

I still say that we have to be the agents of change and since everyone knows that African American women spend millions and millions of dollars on clothing we need to take our dollars elsewhere if they can't include us in their targeted advertisements. And in my opinion Halle earned the award because of two things: Hollywood received a lot of heat for passing up work done by African Americans in the past that was excellent and I've seen much better work from Halle. I'm tired of Black folks being type cast as H.N., garden tools, thugs, drug dealers or any other form of undesirable beings in American society. Every black person did not grow up in the inner city and I'm sick of them stereotyping us into the same old closed box. It's a new century and society needs to recognized that all black people aren't the same. We never have been nor will we, African Americans, be the same.


Serioussigma22

[sigmadiva]

Originally posted by SeriousSigma22
Sorhors and Friends of Sigma,

I still say that we have to be the agents of change and since everyone knows that African American women spend millions and millions of dollars on clothing we need to take our dollars elsewhere if they can't include us in their targeted advertisements.

Serioussigma22

We don't make our dollars work to our advantage. I guess we are so happy that we have 'arrived', that we are willing to look over important issues like this. Remember the bus boycotts of the 60's? When we stopped riding the buses, that shut the industry down. If we stop buying products that don't reflect who we are, then that should get Madison Ave. attention.

[NinjaPoodle]

Just picked it up today

Brides Noir

[NinjaPoodle]

http://www.foryoumag.com/
For You

[1savvydiva]

HC under the "Marriage Minded Bachelors" under the In this Issue link, there is a guy named Nick?
HC Nick looks like he is taking a prison mug-shot?


Anyway, that's great to see. My sister and I are looking to start a wedding coordinating business (we actually are doing our first wedding this weekend), and we have stated this many a time.