OK, I'm lookin' at Babyface's new video and I'm thinkin'.......

[AKA2D '91]

That's just it! He could be catering to an image similiar to that of his wife...

[MIDWESTDIVA]

Babyface actually met his wife on the set of one of his video shoots. She was supposed to appear in the video as his love interest, but I think she got sick and was unable to take the job. So, women that look like her, (light skin, long hair) are definitely his preference.

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"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on." ~Robert Frost

[PositivelyAKA]

soror yes that's his type, which is fine it seems to run in the family his nephew has the same look/type of young woman and when i kicked it when him and some of his buddies they were talking about women and dark sisters were definitely not the prefered type, its light, mixed and latino, of course i know more then just those types of women audition for the videos, but if he doesn't think they are cute enough then they don't get in and that is just how it goes. perhaps if more brothers would say hey man can we have some chocolate up in this piece then the videos would be more diverse, but i guess that is life to perhaps the question is are dark skinned women percieved as less sexy and attrative then lighter skinned women and if so then why? Bruhs what do yall see and hear from your boys is light the more desired trait in a women and if so why? *grabs popcorn* he he

[Poplife]

PositivelyAKA, I see you. *lol*

I could go on and on about subjects like this. BUT, I had a 2 hour proficiency test in swimming and I'm tired so I will just through some things out there in random order.


1. Everyone has a right to their preference. It's impossible to get into someone psyche without knowing them well.

2. I read in an Ebony magazine survey that most men DON'T look at skin color when choosing a mate. However, after attending a mostly black college I'm not sure if that's the way I see it .

3. Black people are not the only "folk" that watch videos. They choose women that will also be appealing to more than one ethnic group.

4. Hair is a big issue with black women, but it's almost as big with back men. Just ask any woman that cut off their hair and/or went natural (like me) .

Peace and Hair Grease!

[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited January 11, 2001).]

[AKA2D '91]

Okay, If it is a "family thang" Babyface's mother ISN'T "high yella" AT ALL!

So what is that all about?
They may have some "issues"?

[DoggyStyle82]

There used to be an unwritten rule for Black video makers, that the love interest or centerpiece woman had to be noticably lighter than the man singing to her. When Donnie Simpson hosted Video Soul, they did a special on women in videos. They had a light skin honey(could have easily passed for caucasian) explaining about the hiring practices. She says that she only got the love interest or innocent woman roles but always got passed over for the hoochie or goldigger roles because they wanted the darker or more ghetto looking sisters for those roles. I guess light is Nieman Marcus and dark is KMART. Conversely, sistas, when have you ever seen a light-skinned black male hustler, drug-dealer, convict, thug, or otherwise negative character. It aint gonna happen. In this society, skin color or shade makes a difference in perception. BTW, I hate women to cut their hair, but I love chocolate sistas.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82:
Conversely, sistas, when have you ever seen a light-skinned black male hustler, drug-dealer, convict, thug, or otherwise negative character. It aint gonna happen. In this society, skin color or shade makes a difference in perception.

****ummmmmmmm, scratching head and thinking...HARD AND LONG!****

DAYUM!

[Convinced]

Does this Negro have a color complex or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could be wrong, but has he ever had a dark skinned, or brown skinned for that matter, sistah in any of his videos? I could be wrong, but aren't all the women in his videos dang near white? I remember when he first made it big with "Whip Appeal", it was nothing but yellow women with long hair, and he hasn't changed in 10 years. Do you all agree or disagree? Just think about how Miss Tracy (his wife) looks!

[ManndingoNUPE]

BTW, I hate women to cut their hair, but I love chocolate sistas.[/B][/QUOTE]


Bra, I have to disagree. We all have our preferences. But I happen to find women with short hair sexy az hell. I love sistas of all shades. It's just something that short hair. Maybe becuase I am bald.

MN

[Mz. Sports Luva]

Originally posted by ManndingoNUPE:

We all have our preferences. But I happen to find women with short hair sexy az hell.

MN[/B]

Thank you ManndingoNUPE!!!! I just had to comment b/c since I've gone "short", I've gotten mixed reactions from men. For the most part, I've found that most men DO seem to think that short hair is sexier.

BTW, I think that bald men are sexy too!



[This message has been edited by Mz. Sports Luva (edited January 12, 2001).]

[Ideal08]

Ok, I am one of those sistahs who is constantly changing her hair. I used to go from shoulder length to Toni B short. It's long now, but I'm getting braids to go natural. Honestly, I've never noticed a change in the reactions of men, either way. I will say that people (men and women alike) always question why I would cut such "long, pretty" hair. Ok, my hair was never down my back, so really it wasn't that long!!! And it's still pretty when it's short. As long as it's healthy and clean, what difference does it make?

As far as complexion, I don't know why it surprises me that it's still an issue, but it does sometimes. What trips me out is how they talk about how light-skinned complected people aren't "in" anymore, but I cain't tell!! Well, at least as far as sistahs are concerned. Chocolate men are definitely in! But dark sistahs still are not. Unless it's by a white owned company. Example, Coca-Cola. Tommy Hilfiger. Peep some of these ads. Have yall noticed that they get the DARKEST most ethnic looking people that they can find? Always with either locs or a short natural 'do? And I'm not complaining about that, I'm happy the brotha's and sistahs got jobs. I'm just saying. Can we get to a happy medium. I think that when advertisers do stuff like that it's to seriously get our attention. Like, "LOOK, WE HAVE SOME NEGROES FOR YALL! LOOK! WE ARE MARKETING TO YOU, TOO! WE ARE NOT RACIST! LOOK!" If they used a light-skinned brotha or sistah, we might not notice him/her as much, be we aren't gonna miss the dark skinned ones.

[DELTABRAT]

Hey Everybody:

Yes. Sad as it is, we still have a color complex in this society.

I read an article recently in Savoy (used to be Emerge Magazine) and the sistah on the front was saying that when she auditions for roles, there is a very obvious difference in the "talent" that is selected for certain roles.

If it is an educated, professionsl, upwardly mobile female role, EVERYONE auditioning is light skinned with long, straight/curly hair., thin frame, etc.

If the role is for a single mom (which she has auditioned for) EXACT opposite. Darker skinned, more coarse hair, thicker body, etc.

That's the what society sees it. We are one of the few races that truly somes in all sizes, shapes, shades, hair textures, eye colors, etc. Unfortunately, we have been brainwashed to belief that lighter is better, too.

On the hair issue. I have VERY LITTLE. Pretty much bald. My man LOVES it. He is from the south where he says people would look at me like "Okay?" He's never dated a woman with short hair although, because he went to school in Atlanta, he was used to seeing sistahs sport a number of styles.

Men CONSTANTLY ask me if they can rub my head. Usually I oblige (I love the attention) but I got in trouble a few times, because the Bruhs go absolutely WILD with it.
He's an Alpha so he had issues. Another story.

I think it's all in how you sport your look.
I cannot have longer hair that takes a lot of maintenance right now. I work out every single day, teach aerobics, and SPIN, running LA Marathon, etc. I can't be worried about my hair that I just spent $150.00 getting whipped. Hair is the NUMBER ONE reason black women give for NOT working out. I ain't havin' it.

Poplife, I feel you on the "you had such pretty hair." issue. My family CONSTANTLY reminds me that my hair used to be down my back and so pretty (WHATEVER). But then I had locs for 6 years, so now the family thinks this is better, but still not as "pretty" as it used to be.

[This message has been edited by DELTABRAT (edited January 12, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by DELTABRAT (edited January 12, 2001).]

[PrincessELG]

I agree with Poplife I man's preference is just that his preference. I don't think that the videos are making any type of statement about beauty, ie whether or not light is sexy and dark is not. But I do think that these performers should show the whole spectrum of our beauty not just the lighter side. And as a light skinned woman I take pride in the fact that beauty in the black race is not just hammered down to just one model. Beauty is caramel, mocha, chocalate, dark chocolate it is every shade of beauty that black comes in that makes us as a whole beautiful.

[Poplife]

Originally posted by PrincessELG:
I don't think that the videos are making any type of statement about beauty, ie whether or not light is sexy and dark is not.

Well, I think they are. I see it this way...if you want a beautiful woman/women in your video, there is nothing wrong with that. However, there is a problem when the only females choosen are light. They say that all colors are beautiful...so why aren't they showing that?

[Shelacious]

Originally posted by DELTABRAT:
Hey Everybody:

If it is an educated, professionsl, upwardly mobile female role, EVERYONE auditioning is light skinned with long, straight/curly hair., thin frame, etc.

If the role is for a single mom (which she has auditioned for) EXACT opposite. Darker skinned, more coarse hair, thicker body, etc.

((Sigh)) LOL, where does that leave me? I'm a chocolat (like the movie ) sister with long hair, thin frame! Where in the world does that leave me? I can't be educated and upwardly mobile, yet I'm not a single mom! .

People really are brainwashed sometimes. I love all shades of men. I've dated them from the color of cream to the color of slow-cooked molasses. But I am not color blind--I see every ounce of their color, and I revel in whatever color and hair texture they bring to the table--along with their intelligence and of course, their sexiness . I thank God I didn't become, by family or media, color-struck--think of all the FINE men I would have passed up as a result.

By the way, I guess I must be "Indian and Black", LOL (remember how if you were light-skinned and had long hair, you were mixed with black and white, and if you were brown-skinned with long hair, you must be mixed black and Indian?).



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Finer Womanhood: the "Cat's Meow" Since 1920