Comments on: Caged Black Women : Grace Jones & Amber Rose

By: true words

true words — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:14:36 +0000

Lady M is probably the most intelligent poster on this whole board.
LOL Godiva, thanks for the laugh at Naomi…

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:53:46 +0000

It’s not about whether or not this is considered sweating the small stuff, when people see this images repeatedly, they start thinking these stereotypes are true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard white people say something black people being compared to animals or from the jungle, etc. It’s still reinforcing the stereotype.

By: Gregorie

Gregorie — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:40:01 +0000

I agree that these are beautiful, artistic photos, but I can’t help but think that the “general public,” (meaning folks that aren’t black) will forever see us black women as uncontrollable, wild animals that need to be caged. Will we ever have more images that represent our softer, gentler side? It’s already hard enough being a black woman in corporate America because we fight against the prevailing stereotype that we are angry and the like.

The educational focus shouldn’t just be geared towards our young folk in the inner-city and beyond regarding our culture, we should also focus our energies on re-educating us adults by providing a broad range of images of black women that truly encompass who we are as a gender. If we see enough positive images of ourselves, you can only come away from that viewing experience being filled with even more self-esteem which is why I started Hue Knew It (www.hueknewit.com), the beauty blog – it fully engages us in the discussion about our beauty needs and desires and doesn’t just invite us to the table every once in a while. It’s the Allure Magazine for black women.

By: Proud and Philly to the BONE

Proud and Philly to the BONE — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:49:11 +0000

She is Puerto Rican please stop using the media spin..for popularity purposes..When she was in Philly she was puerto rican now she has a descendant from Africa. OKAY whatever, it just sad everybody wanna be DOWN, be affiliated to African Americans..but not actually BE African American. She will remain an a Puerto Rican oppurtunist former stripper who hooked up with a artist whom I will no longer support. Fashion is now a high priced piece of …whatever the case, no bandwagon because there is nothin new going on. Pepa rocked the shaved sides before all these women thought they were doing something. All of their naked pictures at 12 to 23 showing the world their glory. This is what I am suppose to have my future children believe it fashion and acceptable. Old school values, will remain, do you own research.

By: j

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:22:35 +0000

Every one brings very good points. However,what people have become tired off is the redundancy in people of European decent in terms of their protrayals of African people. It is a shame that people of European orgin can not open their ideals in terms of how they veiw people of African orgin through thier works of self-expression in which we call art. Any artist wether black or white becomes stagnant when you can not broaden your dimension and thinking..it becomes rather boring.

Yes we as African woman are very powerful forces, but not only limited to sexuality! We have birth, taught and natured great nations. When people of limited spectrum can not understand or grasp that “it” factor that make “you” you, they want to cage it (control you) or down play it.

However, the power of the likes of someone as Grace Jones..is that she teaches us that spirit can not be contained. Although, she is caged in that photo …Grace..still dominates the cage in which she is containted in. She has used these artist with limited specturm and thier platform un some ways to empower herself and destroy ideologies on gender, class as well as race.

Also, African people need to come in terms of thier African selves. Their is great beauty in our culture. Although, every aspect of ourselves from our sexuality, phyiscality, cultural and language has been demonized..that we run from it with the hopes of being considered human. We need to embrace all the has been considered brutal and ugly..to really enjoy great beauty.

And yes, Amber’s mom is from Cape Verde which is an Island off the coast of Sengeal and considered part of Africa.They were colonized by Portugal and have some there colonizers blood in them as we all. The way African-Ameicans came off the boat as slaves is not the way we look today. If she is not Africa-American then tell me who is?

By: Chic Noir

Chic Noir — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:05:52 +0000

Why Why why can’t they move past this image of us??? Obama being president does not make this crap okay!!!

By: Proud and Philly to the BONE

Proud and Philly to the BONE — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:23:51 +0000

Why is the media tries to manipulate people into thinking that throw a little Black relation into it and it will be hott or puts some braids in their hair and they are Black. Amber is a puerto rican former stipper from the badlands Puerto rican neighborhood in philly. Puerto Ricans do not consider themselves Black in while they may assimilate to hip hop culture, they will let it be known they do not care fore us..I am disgusted that people believe that if you say it enough it will be true. Sorry hun, she is not African American. The woman he was with before his mom died was African American. I liked her because she had a good head on her shoulder and his momma loved her..I don’t believe he would have brought amber or whatever her real name is before she did the pretty woman thing with Kanye..who seems to have lost his mind..kinda like TO. Please dont categorize African American women who see through the nonsense. Be happy being Black, white , korean..if more people were themselves maybe we would not have to deal with all the crap..Grace Jones is Legendary and Amber while hot right now is no comparison. I am disappointed by the lack of focus on real fashion versus slut wear. Look at the Women of the past..that is fashion..1940′s, 50. 60′s 70 and 80′s even a little 90′s but somewhere America went off the curb. The only way to stop the nonsense is to address it when it happens. No support, just do you and leave me out of it..I LOVE FASHION and this blog..but the more amber and kardashian stuff I see the more I am looking for other outlets. Rihanna is doing nothing knew..maybe for todays children, but salt and pepa rocked this long ago!! Look at the R & B women of the past..Fashion repeats itself that is why you have a wardrobe and not hip things now. But I guess because I am old school and refuse to support nonsense I just wont be pushing any money towards crap. Fashion, true fashion does not diminish it inspires.

By: KikIlis

KikIlis — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:23:32 +0000

I think these two pictures, although similar, are coming from two different contexts. Having a caged black woman on the cover of a book called Jungle Fever is certainly offensive and would never fly today. However, Amber Rose’s photo shoot is a different situation, because first of all she doesn’t look at all black, and is in fact bi-racial, so I think it is saying something different about stereotypes, because someone who was not familiar with her background wouldn’t necessarily categorize her as “black”. In addition, this is only one shot in the series, and the theme of the shoot has nothing do with Africa, animals, or women having animalistic qualities.
In this context it seems to be less about race and more about what Complex is marketing as sexy. Amber Rose doesn’t really base her image on her racial background, and I think that is an important message that we can all learn from. She is not defining herself by her background, so I don’t think we should either.