Losing Sight

       The section The Black Woman's as a Site of...expressed many different meanings throughout the reading selections. When we did the first assignment in class we were asked, what a black woman's body represented for us? I only had one response. Since then the readings have broaden my horizon. But it all boils down too the fact that black women were once oversexualized by white men. Now its white men, black men, white women, and black women contributing to the epidemic.

      As black women I believe we know our worth but it is being overshadowed by other things. Black women, especially artists, may feel by wearing less clothing and advertising their bodies will get them more attention. They do not see the bigger picture. Yes you may get more noticed or recognized ,but why would you want that to be the deciding factor on whether you can establish your own empire? Black women are allowing the black female objectivity to overcome the black female subjectivity. The way that black females are portraying themselves in the media is allowing for our youth to be corrupted and also the perception of black women corrupted. If all that is seen or shown about black females are sex and aggression, how can we a black women and black people be upset with the stereotypes? I am not agreeing with stereotypes not in the least, but these reality t.v. shows nor our music do anything but encourage them. J. Cole said in his song, No Role Modelz "My only regret was too young for Lisa Bonet. My only regret was too young for Nia Long. Now all I'm left with is hoes from reality shows. Hand her script the bitch probably couldn't read along. My only regret was too young for Sade Adu. My only regret could never take Aaliyah home. Now all I'm left with is hoes up in Greystone. With the stale face cause they know it's they song. She shallow but the pussy deep.(Repeat 3x)". His whole album is fire and speaks on a lot of issues going on with the black community especially black women. In this verse he is speaking on famous black women who did not have to exploit themselves and paved their way through entertainment. Cole is wishing there were more black women like this to represent us when all we have are people negatively portraying us in the media. When Cole gets down to the last part of the verse he is trying to get across the fact that today women's personalities are shallow, which lead them to become very sexual with their bodies.
        It is a proven fact in order to be successful in the entertainment world you do not have to be naked all of the time. There are ways to show off your curves or still have a sexual aspect in your performance without showing every inch of your body. I'm not saying we should cut off every sexual aspect about us, but why must there be so much? Why must we subject to the white man's gaze? As black women, we need to look at the bigger picture and realize even though these attributes may be what we want to show, it may not be what needs to be shown. We have our youth looking and listening to the media, the t.v. shows, and music. They are susceptible to what they call their "role models" saying and doing each day. We do not see the bigger pictures, we're playing into the white man's gaze causing the black woman's body as a site of exploitation, commodity, dichotomy etc.