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Attractiveness of/Attraction to Black Women: Alek Wek
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Jul 2007 13:40    Post subject: Attractiveness of/Attraction to Black Women: Alek Wek Reply with quote

An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.

Interesting enough Halle Berry and Alicia Keys are considered to be among the most beautiful "black" women in America despite the fact that they are both mulattos.

I have yet to see Alek Wek win any beauty awards from the black community.







When Elle chose Alek Wek for the cover of their November 1997 issue, they were taking what many magazines considered a risk: a dark-skinned African girl on your cover did not, theoretically, sell issues. The result, however, was monumental reader response with letters-to-the-editor from women and men ecstatic about seeing the standards of beauty in fashion redefined.

As Oprah commented when Alek appeared on her show, "If you'd been on the cover of a magazine when I was growing up, I would have had a different concept of who I was."

Born in Southern Sudan, Alek was raised as a part of the Dinka tribe. At fourteen the civil war forced her to flee to London with her younger sister, where they were later joined by their mother and siblings. It was in London, at a street fair, where Alek was discovered.

She launched a career in modeling that has since named her: "Model of the Decade" by trend-setting i-D magazine; one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in May of 1999 as well as one of the "50 Most Influential Faces in Fashion" according to i-D and Frank magazines.

Alek's influence extends far beyond the fashion world and societal concepts of beauty. She spoke at the International Black Caucus Foreign Affairs as a member of a panel, which included Hillary Clinton, Congressman Daniel Payne, Danny Glover and many other distinguished speakers. Alek has also served on the advisory board for the U.S. Committee for Refugees.

She speaks in New York area schools to bring attention to the famine in Southern Sudan and to educate children on the importance of nourishment, in addition to helping to launch the Bracelet of Life campaign in conjunction with Medicins Sans Frontiers/Doctors Without Borders. She has also worked closely with AIDS awareness benefits, children's charities and breast cancer research.

Advertisers are equally attracted to Alek's presence. Her past campaigns include Clinique's Happy fragrance, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gautier, Banana Republic, Joop, Nars, Issey Miyake, Moschino, XOXO Jeans, the Gap, Ann Taylor, and Michael Kors. Alek also appeared in Coach's "Most Influential People" campaign.

Alek has worked with the most talented photographers including Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Annie Liebovitz, Arthur Elgort, Michael Thompson, Ellen Von Unwerth, and Steven Klein. Alek has also appeared on the covers of prominent international magazines including Elle, i-D, Dutch, Essence, Russian L'Oficiel, London Style, Deutsch and New York magazine's Fashions of the Times, as well as the Sunday Style Times issue.

Alek is also in constant demand on the runway circuit for such top fashion houses as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Christian Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Jean Paul Gautier, Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, and Helmut Lang.

Alek has been dedicating the little free time she has to another passion: design. She has combined what she has learned from her years in the industry with her natural artistic ability to create a line that is a true reflection of her. Judging by the enormous success of her special line of handbags (Alek Wek 1933); Alek is poised to become a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the fashion business.

In addition, Acting is another talent that Alek is cultivating. She was last featured in the Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson film "Four Feathers."

"I haven't seen anybody that interesting, that black and that beautiful in a long time," said Steven Meisel, who has photographed Alek for Vogue. This is the sentiment that continues to surround Alek. She is not just a black model, and not just a celebrity lending her name to a cause. Alek uses fashion as a vehicle to accomplish what she believes in, which has proven to benefit everyone.
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Salsassin
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Jul 2007 15:01    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.

Which is a falsehood. It is just a certain range of looks that is underrepresented.

Quote:
Interesting enough Halle Berry and Alicia Keys are considered to be among the most beautiful "black" women in America despite the fact that they are both mulattos.

Don't know about Alicia Keys, but Halle Berry is Black. That is her self identity. I have done samplings before and in the West Indian community, at least, the tastes spanned the gamut, but Medium Dark was still the preference over all. Alek Wek is not close to the norm in most of West Africa either.

Quote:
I have yet to see Alek Wek win any beauty awards from the black community.

Maybe not, but I find that many apreciate African women that lok like these women just fine:






(The one on the left)






Or this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIjSDUcMo6g
(Have no idea how to embed a video here)
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sagascend
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Jul 2007 20:30    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.


But not a very good one. I'd point to the rather small exogamy rate among Black Americans as well as the robust birthrate among African and Afro-descended women across the globe as more compelling evidence that the argument is ridiculous even.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 00:05    Post subject: Reply with quote

sagascend wrote:
Hanzou wrote:
An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.


But not a very good one. I'd point to the rather small exogamy rate among Black Americans as well as the robust birthrate among African and Afro-descended women across the globe as more compelling evidence that the argument is ridiculous even.


And blacks have the highest rate of illigetimacy in the U.S. So that small exogamy rate doesn't mean a whole lot. That also means that the majority of those black children are being born to single black women because the men decided that the black women were good enough for sex, but not good enough for a relationship.

Black women are also the least likely to be married among all racial groups. You can read more about that here;

http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-03-29
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sagascend
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 00:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
sagascend wrote:
Hanzou wrote:
An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.


But not a very good one. I'd point to the rather small exogamy rate among Black Americans as well as the robust birthrate among African and Afro-descended women across the globe as more compelling evidence that the argument is ridiculous even.


And blacks have the highest rate of illigetimacy in the U.S. So that small exogamy rate doesn't mean a whole lot. That also means that the majority of those black children are being born to single black women because the men decided that the black women were good enough for sex, but not good enough for a relationship.


Hanzou has a strange definition of "attraction" or "attractiveness," then. All protestations to the contrary, passing on genes is really the only definition of attraction that counts if one wants to argue that some phenotypes are (or look) better than others. Last time I checked, none of our ancestors required wedding rings to gauge their attractiveness to the opposite sex. So the fact that, by and large, Black men choose to marry and procreate with Black women is not only relevant, it presents irrefutable evidence weakening the already weak argument Hanzou is making.

And please post even a shred of evidence to bolster the conclusion that, since many Black men don't marry the Black women that they have sex with, that these same Black men either go on to marry non-Black women or tend to base their marriage decisions on some sort of physical attraction criteria that excludes sexual attraction. Basically, for Hanzou's argument to hold any water, as stated, the following evidence is required:

- Black men who impregnate Black women outside of marriage find non-Black women more attractive, demonstrated by their abandonment of Black women and subsequent marriages with non-Black women.

- Marriage, rather than sexual attraction or successful procreation, is the criterion used to measure female desirability on a physical level.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 01:18    Post subject: Reply with quote

sagascend wrote:

Hanzou has a strange definition of "attraction" or "attractiveness," then. All protestations to the contrary, passing on genes is really the only definition of attraction that counts if one wants to argue that some phenotypes are (or look) better than others. Last time I checked, none of our ancestors required wedding rings to gauge their attractiveness to the opposite sex. So the fact that, by and large, Black men choose to marry and procreate with Black women is not only relevant, it presents irrefutable evidence weakening the already weak argument Hanzou is making.


So how do you explain the marriage rates among blacks as compared to whites and other groups? Clearly there is a problem there, so much so that its causing a decline in the black household. Its also fairly obvious that popular black media is having an effect, since black women have been very vocal about their lonely situation for years now.

Who are the most attractive "black" women in America? Halle Berry? Vanessa Williams? Tyra Banks? Beyonce? Alicia Keys? Surprisingly, all women with strong intermixed features. Heck, Vida Guerra was awarded as "most desirable woman" in Black Men magazine. She's not even a black woman.

Who determines this? Black men of course.

Quote:
And please post even a shred of evidence to bolster the conclusion that, since many Black men don't marry the Black women that they have sex with, that these same Black men either go on to marry non-Black women or tend to base their marriage decisions on some sort of physical attraction criteria that excludes sexual attraction. Basically, for Hanzou's argument to hold any water, as stated, the following evidence is required:

- Black men who impregnate Black women outside of marriage find non-Black women more attractive, demonstrated by their abandonment of Black women and subsequent marriages with non-Black women.

- Marriage, rather than sexual attraction or successful procreation, is the criterion used to measure female desirability on a physical level.


Do I really need to prove any of that when I can easily find an article like this;

http://www.mybrotha.com/nogoodmen.asp
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sagascend
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 01:56    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
So how do you explain the marriage rates among blacks as compared to whites and other groups? Clearly there is a problem there, so much so that its causing a decline in the black household.


I wouldn't in this context, as marriage is irrelevant in determining physical attraction in the opposite sex. I'm not quite sure why Hanzou believes that the relatively lower marriage rate among Blacks (with divorce rates in most U.S. populations holding steady around 50%, and marriage delayed among most younger U.S. populations) is indicative of how physically attractive they find one another. One has nothing to do with the other. Hanzou is conflating one issue with another and that's a problem given his earlier statement.

Again, unless there is some direct evidence linking marriage to physical attraction, that does not exist when linking physical attraction to sex outside of marriage, the logic is not even specious.

Hanzou wrote:
Its also fairly obvious that popular black media is having an effect, since black women have been very vocal about their lonely situation for years now.


What is not obvious is the evidence linking to their "physical unattractiveness" to Hanzou's declaration that "black men don't find black women attractive." Such a declaration of fact requires more evidence than the "fairly obvious" effects, per site rules.

Where is the evidence for the claim?

Hanzou wrote:
Who are the most attractive "black" women in America? Halle Berry? Vanessa Williams? Tyra Banks? Beyonce? Alicia Keys? Surprisingly, all women with strong intermixed features. Heck, Vida Guerra was awarded as "most desirable woman" in Black Men magazine. She's not even a black woman.


A curious approach, as all of the women Hanzou referred to are the very "Black women Black men don't find attractive." Tyra Banks? Laughing Tyra has spoken at length about how difficult it is for her to "find a man." The last article I read about her, in Vanity Fair I believe, outlined a common problem that successful, well-off and intelligent women have.

Interestingly enough, both Halle's and Alicia Key's White mothers were left by their Black husbands. I believe Vanessa William's and Beyonce's Black parents are still married. Tyra's are divorced, I believe. Hmm, the proposed link between attraction of Black women and marriage doesn't seem to be supported here either. This small data set does point to a disturbing trend in the "unattractiveness" of White women though, using Hanzou's logic and celebrity examples. Is that a realistic portrayal of BM/WW relationships in the U.S.?

Hanzou wrote:
Who determines this? Black men of course.


I agree 100%. Black men seem to be voting with their sexual partners and wives. The extremely low exogamy rate as well as the illegitimate and legitimate birth rates among Blacks are the clear indicators that some sort of attraction exists. My guess would be physical.

Hanzou wrote:
Do I really need to prove any of that when I can easily find an article like this;

http://www.mybrotha.com/nogoodmen.asp


Yes. Where's the data to support your argument? I don't find whining very convincing, as I have two brothers, countless cousins, and friends who wonder or have wondered (until they found one) where all the good Black women are.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 15:28    Post subject: Reply with quote

Salsassin wrote:
Which is a falsehood. It is just a certain range of looks that is underrepresented.
Don't know about Alicia Keys, but Halle Berry is Black. That is her self identity.


That may be her self identity (which I fully support), but her mother is white and her father is black, which means that she is a mulatto passing as a black woman.
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Salsassin
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 15:48    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
Salsassin wrote:
Which is a falsehood. It is just a certain range of looks that is underrepresented.
Don't know about Alicia Keys, but Halle Berry is Black. That is her self identity.

That may be her self identity (which I fully support), but her mother is white and her father is black, which means that she is a mulatto passing as a black woman.

Nope. No passing needed. the African American identity fully embraces people of mixed ancestry. And I have heard her claim biracial, but have yet to hear her call herself mulatto.

2.6 Do not criticize anyone’s choice of ethnic or “racial” self-identity. — If you disagree with someone’s choice of ethnic or “racial” self-identity, keep it to yourself. This applies whether they are individuals or groups, and whether they are site members or not.
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sagascend
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 16:06    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou has an outstanding request for evidence supporting the claim that "Black men don't find Black women attractive:"

Quote:
Basically, for Hanzou's argument to hold any water, as stated, the following evidence is required:

- Black men who impregnate Black women outside of marriage find non-Black women more attractive, demonstrated by their abandonment of Black women and subsequent marriages with non-Black women.

- Marriage, rather than sexual attraction or successful procreation, is the criterion used to measure female desirability on a physical level.


He has 24 hours to submit evidence, preferably a peer-reviewed study (or article referencing one with data or links to the actual study provided), or his posting privileges will be suspended for one week. The other option is to clarify that the statement is his unsubstantiated opinion.

In addition, "full support" of an individual's self-identity does not include reclassifying said individual to racial groups to which they have no declared affiliation in order to express some sort of backhanded disapproval of their personal choice. Hanzou is in violation of Rule 2.6, as quoted in the message above. First warning.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:15    Post subject: Reply with quote

Salsassin wrote:

Nope. No passing needed. the African American identity fully embraces people of mixed ancestry. And I have heard her claim biracial, but have yet to hear her call herself mulatto.


The White American identity embraces mixed ancestry as well.



Quote:
2.6 Do not criticize anyone’s choice of ethnic or “racial” self-identity. — If you disagree with someone’s choice of ethnic or “racial” self-identity, keep it to yourself. This applies whether they are individuals or groups, and whether they are site members or not.


Where was the criticism? I simply stated a fact. Ms Berry is as much a black woman as she is a white woman.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

sagascend wrote:
Hanzou has an outstanding request for evidence supporting the claim that "Black men don't find Black women attractive:"

Quote:
Basically, for Hanzou's argument to hold any water, as stated, the following evidence is required:

- Black men who impregnate Black women outside of marriage find non-Black women more attractive, demonstrated by their abandonment of Black women and subsequent marriages with non-Black women.

- Marriage, rather than sexual attraction or successful procreation, is the criterion used to measure female desirability on a physical level.


He has 24 hours to submit evidence, preferably a peer-reviewed study (or article referencing one with data or links to the actual study provided), or his posting privileges will be suspended for one week. The other option is to clarify that the statement is his unsubstantiated opinion.


Then I'll change my earlier statment as state this;

"Black men don't find darker Black women as attractive as lighter black women"

That is backed by this study;

http://www.blackcollegewire.org/studentlife/070611_colorism/

Unfortunately we have different views of what is and isn't black, so you'll excuse my earlier misconception.

Finally, I didn't bring up marriage, you did. You stated that the high rate of black endogamy proves that black men do find black women attractive. Low rates of marriage and high rates of illigetimacy really make that high rate of endogamy meaningless.

Quote:
In addition, "full support" of an individual's self-identity does not include reclassifying said individual to racial groups to which they have no declared affiliation in order to express some sort of backhanded disapproval of their personal choice. Hanzou is in violation of Rule 2.6, as quoted in the message above. First warning.


Halle has considered herself biracial. Mulatto and biracial (in the case of Ms. Berry) are synonymous.


Last edited by Hanzou on Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:59; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:29    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:

Halle has considered herself biracial. Mulatto and biracial (in the case of Ms. Berry) are synonymous.

Black and biracial, in the case of Ms. Berry are synonymous. Mulatto is not a term embraced by all Biracial people. And no evidence that Ms. Berry has embraced it.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:41    Post subject: Reply with quote

Salsassin wrote:
Hanzou wrote:

Halle has considered herself biracial. Mulatto and biracial (in the case of Ms. Berry) are synonymous.

Black and biracial, in the case of Ms. Berry are synonymous. Mulatto is not a term embraced by all Biracial people. And no evidence that Ms. Berry has embraced it.


Only because of ODR. Not by definition;
Black:

3. often Black
a. Of or belonging to a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin: the Black population of South Africa.
b.Of or belonging to an American ethnic group descended from African peoples having dark skin; African-American.

Biracial:

1. Of, for, or consisting of members of two races.
2. Having parents of two different races.

Mulatto:

1. A person having one white and one Black parent. See Usage Note at octoroon.
2. A person of mixed white and Black ancestry.

Which definition looks more synonymous to you? Also which defintion better defines Ms. Berry? Biracial and Mulatto, or Biracial and Black?

All biracials haven't embraced mulatto because all biracials aren't mulattos to begin with. Hapas, Eurasians, Mestizos, and many other groups are included into the massive label of "biracial".
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Salsassin
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 17:55    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
Salsassin wrote:
Hanzou wrote:

Halle has considered herself biracial. Mulatto and biracial (in the case of Ms. Berry) are synonymous.

Black and biracial, in the case of Ms. Berry are synonymous. Mulatto is not a term embraced by all Biracial people. And no evidence that Ms. Berry has embraced it.


Only because of ODR. Not by definition;
Black:

3. often Black
a. Of or belonging to a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin: the Black population of South Africa.
b.Of or belonging to an American ethnic group descended from African peoples having dark skin; African-American.


False, the definition is highlighted.

Quote:
Mulatto:
1. A person having one white and one Black parent. See Usage Note at octoroon.
2. A person of mixed white and Black ancestry.
Which definition looks more synonymous to you? Also which defintion better defines Ms. Berry? Biracial and Mulatto, or Biracial and Black?

See below

Quote:
All biracials haven't embraced mulatto because all biracials aren't mulattos to begin with. Hapas, Eurasians, Mestizos, and many other groups are included into the massive label of "biracial".

All African and European Biracials have not embraced the Mulatto identity.

Furthermore, if you are going to go by references:
Quote:
Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.

mulatto, half-breed, octoroon, quadroon (nn.)


These are old terms, today encountered mainly in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writing. All are now deemed offensive by many people. A mulatto would be the offspring of one black parent without white ancestry and one white parent with no black ancestry. A quadroon would be a person one-quarter black, with one black grandparent, the child of a mulatto and a white; an octoroon would be a person with one black great-grandparent, the child of a quadroon and a white. Half-breed is even more clearly a taboo term, being considered a racial slur and hence offensive. It was once used generically for a racial blend of any sort, but originally it meant “the offspring of a North American Indian and a European.” It has not been in polite use for nearly a century. Mulatto’s plural is either mulattoes or mulattos. Avoid all these words. See also AFRICAN(-)AMERICAN; NATIVE AMERICAN.

Offensive to many people. Hence, unless they claim usage of it. It may be considered a pejorative term.

Quote:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

mulatto

SYLLABICATION: mu·lat·to
PRONUNCIATION: m-lt, -lät, my-
NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. mu·lat·tos or mu·lat·toes
1. A person having one white and one Black parent. See Usage Note at octoroon. 2. A person of mixed white and Black ancestry.
ETYMOLOGY: Spanish mulato, small mule, person of mixed race, mulatto, from mulo, mule, from Old Spanish, from Latin mlus.

Again, certain people equate it to comparing a person to a mule and therefore do not like the term.

Others see it as an ethnic group or identity that existed in the USA and exists in other countries. We do not know that Ms. Berry identifies with said groups. Hence, Biracial and Black would be correct terms for her as she has specifically used both terms.
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Hanzou
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 18:02    Post subject: Reply with quote

Salsassin wrote:
[Others see it as an ethnic group or identity that existed in the USA and exists in other countries. We do not know that Ms. Berry identifies with said groups. Hence, Biracial and Black would be correct terms for her as she has specifically used both terms.


Quote:
Halle's first few years were spent in a black neighbourhood of Cleveland. Here her fair complexion made her stand out, but not as much as she did when her mother moved them out of the inner-city to a mainly white suburb. Now, a little older and in this conservative milieu, her "difference" was not so readily tolerated. "I'm black," she said later. "I realised very early in my life that I wasn't going to be this mulatto stuck in the middle, not knowing if I'm black or white".


http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/halle_berry_biog.html

What do you think of that quote?
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sagascend
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 18:10    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
sagascend wrote:
Hanzou has an outstanding request for evidence supporting the claim that "Black men don't find Black women attractive:"

Quote:
Basically, for Hanzou's argument to hold any water, as stated, the following evidence is required:

- Black men who impregnate Black women outside of marriage find non-Black women more attractive, demonstrated by their abandonment of Black women and subsequent marriages with non-Black women.

- Marriage, rather than sexual attraction or successful procreation, is the criterion used to measure female desirability on a physical level.


He has 24 hours to submit evidence, preferably a peer-reviewed study (or article referencing one with data or links to the actual study provided), or his posting privileges will be suspended for one week. The other option is to clarify that the statement is his unsubstantiated opinion.


Then I'll change my earlier statment as state this;

"Black men don't find darker Black women as attractive as lighter black women"

That is backed by this study;

http://www.blackcollegewire.org/studentlife/070611_colorism/

Unfortunately we have different views of what is and isn't black, so you'll excuse my earlier misconception.

Quote:
In addition, "full support" of an individual's self-identity does not include reclassifying said individual to racial groups to which they have no declared affiliation in order to express some sort of backhanded disapproval of their personal choice. Hanzou is in violation of Rule 2.6, as quoted in the message above. First warning.


Halle has considered herself biracial. Mulatto and biracial (in the case of Ms. Berry) are synonymous.


Thanks for the clarification.

A quote from the article:

The results, taken from a sample of 100 students, indicated that 96 percent of the men preferred a medium to light complexion in women while 70 percent of women found light skin of value in men.

My question would be, as I also asked when this particular study was presented in another thread, is how do stated perceptions preferences on a self-report questionnaire translate into real dating/mating behavior? It doesn't without a correlation in actual mating behavior. Therefore, the conclusion is premature and probably wrong/based on media perceptions. It is also based on the opinions of 100 people out of millions with no indication that it is representative of the entire population.

In addition, because the sample of American college students is not a representative sample of the Black American population, the reliability and validity of these results vis a vis the general population are unknown until further studies are conducted outside of a college campus (and preferably using an experiment rather than a self-report questionnaire). This is a frequent and oft-lamented limitation of social science research as it is conducted these days.

But let's go with these results and break a cardinal rule of the scientific method and extrapolate these results to the entire Black American population: If 70/100 Black women and 96/100 Black men (which include the ODR-defined population in the U.S., by the way) prefer medium to lightskinned mates (a pretty broad color/phenotype spectrum), how is anyone included in these numbers of medium-dark to dark complexion going to reconcile their preferences with the reality that, not only are there not enough light-to medium folks around, but that a significant portion of that population is plain and/or unattractive by any standard? In addition, without knowing how many people within the A-A population are "objectively" medium-dark to dark, but assuming it is at least 50/100, wouldn't the more likely outcome be that whatever preferences "on paper" are voiced will fall by the wayside when the realization hits that half of the "real" population of desirable mates is not lightskinned?
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 18:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
Salsassin wrote:
[Others see it as an ethnic group or identity that existed in the USA and exists in other countries. We do not know that Ms. Berry identifies with said groups. Hence, Biracial and Black would be correct terms for her as she has specifically used both terms.


Quote:
Halle's first few years were spent in a black neighbourhood of Cleveland. Here her fair complexion made her stand out, but not as much as she did when her mother moved them out of the inner-city to a mainly white suburb. Now, a little older and in this conservative milieu, her "difference" was not so readily tolerated. "I'm black," she said later. "I realised very early in my life that I wasn't going to be this mulatto stuck in the middle, not knowing if I'm black or white".


http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/halle_berry_biog.html

What do you think of that quote?

I think she makes it clear she doesn't identify with Mulatto then.
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 18:32    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanzou wrote:
Finally, I didn't bring up marriage, you did. You stated that the high rate of black endogamy proves that black men do find black women attractive. Low rates of marriage and high rates of illigetimacy really make that high rate of endogamy meaningless.


In a free society I would find the selection of a mate (sexual, not marital) as a pretty reliable indicator of physical attraction, which is all that was under discussion. That is why mate selection/procreation/marriage is relevant. You keep trying to make the argument that marriage rates (whether Black men and Black women consecrate a pair-bond in matromony) have something to do with physical attraction. The connection you are trying to make is truly odd, unless you are saying that marriage rate has something to do with physical attraction. Since that is the only logical conclusion following your insertion of the relevance of marriage rates, I'm still trying to figure out how you connected those dots. One doesn't follow from the other. The choice not to marry among Blacks seems to be a cultural one, and perhaps even a socioeconomic one for lower class people from all backgrounds.

Now if the endogamy rate of Black men approached that of, say Jewish men or Asian American women and their out-ofwedlock children were no longer being born to Black women in such high numbers, the argument might have a prayer, especially if the birth rate for Black females decreased at the same rates (and their marriage rates to non-Black and Black men declined). But it doesn't. It is much lower. Now if you would like to argue that Black men really do want to rid themselves of the Black women that they impregnate and marry at very high percentages, where is the evidence? It sounds like repetition of cliches rather than facts.
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gemini072
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Jul 2007 18:39    Post subject: Reply with quote

An argument can be made (and has been made for over a decade) that black men simply don't find black women attractive.

Interesting enough Halle Berry and Alicia Keys are considered to be among the most beautiful "black" women in America despite the fact that they are both mulattos.

I have yet to see Alek Wek win any beauty awards from the black community.


Not a truthful arguement.

When and where was Alicia Keys considered among the most beautiful 'black' women in America. Phylicia Rashad & Jody Watley were considered the 2 of the most beautiful women in America over black & white. Yeah they are 2 women of mixed ancestry but still...considered more beautiful than white women.

What do you mean by beauty awards? Naomi Campbell was/is probably considered more beautiful than both. Cheryl Lee Ralph is considered very beautiful as well. And both of these women are darker skinned. When Halle Berry originally came out people didn't even see her as mixed or knew she was biracial. She was pretty brown in her earlier days of acting.

Just by the fact that I had to do a search on who Alek Welk is, tells a lot. How many people even know who she is? Who is she? A model? a Supermodel? Compared to an actress and an musician?

I really don't see the purpose in this kind of post.

Why do we have to go there...


Last edited by gemini072 on Mon 02 Jul 2007 19:08; edited 1 time in total
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