Often, when people discuss “unconventional beauty”, they’re discussing unpopular features like, say, close set eyes or big noses. The problem usually goes a bit deeper than that, though. I don’t think it’s a secret to say that features associated with people of color are rather maligned when it comes to beauty norms and are often shoved into the “unconventional” list. Recently, there seems to be an increased appreciation for what’s considered unconventionally attractive, but I’m wondering if it’s as sincere and inclusive as it should be…
The biggest example right now would probably be thick lips. Thicker lips used to be a thing of mockery and suddenly they’re popular… then they fell out of favor, and then gained popularity again. I suppose we can thank Kylie for that even if the trend quickly went off the deep end.
It’s a bit conspicuous to see white women praised for certain features that are undesirable on women of color, but no one race has a claim on big lips right? If that’s nitpicking, let’s talk skin color. The darker the skin, typically the more undesirable. As someone who consumes quite a bit of beauty-focused media (skincare, make up, and so on) the lack of effort that goes into creating products for skin darker than beige is infuriating but unsurprising to me. To put it simply, the message is often that you are not beautiful or worthy.
There’s pushback against this notion, of course, in highlighting the beauty of darker skin. Unfortunately, some of it misses the point or just never reaches where it needs to go. The darker skin tones or typically unacceptable features that are highlighted still have to be at a certain level of “acceptability”. I think about this a lot but it’s often background noise for me at this point.
And then I saw Black Panther and the variety of black beauty presented before me. And it was diverse. Women with long hair, women with short hair, women with no hair. Buff dudes, average dudes. Dark skin. So much darker skin. The best part is, the representation wasn’t limited to dark skinned folks being shifty or devious and the fair skin people were obviously the heroes, as seen with the main conflict between Killmonger and T’Challa. It was glorious and I realized how long I’ve been putting up the microaggression of only being represented in media by people that barely look like me and half-heartedly approving it. It brought me back to my first time reading The Killing Moon by N. K. Jemisin. A quarter through the novel, I realized that I was still subconsciously reading the good guys in the story as conspicuously lighter when that wasn’t the case at all. Deliberately. Despite my best attempts, that “code” was still embedded in me and it was quite the wake-up call.
Is it petty to want to micromanage representation to see even typically unconventional (read: unwanted) beauty on my screens? Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes I think I’m asking a lot of a little, and then sometimes I read something like Amandla Stenberg’s interview with CBC Arts earlier this year in which she discusses roles for young black actresses in Hollywood and walking away from a role in Black Panther because she is lighter skinned. It was a very thoughtful and brave thing to do and in the wake of actors and production companies pressing on inclusion riders, I wondered what the world would look like if more stars took that risk.
Would it be possible to say, “is there a chance someone darker could play this role?” I think so. There’s no guarantee, of course, that the role would not have gone to someone darker even with explanation. But I read that and I realized none of us are asking for “too much”, we’re just asking in a highly complicated environment. One that doesn’t end at our backyards. It requires real examination and a group effort that seems to finally be happening.
When I see people fawning over popular Bollywood actors and actresses, or Lupita N’yongo and Chadwick Boseman, I wonder if things are really changing or if it’s just the bubble. But when I witness prominent beauty bloggers giving up their platforms and ad revenue and challenging the companies that perpetuate this divide, I’m confident something’s heading in the right direction. It’s heartening. Appreciating unconventional beauty standards in the face of false Instagram “perfection” may be a fleeting fad that’s taking place at the right time, but I hope not.
I just know that it feels good to see someone that doesn’t conform to what we know as “conventional” beauty standards. It feels good to see an entire movie of people that look like you as people to be admired, respected, and adored. It feels good that we’re even starting to dig down to this level below the surface. It feels good to be represented on all levels, and that’s the kind of visibility I’m looking forward to in the coming year.