Beyonce under fire for blackface photos

[Rage for Order]

http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/thefamous/beyonce-under-fire-for-blackface-photos/711?nc

Beyonce graces the March issue of L'Officiel Paris, but it's a controversial photo of the superstar inside the French fashion magazine that's getting the most attention.

The glossy is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and Beyonce marks the occasion with an homage to Nigerian musician and humanitarian Fela Kuti; Beyonce's husband, Jay-Z, is a producer on the acclaimed Broadway musical "Fela!," based on the icon's life, music and courageous defiance against government corruption. In a statement (via Jezebel), L'Officiel describes the Feli-inspired photo of Beyonce -- sporting blackface, tribal paint and a dress designed by her mom -- as a "return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened."

Not everyone is a fan of the editorial vision and tribute to Kuti; the image simultaneously inspires and provokes. Writes Jezebel's Dodai Stewart: "It's fun to play with fashion and makeup, and fashion has a history of provocation and pushing boundaries. But when you paint your face darker in order to look more 'African,' aren't you reducing an entire continent, full of different nations, tribes, cultures and histories, into one brown color?"

"It's one thing to feel moved by Fela Kuti, and quite another to treat blackness as a fashion accessory, like a pair of glittery heels you put on because it looks cool," Stewart adds.

Charing Ball, a writer at the Atlanta Post, blasts the fashion industry's recent obsession with blackface as an accepted form of racism passed off as art. "Blackface is not fashion forward or edgy and, in my opinion, it is just flat-out offensive," writes Ball, incriminating Beyonce in perpetuating the offense.

***ETA: the picture in question can be seen at the link

[Dappleganger]

1. What's the problem here?

I don't get it--she is a beautiful black woman with light skin who wished to look like the darker-skinned Nigerian musician and humanitarian Fela Kuti. Where's the problem?

[gateley]

2. Honestly, people are so quick to condemn. It's her face, it's her

statement, it's her business. What's important is what it means to her, not what everybody thinks she's "saying". :eyes:

Always gotta say, she did the best rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (at some game which I don't remember) that I EVER heard. She's amazing.

[Iggo]

3. That's not what I think of when I think of 'blackface.'

And they know it.

[Bunny]

7. Agreed. That's not 'blackface'.

This is blackface:

[madrchsod]

4. by the way fela was much lighter than beyonce`s crude attempt...

and his grandson or son..google did`t translate the article




both are far better musicians/singers that beyonce will ever hope to be

[WinkyDink]

5. Beyonce IS Black. How stupid is this story?!

[spanone]

6. non issue...

[Uzybone]

8. Much ado about nothing

I hope these people know that Felas dancers also painted their faces...sometimes with (gasp) dark colors.