I am not hating on these beautiful women at all, but no adult I know personally is this skinny.  This is an unhealthy type of skinny.  As my friend, Demond, would say, “They need a buffet.”

According to an article in Netscape Home & Living,

“The fashion industry assumes these standard measurements for a woman: 35-inch bust, a 27-inch waist, and 37.5-inch hip. In the real world, women ages 36 to 45 actually average:

White: 41-34-43

Black: 43-37-46

Hispanic: 42.5-36-44

Asian: 41-35-43”

Even though this article mentions women ages 36 – 45, I’ve seen teenagers exceed the standards mentioned above.  I digressed.

Getting back to the original topic.  The skinny women in this ad do not accurately reflect the women in society.  And, healthy, shapely women may not be seen on TV because they may be viewed as fat by media and fashion industry representatives .

To my readers, please know that thin is not in, but healthy lifestyles are.

At the Tracing the Civil Right Movement 1848 – 1968 exhibit at The DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, there is a photo of a black male slave performing for white soldiers.  Essentially, he was their entertainment; probably not by choice.

As I saw this exhibit, I had to wonder: is this how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today? Not as real people with real problems and feelings; but as entertainment and amusement?

I ask this because when I do watch television, there are very few black people on my screen. (I feel that all minorities are under-represented by the media, but I’m not of those races and ethnicities, and therefore cannot speak for them).  However, when African Americans are shown, they are in the most stereotypical and horrible roles.

Contrary to what is seen on TV, we are real people with real problems and feelings.  Almost all shows starring African Americans are comedies, even when story lines contain serious issues.  WTF?  Do they not think we are capable of good dramas that do not include stereotypical messages and portrayals?  Can black people live “normal” (whatever that means) lives on TV and in movies?  Can there not be hip hop music and booty shaking in the background to make people think that we are all musically inclined?  And, we are all not “ghetto”;  we are all not poor; and we do have morals and values.

Another interesting observation about media practices is that when they attempts to show African Americans in a positive light, underlying messages are almost always negative or stereotypical.  I don’t have any examples right now, but I’ll be sure to share when I see them.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderment on how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today.  Do they see us as real people with real problems and feelings or as entertainment and amusement?

According to the above video, 42% of Black women are not married; there is very little hope of them marrying a Black Man; and over 70% of professional Black women with letters  behind their names do not have M.R.S. in front of their names.

Check out what Demetria Lucas of Essence Magazine shared in her commentary, The Black Men Shortage.

“You know what else I wondered? Where are the news stories about White girls and Latinas and Asian ladies who can’t find a good man? Don’t they have issues too? Cause the ones I know are in my single boat, rowing around the Hudson River with me and looking for love too. There’s this entire fictional franchise called “Sex and the City” (maybe you’ve heard of it?) dedicated to White women’s search for love in Manhattan that women of all colors flock to in droves because its relatable. You know why it’s relatable?  Because 51% of American women are living without a husband, i.e: they are single.  This is the first time in American history that more women are single than married. Fifty-one percent of Latina woman are unmarried, so are 45% of non-Hispanic White women, and 41% of Asian women.”

I have two thoughts on this issue.  First, I would like to thank Demetria Lucas for sharing this information.  She made my work so much easier.

Second, to mainstream media sources, it would be great if you would share stories about all races and nationalities, not just Black people.  If Black women looked to media sources to define themselves, theywould be sorely outta luck.

Outside of news personalities, there are very few positive images on television shows. You see the same few great Black actresses on the big screen. And, we can count the number of Black people in commercials on two hands.

Also, contrary to what you see on TV, Black women are not video vixens; they do have executive level positions and own their own businesses; and reality TV shows are not truly their reality.

I said all of that to say, in spite of new reports about single Black women that are seen on TV, please know that Black women are not the only single ladies.