Not Really a Dreamgirls Post
January 14, 2007 – 8:13 pmPosted Under: celebs, movies, peeves
And the Oscar goes to…well, J. Hud of course. Or let’s hope so. I loved the movie. Instant classic. I saw it with someone special last week. I cried but then I cry when its 11pm, cold outside and I discover that I ran out of “lightly salted” Lay’s for my vanilla ice cream. Beyonce was unrecognizable to me at first with no foundation, no weave, no lashes, teetering somewhere around 110 pounds. She said in an interview once that she wanted to win a Tony, and Oscar and a Grammy. Not this Oscar Be-Be. With that said, it’s a touchy topic for me personally but I wish they’d stop making the thick browngirl the underdog though. I mean, really. Maybe they don’t get it because they’ve never lived it, just like you can’t pretend to know how a black man feels if you’re not a black man. Books don’t teach you that. Hearing one black man’s plight doesn’t do it either.
But fact is, even though movies show it over and over again (ie. Waiting to Exhale et al) we don’t always lose our men to paper-thin, light or white chicks. We don’t always get the stretchmarks having “his” baby while she walks off with him into the sunset with her flawless body “intact” and then takes up residence in a mansion with a pool while he gushes continuously about how much he loves her only to have her cheat, leave, die in the end (pick one) either. Sometimes we mocha colored sisters get the man in the end. I’m talking about us brown girls. Sometimes we get appreciated exactly how we are by men who want women who look like their “mother” and we don’t have to add hair extensions, bleach our skin or suck lemons and do a 30 day cayenne pepper fast to reduce our lady lumps.
Oh, and yes, underneath all the melanin, guess what? We have talent too, but a la Effie, sometimes we are just too strong-willed to be handled by weaklings who have their own insecurities and so they don’t notice, they just trade us in and then put the meek, mold-able Gumby knockoff chick in our place—who they “believe” has a prettier face–and uh, won’t talk back much and that secretly makes them feel like a “real” man (since they can’t go toe to toe with a free-thinking woman). I agree with Mwabi, J. Hud represents for browngirls everywhere. She seems too grounded to shrivel down to a size 2. I like that about her. We need more role models for those of us don’t have washboard abs. And I take back one of my 2007 goals. I aint toning up nothing. Yep. Like it or lump it. As long as I’m still fitting comfortably into a size 10 I’m good…to hell with the magazines, television and the those who expect this chocolate sister to measure up to them. It ain’t ever gonna happen. Okay, I’m off my brownskinned girl soapbox.
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15 Responses to “Not Really a Dreamgirls Post”
I feel ya Dom. My thing is why does one person have to represent a group? I get and then I feel like Ok Monique is for the fat girls. But I am not her size. I may be a lil smaller than Queen Latifah. I am brown like Gladys Knight. It is hard to express how I feel. The thing is why can’t the person just be a character why all the dissecting and comparing to real life.
I know we as human have tendencies to compare ourselves with. That we see celebs and some want to be like them or for someone to represent the “norm” people. Yet, I cringe sometimes when we put too much into a character. If you can feel me.
I am Shai. I love Shai. Shai does not have hips and a butt like alot of black women. So will ther be flat butt chics on TV to represent me? Or does it even matter.
I was going one place with this post and this did not get my point across. LOL. Just one of those days.
By Shai on Jan 14, 2007
Great post. We all come in all different shapes and colors. I hope Jennifer wins all of the awards. I’m not hating on B but I think it’s someone else’s time to shine. Young ladies need to know that they can be themselves and still make it to the top.
By Shelia on Jan 14, 2007
Like it or lump it, I love this quote by you. I love Jennifer and hopes she gets an Oscar because the girl played that role, she acted her butt off and sang her heart out. She performed and she had no real training and is a newbie. She is a beautiful, plus size, brown skin girl and I hope that she gets what she deserves. Though most say that the light skin, danceable and more popular Beyonce is jocking hard for it. I also heard politics played a key role in who gets the Oscar, it is who you know that will determine who will vote for you and that is unfortunate. Jennifer represents the real girl, the regular woman, the dark not too skinny to most but I believe she represent the real woman who when given a chance she can conquer anything, regardless of weight, size or color, this girl is rising because she is good and didn’t give up her dream even when Simon said, this is the best you will do…..give him the lemon but give Jennifer the Oscar- she earned it.
By rose on Jan 14, 2007
Standing ovation on this post! Yes yes and another yes!!! Brown normal girls, we’re here! Take notice of us dammit!
And we have asses, size 10 looks good on us! Of course the magazine says be a size 4 with washboard abs but do they ever take our chest and ass into consideration? Never!
By Mwabi on Jan 14, 2007
*Raising my BROWN fist up in the air*
I know that’s right!
By Sunnchine on Jan 15, 2007
I still don’t understand how Beyonce is considered Lead…I loved J. Hudson…she was fab
By SueZette on Jan 15, 2007
I loved the movie too! I wanna see it again. I almost cried too, but great singing and dancing can do that to me. J. Hudson did a fabulous job. She’s definitely going places! Like Suezette said, I don’t get how B was lead either!
By Cymple on Jan 15, 2007
Jennifer Hudson is a starrah! Not gonna hate on B but um…she got lost next to Jennifer & I don’t mean physically. Ha!
Re: browngirls…do we win? Really? Cause um…right here? Right now? I just can’t call it….
Off to sulk in private….
By MsJayy on Jan 15, 2007
Hey Dom,
Let the church say, amen! Great post.
Have a great week!
By Carla on Jan 15, 2007
I have been hearing so much about this movie, maybe I should check it out.
I love my dark skin (brown skin) wormen, with all the curves and lady humps!:smile:
By Stunner on Jan 16, 2007
I keep asking myself why it has to be either Jennifer Hudson or Beyonce that we celebrate. I’m the first one to admit that hate Beyonce’s blond weaves and her hanging on Jay-Z like her life depends on it. But, why is there this media fostered competition between the two ladies? Bey is talented in her own right and so is Jennifer. We should be celebrating both of them. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that neither one would be nominated for anything.
By Los Angelista on Jan 16, 2007
I felt like Jennifer represents the American dream, brown, white, or otherwise — a nobody becoming a somebody in the blink of an eye. A regular girl whose now a Golden Globe winner, in the same room/company with screen legends.
I am a brown girl, a non-curvy one, but I didn’t relate to her in that way. Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to see her beautiful brown skinned face all over the web, and you can’t help but think of and appreciate the richness of your own skin, but I just don’t see her as “reppin” for me.
But I do feel you when it comes to the way the dark sister is often portrayed. We’re never the chosen one. Fact is, however, that we often are. By men with enough sense to recognize beauty doesn’t have a shade.
By summer on Jan 16, 2007
Preach my sister preach… I so agree with you. I didn’t make any new years resolutions to loose weight, is said if it goes, it goes and if it don’t as long as I’m fitting into my 10/12..I’ll be good. I even put away the damned scale.
As for Byonce, I don’t even know why she was nominated for best actress, That should have been Jennifer’s nomination..I was so glad that B-Girl didn’t win anything..She also is paper thin. there goes that whole bootilicious bit out the door. Bigg up to the thick dark skin sisters.
By Campfyah on Jan 16, 2007
i like jennifer because she is a beautiful and talented sister. i hope she doesn’t buy into the pseudo-hollywood dream when curves are taboo. frankly she represents me much better than beyonce does.
By aquababie on Jan 16, 2007
i agree that j.hud does represent for brown skinned girls. the whole “normal” thing is relative. small girls do have curves; they are just, well…smaller. all girls need love. period.
personally i think she can sing but i don’t think she was the best possible singer to sing the signature song. maybe i am just a die-hard jennifer holiday fan. however, i am definitely not hating on the fact that j.hud won an award.
By k on Jan 18, 2007