The ‘Beauty Standard’ Has Shifted To Black Women
Some may not want to admit it, but…
I had an interesting comment on my essay How We Take Back Control of Black Women’s Femininity (2023); it spoke to research I had done myself to answer: is the black woman’s (natural) physical make-up really the beauty standard? Some may scoff at this, but it’s a question that needs deeper examination.
Think of how women of colour — especially black women — are often (but not in all cases) genetically shaped, then consider social media, celebrities, and data around plastic surgery. Placing the three together it could be argued there has been a sharp increase in women in the media (and probably walking down your street) with lip fillers, bottom lifts, and fillers where they are not “filled” naturally, emulating the genetics of black women — generally speaking. What about all the fake tanning too?
Based on the data I’ve listed and linked to below, it’s factual that black women’s genetics are being emulated at high rates. We could even go as far to say that women in the public eye like the Kardashian sisters and Iggy Azalea are making their millions by emulating black and brown women, raking in the money, and then removing their modifications when they realise they are no longer serving them.
We mostly see these kinds of enhancements on women who are not from ethnic, Afro-Latina, Indigenous, or African groups — their background is more likely Caucasian. This is not to say we don’t have some women from a Caucasian background with a similar body shape naturally, but there’s been a big increase in the female population surgically enhancing their bodies in ways that come more naturally for black and brown women based on genetics.
Physical
Adjective
1. Relating to the body as opposed to the mind. — Oxford English dictionary
What Does This Tell Black and Brown Women, and The World?
You’re beautiful and often imitated. Women are prepared to pay to look like your archetype. Sadly, the world and beauty industry will rip features away from us, take what they like, then place them on lighter skinned people and see that as beautiful, while the naturally melanin-rich woman is often considered “fat,” “big boned,” and “masculine” etc.
Look at the critiques that Serena Williams experienced over the years. Sports Illustrated reported:
‘While Serena Williams was solidifying herself as the G.O.A.T. of women’s tennis and, arguably, the greatest female athlete in any sport, there was endless chatter and scrutiny across various media platforms about her physique. The discussion centered on why her body doesn’t fit into society’s idea of femininity and beauty; on why she isn’t skinny and white and blonde a la Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki or Eugenie Bouchard. On Twitter one Serena adversary tweeted, “the main reason for her success is that she is built like a man.” That prompted Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling to respond.’
The British, white, female author J.K Rowling’s response was comical.
But, the same shapely behind of Serena on the white, Australian, blonde haired and blue-eyed rapper Iggy Azalea, or white females like the Kardashian clan is not called “fat,” “big boned,” “masculine,” or “built like a man.” We can see that Iggy’s body shape was likely paid for, not natural, due to the drastic changes it’s gone through over the years that she has been in the public eye. The same can also be said about the Kardashian sisters who have paid for their bodies. Bottom line: Serena, Iggy, and the Kardashians are looked at differently by society; they get different reactions by society; and most importantly, women will and do pay good money to look like Serena’s archetype physically.
You’re beautiful and often imitated.
Looking at the statistics on both sides of the Atlantic, how much is spent on plastic surgery?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in their 2000–2019 report ,16.7 billion USD was spent on plastic surgery alone between 2018–2019. Statistica reports that in 2019 of all the plastic surgery carried out, when looking at race:
- 68% of the patients were white
- 14% were Hispanic
- 10% were African-American
- 6% were Asian-American
- 2% were other
Straight away we see from this data that white people are the ones most likely to have plastic surgery. When we look at the types of surgery carried out, then take gender and procedures into consideration, we find that between 2000–2019 there was a big increase in butt implants and lip enhancements:
- In 2000 there were 1,356 butt lift surgeries carried out. This increased to 4,453 in 2018, and 4,824 in 2019. That’s a 215% increase for butt lift surgery over all between 2000–2019, Statistica reports.
- 946 butt implants were done in 2018, which rose to 970 by 2019. That’s a 3% increase in butt implants between 2018–2019.
- In 2019 there were 31,789 lip enhancement surgeries done on women alone. Lip surgery had a 67% increase overall between 2000 and 2019, with a 3% increase in 2018–2019 alone.
And the trend continues. This story in the New York Times says that, “In 2021, there were 61,387 buttock augmentations, which include both implants and fat grafting, according to the Aesthetic Society, a professional organization and advocacy group for board-certified plastic surgeons.” It quotes a practitioner saying the “Brazilian Butt Lift” is the fastest-growing type of cosmetic procedure in the U.S., and notes the numbers don’t include women who leave the U.S. to get the procedure done more cheaply elsewhere.
The data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Statisica would have us conclude that:
When it comes to race, white people are the most likely to have plastic surgery; this demographic had the biggest turn out. And procedures that enhance features to align with the genetics and features of women of colour have shot up dramatically.
If we observe society as per Iggy Azala and Kim Kardashian and her sisters, we see the data above play out right in front of our eyes. This does not include the average non-black, brown, or minority/mixed woman walking down the street. We see it in the public eye and ‘in the streets’ to keep it real. A 215% increase on butt surgery over the years the study covers alone is an eyebrow raiser. It could be argued from this one statistic alone that black women really are the beauty standard which a lot of other races are looking to and paying to emulate.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons assert in their report that:
‘Since 2000, the report represents a universal and comprehensive estimate of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures performed by ASPS Member Surgeons as well as other physicians most likely to perform plastic surgery procedures.’
The data is comprehensive.
It could be argued from this one statistic alone that black women really are the beauty standard which a lot of other races are looking to and paying to emulate.
Outside of the USA
On the other side of the Atlantic, according to Aesthetic Medicine, the number of British people having plastic surgery decreased in 2019.
Compared to the USA for the year 2019, only 27,000 surgeries took place, and distinct kinds of breast surgery were the top two forms. Just as in the USA, it was mainly women, as 92% of all plastic surgery was performed on women.
In 2020, in the UK the trends for plastic surgery were still on the decline. In a report from the prestigious clinic Harley Street in the UK, they found that ‘non-surgical alternatives’ were on the rise. This would include things like lip fillers and Botox, etc.
It appears that on the side of the water I am on, women are not so focused on imitating a woman of colour’s archetype when it comes to their curves, but look to their facial features instead, such as fuller lips. While we have no racial breakdown on this (at the time of me writing), if we are to be logical women who usually (due to genetics) don’t have full lips, would probably be the ones to opt for these procedures. If we look at genetics, the fuller facial features make-up is more likely (but not always) attached to women of colour. We have the occasional Angela Jolie’s out there yes, but genetically speaking, this feature is more closely linked to darker skinned women of African descent, or women who have a link to African ancestors— even if they are mixed, or a lighter skinned black woman.
So, The Beauty Standard Has Shifted To Black and Brown Woman’s Genetics Then?
I want all women to feel comfortable with their bodies. That said, the discussions around ‘beauty standards’ and what is ‘beautiful’ in the eyes of women and even men is clearly shifting based on the data. It’s interesting to note, especially after years of black and brown women feeling “forced” to try and align with a European “look,” as this is what is promoted to us, or seen as ‘the standard’ of beauty. But let’s be real. It’s not anymore. This is evidenced in the data and the behaviour of white women opting for particular kinds of procedures. Even if some social media influencers have removed their enhancements to revert to looking like their more natural selves, it’s still a ‘thing’ in society to emulate.
Men might try and set the standard and add their view, but when you look at what women are doing, it is aligning themselves with women of colour.
What I have said may ruffle some feathers, and if so then I have done my job and caused women — especially black women and women of colour, who are often shamed for their features — to stop and think.
It may seem contradictory to say “black and brown women are being copied as a beauty standard, but on the other hand are put down for what they have naturally,” but life is full of contradictions.
And let’s face it: I am full of them. So is the data and cases such as people both insulting and idolizing Serena Williams’ physical body.
But what do you think?
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