Ugly Beautiful: Cinch and Credibility
Jennifer Hudson's tiny Photoshopped waist on her forthcoming album cover is not just an exercise in vanity or a cowardly cop out to narrow beauty standards, it's a rejection of her strength. Hudson is no Marianne Jean-Baptiste but she killed in Dreamgirls on account of her ability to be ugly on the big screen. That vulnerability and rawness provided the credibility her craft couldn't muster. So although she is something of a sanger, it's still worrisome to me that her album cover would suggest that this debut might forsake the gutsy for the glitz.
The Afro Punk festival concluded this weekend and although I missed most of the events for pure exhaustion Saturday and for the MIH BBQ Sunday, I did catch a few minutes of rocker Sophia Ramos' Saturday set. Since my peoples could not be tracked down, I was prepared to leave the Fort Greene Park venue as quickly as I arrived when Ramos drew me to the edge of the stage. She is the definition of abandon, polished, performative but still strangely unput-upon. The crotch of her slitted jeans was sweat through, her face was contorted comically, eyes crossed and a boob might have even hinted at escape. Digital cameras clicked steadily and the crowd was entirely captivated. Who said you can't win for losing!
Tags: Jennifer Hudson, Music, Sophia Ramos
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Comments
1.
gypsygoddess says:
points of clarification:
*i meant jennyjen wasn't overplucked, the other pieces are in agreement.
*just look at what they did to poor kelly price. anyone remember the pink, leather jumpsuit disaster?
07/30/2008 at 12:44 AM
2.
gypsygoddess says:
i love jenjenny from the block. and i love andre leon talley. but all that aside, i wonder when we'll be able to just accept everyone's rainbow of fruitflavors, sizes and styles.
big girls get sucked/tucked and overplucked (not really with jenjenny, but it rhymed). little ladies (ie. cassidy) get taken advantage of and made to look like pre-pubescent girls playing a bad game of dress up. "err'day" women, regardless of size, (ie. keyshia cole) get highlighted for being "hood" or "eccentric". when will it end?
in the meantime, sophia ramos if only for the on stage facial acrobatics. sounds like some old school rachelle ferrell business that i would love!
07/30/2008 at 12:25 AM
3.
MissStacks says:
Don't forget that she was smaller before she was in Dream Girls. I understand where your article is coming from though and overall I agree with you, but perhaps you should use another celebrity for your example. Jennifer may simply be trying to reach her original size and there's nothing wrong with that- so long as it's what she wants and not the media.
07/22/2008 at 12:48 PM
4.
jburrell says:
I hear you but Jennifer seems like she's extra susceptible to outside influence (think the Andre Leon Talley styled Oscar look) but nevertheless she bears some responsibility for the manipulation of her image.
07/18/2008 at 4:03 PM
5.
TIFFYPOOH says:
If Jennifer has been pressured into changing her image for the sake of public accetance then it really is a shame especially if she felt the need to follow through, I do understand that she wants to make it in the industry, but beig true to ones self and confident enough to be proud of who you are in your own skin means to also make it clear that you won't change to be the stereotypical person the entertainment industry believe that she should be. Jennifer you were an inspiration to all of us BIG BLACK BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. SORRY YOU HAD TO SELL OUT!!!! CHI-TOWN BBBW
07/17/2008 at 6:28 PM