Black Anatomy for Profit? By: Trishauna Hemmings

The tendency of the mainstream to pillage and profit from the culture of the lower class or minority groups is nothing new. Though this trend is predominantly found in the fashion and music industries, culture appropriation is easily identified in several other aspects of mainstream society. From the depiction of “black face” by Caucasian Halloween enthusiasts to the adaptation of Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival by the Jamaican elites; culture appropriation can be identified in our society as well as the societies of our first world North American and European neighbours. The trend has become more prevalent and more easily identified as a consequence of globalisation and modern technological advances. Access to the various cultures of the world is now possible at the mere click of a button.

 I say this to emphasise that culture appropriation or culture appreciation as some would argue is nothing new. This phenomenon is likely to exist for a long time, so long as human beings continue to admire, plunder and share the ideas of other races and cultures. More recently, there has been a push by mainstream America to capitalise not just from the music, art or fashion of minority groups but also the actual image of the members of said group. And by image, I speak specifically of the pronounced, sometimes exaggerated physical features of the predominantly black urban community.

Hatred, admiration, discomfort, acceptance or appreciation, are all terms used to describe the black human form. Additionally, broad hips, thick lips, black skin and protruding posteriors are features commonly associated with the black race. Even more specifically is the voluptuousness of the black female and the virility and strength of the black male. These attributes are of aesthetic importance in black culture and considering the influence of urban groups on popular culture, it is not surprising that large corporations would want to capitalise on these aesthetics for profit. We need not look far for examples as local giants J. Wray and Nephew, producers of Magnum Tonic Wine, relies heavily on the stereotype of the virile, over sexualised Jamaican man to sell its products - a generalisation rooted in the ghettos of the Jamaican landscape. The company purports that the black man’s virility is further enhanced by the consumption of this product, a tactic used by the spirit distributers to further capitalise on the culture of a specific group.

One may ask, how does culture appropriation apply to the human anatomy, doesn’t this term specifically speak to the culture of a people, race or group? Well its quiet simple - the aesthetics, physique and physical attributes of a race are more often than not directly associated with the culture of said people. For instance the Somalians are known for their tall and slender physique while Swedish people are often blond with an oval face and blue eyes. While this general description does not speak for nor fully describe the variations in physical make-up across the two groups, it is usually the description reflected in the media, film or our very own imaginings. Similarly, black women are known for their voluptuousness while their male counterparts are known for their virility and strength, a stereo type that is widely used in mainstream media and culture. This fascination with the black form can be traced as far back as the 19th century - chronicled in the life of Saartjie Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman who was exhibited as a freak show attraction around Europe as a result of her striking difference to the European women, of her time, particularly her very pronounced posterior.

The fascination continues in the twenty first century with singer Miley Cyrus’ recent twerking fiasco, new videos of artists such as Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Izaelia belting odes to having a slightly larger derriere; celebrating the oversized “booty” has become more popular than ever. Mainstream society, it would appear, is once again endorsing, publicly highlighting another aspect of the black anatomy for profit and financial gain. Similar to the marketing of products to enhance fuller lips in Caucasian women, or the  promotion of products to enhance the male libido and organ, akin to that of the black male, so too is the push and popularity of products to enhance the female posterior. This is a trend that is proving to be quite profitable according to online business magazine CTVNews.com.  In a November 2014 article titled “ 'Big booty' business cashing in on pop culture fascination” the website states that “companies such as Booty Pop, which hawks $22 foam padded panties on its website, are up forty seven per cent in the last six months from the same period a year earlier.” Similarly, “Feel Foxy, another maker of padded panties, says 2014 has been its best year since launching nearly a decade ago.”  Some may argue that this is another example of the mainstream exploiting and cashing in on the human anatomy of a minority group.

The nay-sayers may argue that this is just one groups appreciation of another group’s culture. However one cannot opt to appreciate without acknowledgement of the origin of the item, art, intellectual property or image being used from said group. Neither can one purport to appreciate without empowering those from which the item is taken to also be able to profit from it. Quite frankly, it may be considered an injustice and a blatant act of hypocrisy when the Kim Kardashians of the world are accepted into mainstream Hollywood for “assets” held by every other black woman but the latter is relegated to the roles of video vixens and porn stars. While there are others who will argue that it is as a result of these non-black ambassadors’ acceptance and highlighting of these assets that help to bring attention to and ultimately acceptance of these unique features. One may quip, why must we always require the validation of others, to ultimately accept ourselves? The answer to that question may be well suited for another post.

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