Beyonce is NOT that big!

So what is up with the so-called embracing of the round mound of brown woman-ness that is saturating pop culture? Similar to Broadsheet and Givhan at Wapo, I too have been reading and thinking about all the media hype that “full figured” women like Tyra and Beyonce have been getting and the problems associated with the a) mainstreaming of the voluptuous woman and b) the merging of sexulization with the black female body. Neither of these are a new phenomenon. The strategic sexualization and de-sexualization of women of color in the media is the foundation upon which white women’s beauty is compared and usually strengthened.
So with this understanding I agree with what Tracy at Broadsheet writes. . .

Givhan argues that part of the reason for these disparate beauty standards is “the stereotype of the large black woman as the diva-like sexpot: strong, aggressive and entitled.” As limiting and dangerous as that stereotype may be, it’s that pervasive caricature that’s paved the way for the idea “that big can be beautiful and desirable — at least when it comes to women of color,” she argues. I suppose on the flip side of that is the stereotype of white women as fragile flowers: passive, agreeable and unthreatening. Hence, the wilted look adopted by so many white actresses in Hollywood.
The nasty thing about stereotypes, though, is as much as they can create odd (and fleeting) chances at empowerment, they’re, of course, deeply limiting. As much as the “diva-like sexpot” stereotype has opened doors for women of color in Hollywood, it also keeps that racial modifier constantly at arm’s reach.

So as I was reading this I decided to scan some pics of Beyonce and I found the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. And I just have to say this whole conversation really ticked me off when I realized how small Beyonce is. If that is considered a full figured woman and we are excited about the entry of that (overtly sexualized and fetishized) image of the “strong” black woman into the mainstream, then count me out. That is such bullshit. The only reason she looks big is because we are used to seeing size 1’s and shit. If she was sitting next to me you would tell her to eat something.
Furthermore, I got to thinking about the representation of black women on television and in the media and realized how much the way they look has been changed through the years by white standards of beauty. For example, take Louise Jefferson from the Jeffersons or Florida Evans from Good Times. Maybe I am totally detached, but you just don’t see women like that on television anymore.
Thoughts?