Beyonce's L'Oreal Ad: What is the Significance of Racial Dilution?

[erndominick]

This video TRUELY spoke to me. I am Creole (Dad-Black Mom-white(french)) but TOO MANY of my friends automatically assume i'm Black. m learning to not let their assumptions bother me but it does get annoying. I think that in the contex of the add they were trying to prove that no matter how mixed up your skin is, they've got your shade. i just think some people over analyze things. you should watch J-lo's ad maybe you'll have a bigger picture of the ads.

:)

[SuperDCH]

She messed up!

[mzluv2dance]

Me n beyonce have the same nationality ok her bad she should of said CREOLE so whatever idk y ppl mad

[fatchickskinny]

@mzluv2dance--I don't think anyone's mad. I made this video because I was trying to understand the significance of listing her heritage. I always thought "skintone" and maybe texture was the major selling point for foundation.

[LilAwesomeLula]

Thanks for bringing attention to this issue.

Good points and good comments

[mistyskittles]

I hate it its rediculous

[Sagewords3]

If there is any question to her back ground, you can hear it in her speech. But hey, that’s nothing a well-paid speaking coach could not remedy.

Fame and fortune are not free. Sometimes come ate the price tag of a little self-respect.

3 of 3.....There is no page 4.

[Sagewords3]

I failed to see the point in listing Native American, African American and French. However, if she must, Beyoncé should have stayed true to herself and started with that she is greater predisposed ….her father’s origin.

You are right; somehow it is more acceptable, appealing to be something other than what is perceived to be inferior.

But when we allow this type of extortion for the purpose of endorsement, we validate something so wrong….so ugly.

cont. 2 of 4

[Sagewords3]

I saw this commercial for the first time last night. I was so caught off guard; I did not see the third identifier (French).

First, I admit, I was confused, bewildered and gravely disappointed.

However, I had to remind myself of the country I reside and how some of our people are hell bent on assimilation.

When we consent to disconnecting from the core of which we are, we left in a state of confusion; an unauthentic shell.

Fame and fortune are not free. Price...a little self-respect.

[lakeside321]

Beyonce's mixture is no damn different from The average african american admixture. My parents are black but my grandmother was part white cuban and all sorts of stuff.At the end of the day we are still recognied as black and I wouldn't have it any other way. Beyonce should of took a lesson from Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer said 100% Puerto Rican! Everyone knows hispanics are a mixed race but she didn't list every damn race down. Beyonce wants to be anything other than a BLACK WOMAN Period!

[AllieEmet]

Great video! I'm going to do one on some ads in Essence in a few days on the subject of cosmetics & mind manipulation.

Some people like to separate themselves from "just being black" because they think it makes them more or better or special. Others genuinely have a sense of pride or are just being straight up accurate. The ones who are genuine usually have some knowledge of history or participate in their ethnicity's traditions, so it's easy to tell who's real versus who's just showing off.

[misstimika]

They should've chose a woman who looks more racial ambiguous than Beyonce.

[BlimpCityFeeder]

Capitalism at its best. Why surrender the 'African-American Female' Dollar to Ambi and other companies; and at the same time benefit from Beyonce's Pop Status with fans of all colors across the board. Fans with spending dollars; some of whom are not especially stigmatized by the 'lightning/enhancing' of their Icon. In some clicks, Exotic models (Mixed-race, Phillipino/Asian, European posing on the covers for Import car magazines) are sought after unlike black or latina models... CAPITALISM.

[QueenChezabelle]

I didnt know French was considered a race :S

[fatchickskinny]

@QueenChezabelle--LOL

[EdentiaFarms]

lol, it's funny you say that about how people will classify others. My step-mom growing up was a light skinned black woman. She would be asked all the time about her european heritage. She had a Sicilian grandparent if I recall... A lot of people would tell her she looked sicilian even though she was (obviously) black. I wonder if her walking around with her white daughter and black sons had anything to do with the constant racial comments, though?

[EdentiaFarms]

Almost every American is some kind of mutt these days. I grew up in a household with black, white and hispanic. I can understand the point. African american skin tones obviously bring the darker tone, native a red tone, french will have lighter and blue tones. I don't think its so much racial but moreso they are saying regardless of what colors you are made up of, we have a color for you.

[Cytacon]

It is pure marketing, they don't want the product to be seen as being aimed solely at black women.

[sulebruty]

I had enough of her loreol hair color ads. How do promote hair dyes when you wear weave 90% of the time?

[fatchickskinny]

@sulebruty--You know, that's an excellent point!

[Hierogamos12]

It's about appealing to the main stream American market. Blacks only make up 12 to 14% percent of the nation's population. In order to attract everybody you have to get out of the minority "black box" and into the majority Pop market where all nationalities and ethnicities can identify with you. I saw the commercial and I thought it was fair enough. I would even go so far as to say it was a smart choice. People often ask her what other ethnicities she has in her background besides black.

[fatchickskinny]

@Hierogamos12--Well, it's a L'Oreal commercial. It's not like it's a Mom and Pop start-up. This company has used women from various ethnic backgrounds to push their products for years. I don't understand why it was necessary to "list" her heritage in the ad. I'm actually surprised there wasn't a percentage next to each.

Even after seeing her parents, people STILL ask about her heritage? That's interesting. Thanks for the info.