Cultural and Traditional Views of Beauty
Ethiopian stick and poke body tattooing, known as "Niksat," is a common tradition that reflects cultural views of beauty. “Growing up, I always thought it was so beautiful,” Addisu says. The spiritual icons of Black hair in Church also serve as a leading theme.“Our old Bibles and imagery I grew up seeing are Black angels and they have mini Afros,” Addisu says, which she included on the actors next to braids, scarves, and blow outs.
The Evolving Face of Beauty
Since the early seventies, marketing budgets spent to attract African American consumers has steadily increased.
“With the recent interest in Ethiopian women, or women from the “horn” more broadly, it is amazing how almost blatantly Social Darwinist ideas get espoused,” noted Professor Davarian L. Baldwin, a Paul E.
“So in the case of Ethiopian women, I hear talk about an “Ethiopian” skin tone, facial features, and bone structure. I hear so much about the beautiful skin of Ethiopians, not in terms of blemishes or smoothness but because it is seen as the perfect balance between darker sub-Saharan Africans and whiter Caucasians,” said Baldwin.
He notes an example of this found in the shift in Italian beauty standards from Sophia Loren, a “southern” Italian beauty of the ’60s revered for her smoky full-figured “dark” look versus the now popular fair-skinned, blond waif. Then there is the ever evolving face of Jennifer Lopez. Los Angeles based Marketing Brand Strategist Tiffany Victoria Bradshaw has witnessed this scenario firsthand. Such decisions carry a two-fold punch that deepens the roots of prejudice outside and within minority groups.“I think every group is always looking for someone that is similar to them. Even though we like to think that we are so open minded this perception only exists at the surface,” she says.
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Considering that African Americans spent $507 billion dollars (out of our total estimated buying power of $836 billion) in 2009 on hair care and personal grooming items, advertisers are acutely aware of the importance of not only wooing but securing our product loyalty.
Made hotter by the fact that even the Ethiopian models thrust into prominence are also cherry picked for certain features. The first two are positioned as the perfect blend of brown skin and “white” physical features - absolutely non-threatening, contends Baldwin.
Whatever angle the situation is viewed, the conscious decision by mass media to skew perception now via the use of Ethiopian models only intensifies the acidic nature of the racial cast system.
“Let’s be honest,” Baldwin points out.
Historical and Biblical References
Historically speaking, the bride of King Solomon in the Song of Songs is described as black and beautiful. The bible says she was a Shulamite meaning from Shulem, which is believed to be in Africa near South of Egypt.Now the other character whose beauty has fascinated historians is the queen of Sheba. She is described by Jewish Women Archives as a beautiful independent woman ruling a kingdom South of Sudan.
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Zipporah who was the wife of Moses was has been discribed as a beautiful Ethiopian woman.
All genders, all ethnicities, and all nationalities seem to unite under the idea that Ethiopian women are the best in the whole world.
Racial Ambiguity
One of the most common features of these women is racial ambiguity. A chocolate skin tone and moderate physical attributes.The Horn of Africa generally Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia and Northern Kenya. These are the Habesha, Oromo and the Tigrayans. Ethiopia however beats them all.
Here's a table summarizing the key aspects of Ethiopian beauty standards:| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Traditional Features | "Niksat" tattoos, Black hair in Church |
| Historical Figures | Queen of Sheba, Zipporah |
| Geographical Location | Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Northern Kenya) |
| Common Traits | Racial ambiguity, chocolate skin tone |
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