The Fetishisation of Lupita Nyong'o

[ismnotwasm]

I have to admit this is creeping me out as well. Combine that with the " White Privledge" deniers, and I'm more than creeped out. It's actually frightening. And I'm white.

Lupita Nyong’o won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress last night, for her powerful role in 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen. Go Lupita!
But lately I’ve been feeling a little fatigued by the “Oh-my-god-Lupita-Nyong’o-is-so-beautiful-I-can’t-DEAL-WITH-IT” attitude.

The current fad-like coverage of the Kenyan actress, overshadows the more interesting aspects of her background; the things that do not get reported. True, I assumed she was a nobody until this slave narrative film, but a quick skim of Wikipedia reveals the stuff that the media isn’t all that interested in.

Black and white people alike are enamoured with Nyong’o for, what I believe, are different reasons. Black people are proud that Nyong’o crushed it in her portrayal of Patsey and I’m personally excited that we’ve got another black woman winning major acting awards. White people seems to be most preoccupied with Nyong’o's exotic looks and I think that’s something we, as a society, need to address.

For those who didn’t know, Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico City and hails from an affluent family of artists, doctors and scholars. She attended Hampshire College, here in the states, and graduated with a degree in film and theater studies. She’s also a Yale graduate and a polyglot, fluent in several languages.

What I was excited to know was that Nyong’o actually wrote, directed and produced a documentary, in 2009, called In My Genes, where she investigates how Africans with albinism experience life in the predominately black Kenya. I was stoked to know this because all I’ve seen of Lupita Nyong’o, is how beautiful she is on every red carpet she walks. Which is wonderful because Nyong’o is indeed quite beautiful! But she’s also extremely talented in other, more important ways.

I’m also weirded out by the onslaught of white people who are just plain gob-smacked by her exquisiteness. I’ve received an enormous amount of trending Facebook articles from various fashion sources that seem almost amazed by how beautiful Lupita is. It irks me that people don’t find it ironic how Nyong’o has preformed one of the most gut-wrenching representations of an enslaved black woman. Her character, Patsey, shows the reality of an enslaved body; this body is allowed to be ogled, worked to death, beaten, and raped. This body does not belong to Patsey and for some reason, it feels as though Nyong’o's body doesn’t belong to her either.

http://www.blackfeminists.org/2014/03/05/the-fetishisation-of-lupita-nyongo/

[CTyankee]

1. Well, she got an MFA from Yale Drama School and is an accomplished professional actor.

I see her in that light as well as the more glamorized light of Hollywood. I think she brought a new standard of dignified beauty and professionalism to the Oscars. Meryl Streep was in this position several years ago and she, as well, has maintained her dignity and professionalism. Streep was also a Yale Drama School graduate. I see Nyongo'o in similar fashion.

[seabeyond]

3. dignified beauty. that is an interesting thought. here is a video of her talking about beauty.

i thought you might appreciate. dignified beauty. why it does not work for me. a woman is only allowed dignified beauty when society allows. that is what i get from the words, this morning. lol. might change by this afternoon.

[CTyankee]

4. I loved that! Thanks. I agree with her...

[seabeyond]

2. excellent. all of it. and in 2014 you would think we would get it, but we get it LESS than a

mere decade or two, ago. what would be the reason?

more and more today, our society, our men, are DEMANDING our womens role being attractive to them. that is or primary? or only real goal in life. to be attractive for men.

it is an obsession of pornifying our women which has become a norm. betcha, this will just become a fact in a couple more years. clear and obvious. like the hypersexualization and objectification of women today.

any woman that becomes public for any reason, becomes mans porn. stripper. sexual entitlement.

it is the only place men have yet to create women as subservient.

the last paragraph reminded me of the movie generals daughter. on a griping scene of reenacting a gang rape, explaining it to her father, in a heartfelt speech, prior to her death, they sexualized the whole scene making her eye candy as she retold her story. the pain and hurt of her fathers dismissal. nothing like psychologically turning a man on to the pain of a woman.

[sufrommich]

5. Excellent article.nt

[BainsBane]

6. We've been pretty enfatuated with her in here too

There have been several threads. I know I myself am taken with her. I can't claim to be above this.

[Blue_Adept]

7. Mainstream media isn't known for delving into subjects

So it's pretty much expected.

Once you get out of that circle and into other articles that talk about her, before her win and afterwards, you see it more since you're getting into the crowd that can take the time to write what she's done, where she's been, how it influences here and so forth. Mainstream media is just the superficial coating.

[bettyellen]

8. especially the red carpet stuff. she and her stylists have chosen incredibly elegant clothes...

And unlike a lot of actors who look half assed their first year or so till they find the best stylists, she came out of the gate looking just so chic, really flawless. I have no doubt she has great taste herself, as he made the final pick of dresses.
So, on a purely superficial level she made a huge stir for putting in a great appearance. Red carpet pics are a huge fashion/ beauty thing these days (much more so than runway pics) and I have to say, she absolutely killed it.
If she looked goofy, I guess they'd only be talking about how talented she is, and making unfortunate comments about her dresses, hair, and whatever.