[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/398584_Beyonce-In-Blackface_jpg37e34fb47dc9fafd0e372dfcdacafff4[/img]
Beyonce graces the March issue of L'Officiel Paris, but it's a controversial photo of the superstar inside the French fashion magazine that's getting the most attention.

The glossy is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and Beyonce marks the occasion with an homage to Nigerian musician and humanitarian Fela Kuti; Beyonce's husband, Jay-Z, is a producer on the acclaimed Broadway musical "Fela!," based on the icon's life, music and courageous defiance against government corruption. In a statement (via Jezebel), L'Officiel describes the Feli-inspired photo of Beyonce -- sporting blackface, tribal paint and a dress designed by her mom -- as a "return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened."

Not everyone is a fan of the editorial vision and tribute to Kuti; the image simultaneously inspires and provokes. Writes Jezebel's Dodai Stewart: "It's fun to play with fashion and makeup, and fashion has a history of provocation and pushing boundaries. But when you paint your face darker in order to look more 'African,' aren't you reducing an entire continent, full of different nations, tribes, cultures and histories, into one brown color?"

"It's one thing to feel moved by Fela Kuti, and quite another to treat blackness as a fashion accessory, like a pair of glittery heels you put on because it looks cool," Stewart adds.

Charing Ball, a writer at the Atlanta Post, blasts the fashion industry's recent obsession with blackface as an accepted form of racism passed off as art. "Blackface is not fashion forward or edgy and, in my opinion, it is just flat-out offensive," writes Ball, incriminating Beyonce in perpetuating the offense.

Blackface has been particularly trendy among European fashion titles; in October 2009, French Vogue featured a white model in blackface a year after the Italian edition of Vogue ran a much-hyped issue with all-black models as a response to the lack of diversity within the industry.

Photos: See Beyonce's top hairstyles


Meanwhile, Beyonce and other black stars have had their skin lightened on the cover of glossy women's mags and in advertisements; see Beyonce's 2008 L'Oreal ad compared with a real photo of the singer. See also: Actress Gabby Sidibe's 2010 Elle magazine cover wherein her dark skin appeared several tones lighter.

"The message we're getting from the fashionistas," Stewart writes, "is that it's bad to actually have dark skin, but totally cool to pretend you have it."

Beyonce will no doubt maintain a diplomatic stance on the photoshoot. But, for once -- for once! -- it would be refreshing to hear her speak her mind and have a stance on something beyond her music.



http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/thefamous/beyonce-under-fire-for-blackface-photos/711?nc



Check out this question I asked earlier about this controversial subject.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=608410.msg7764338#msg7764338

who is Beyonce

She is an International Popular Musician.
Jay-Z wife

racist ntin more

I see it as ART, nothing to it,

How cud she be under fire for painting her face blake for an occation dont celebratis hav right to free makeup to any colour to suit occation

kemisuga:

She is an International Popular Musician.
Jay-Z wife

must you answer this stupid question?

Not everyone is a fan of the editorial vision and tribute to Kuti; the image simultaneously inspires and provokes. Writes Jezebel's Dodai Stewart: "It's fun to play with fashion and makeup, and fashion has a history of provocation and pushing boundaries. But when you paint your face darker in order to look more 'African,' aren't you reducing an entire continent, full of different nations, tribes, cultures and histories, into one brown color?"

Like duh! WTF were we before??

beyonce, if nobody talks about u then u are nobody.

kemisuga:

She is an International Popular Musician.
Jay-Z wife

Thanks i didnt know who she was also

who is Beyonce  is she a hunter and why is she wearing animal skin clothes 

Stupid bitch!! Im sure Fela is even crawling in his grave now looking at this, Africans come in different tones, light brown,dark brown, purple black, She looks like one of those gollywogs sold in the 70s and still in the market now.

have never heard of the name Beyonce b4

Oyibo too get time on their hands hence this type of "under fire".  Does it make any difference? Black, brown, whatever?  In fact, do we really have people that are black as in black?

Abeg make dem go siddon for Mile III gutter!!!

These people make issues out of nothing

kemisuga:

She is an International Popular Musician.
Jay-Z wife

which music genre, she dey sing- is it juju music?
is her husband related to Don Jaz-Z  

It may not mean anything to many Nigerians who are not familar with Black History in the West but to us, especially African Americans it is highly offensive.

Back in the day when Blacks were hardly allowed on a film set, white people would often don a black face to portray a black person character. Not only that, these portrayals were always stupid, dumb and illiterate. These were the only images of Black people seen on TV and the black face has now somewhat become synonymous with a time when Black people were treated less than human and treated a certain way based on a stereotype.

Beyonce, as an African American should have known better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

snthesis:

which music genre, she dey sing- is it juju music? 
is her husband related to Don Jaz-Z  

,
another cork in the making?

African woman,make she go born jari

Making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Several African tribes paint their faces black, white or whatever colour during cultural performances. What's the big deal? People just prefer to talk and hate for nothing. Haters

Gemma11:

It may not mean anything to many Nigerians who are not familar with Black History in the West but to us, especially African Americans it is highly offensive.

Back in the day when Blacks were hardly allowed on a film set, white people would often don a black face to portray a black person character. Not only that, these portrayals were always silly, dumb and illiterate. These were the only images of Black people seen on TV and the black face has now somewhat become synonymous with a time when Black people were treated less than human and treated a certain way based on a stereotype.

Beyonce, as an African American should have known better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

Now it makes Sense,

thank you Beyonce, if you American people don't have work for them to place you on fire, don't worry we are behind you with enough water, thank you once more for Fela

Hulabaloo over nothing really. Why is it racist when whites try to look black and only 'bleaching' when blacks try to look white? I have no issues with Blackface- Its mainly Afro-americans that are neither here nor there and have alot of time and cyberspace on their hands.

i lov beyonce, she always knw hw 2 mak money

darqly:

Hulabaloo over nothing really. Why is it racist when whites try to look black and only 'bleaching' when blacks try to look white? I have no issues with Blackface- Its mainly Afro-americans that are neither here nor there and have alot of time and cyberspace on their hands.

i assume you also have no issues with taking a poo and rinsing your bunghole with a bowl of water and your fingers but a lot of african americans have issues with that. my point being, stop being an insensitive and belligerent prick.

She had better take her time b4 Dooms Day M.J episode Hit Her Bad. Beyonce is Getting so fake. Make she no annoy me,or else i wud swear for Her.

Mai Suya:

Like duh! WTF were we before??  

Haba Mai gida na, don’t make me fight you oh!  After all these years, don’t you know our sensitive cousins prefer one to be very specific about their shade of brown.

There’s Mocha, there’s caramel, there light cool brown, there’s brown, there ashy brown, chocolate, dark chocolate, golden chocolate, there’s brunette , Sepia, Chestnut, golden chestnut, caramel chestnut. . . so really, you can see why they would be very upset at being called just black. I mean it’s just so pedestrian and meant for bush people like us.

Thinking out loud

Hmmmm, if a Golden Chocolate skinned woman mates with a Mocha skinned man, I wonder what color will their child would be?

By the way, I'm Ashy brown. . . what are you?

kemisuga:

She is an International Popular Musician.
Jay-Z wife

Who is JayZ?

furacao:

Who is JayZ?

only the hottest p-o-r-n star in town

These black americans will not cease to amaze one,now its about Mrs.Carter's paint.I wonder where they were when her complexion transformation occur (for those who dont know Bey used to be much darker say like 10years ago,now dem dey vex say she wan return to her true colour.@Fabulous E,Bey has been fake for like 4,5 years now and arguably from the beginning.Make these sensitive stranded slaves shut it abeg,no time for okpaks.

These black americans will not cease to amaze one,now its about Mrs.Carter's paint.I wonder where they were when her complexion transformation occur (for those who dont know Bey used to be much darker say like 10years ago,now dem dey vex say she wan return to her true colour.@Fabulous E,Bey has been fake for like 4,5 years now and arguably from the beginning.Make these sensitive stranded slaves shut it abeg,no time for okpaks.