So, a friend of mine just posted this on her FB page.
\nThe problem with Black “It” Girls
\nIt focuses a bit on Lupita N’Yongo being the girl of the hour, as Oscar Night approaches. I mean, why not? I haven’t even seen “12 Years a Slave” yet, and I STILL know who she is. Why? Because, Sista is FLAWLESS in public!
\nFrom her voice to her carriage to her fashion to her skin (LUMINOUS!) She has done NO WRONG in this awards season! And she’s doing it all without the assistance of a net (weave, that is.)
\n Seriously. She is just… FIERCE!!\n
\nBut the main question of the article kind of irked me. The author asked, point blank, does Hollywood only allow one Black actress to shine at a time?
\nYes.
\nNext question?
Look, this ain’t news, but the thing is, when ANY actress is labeled an “It” girl, she’s got an expiration date stamped on her. And if her next 2 movies don’t live up to the hype, the audience will sour on her like bad milk, and she’s gone. And, as in most cases of well, everything, a Black actress’ span of time with the crown lasts, roughly, until the release date of her next project. And if it doesn’t “wow” the audience or the critics, it’s back to the salt mines of featured day players, with some infomercials on the side, for a lot of them.
\nIs Hollywood fickle? Duh!
\nBut we can’t discount the general public’s hand in this, either. Because, what we love to do, as a celebrity gossip-hungry society is build up and then tear down. Like toddlers with wooden blocks, who patiently wait for someone to build a tower of popularity and good press, just so they can kick the foundation and gleefully watch the devastation afterwards.
\nWe build up a particular person in the public eye until they are THE BIGGEST STAR IN THE WORLD. And that’s when we start looking for ways (rumors, relationships, drugs, conjecture) to bring the whole thing crashing down on our little social guinea pig. And there is ALWAYS some hungry little starlet, just waiting to take her place.