One good thing about being with the in-laws over the holidays in Central Massachusetts is that there is not much to except read magazines and eat cookies*. While perusing British ELLE, I came across this ad for Toni&Guy's Model.Me line of hair care products represented by top models Erin O'Conner, Helena Christensen and pop singer Jamelia. Each woman has a range of products catering to specific hair needs.
I don't know much about Jamelia aside from the fact that some people call her the British Beyonce and that her song "Superstar" was my jam for about two weeks several years ago. I have nothing against the woman but two things stick out here.
First, why isn't a actual model in Jamelia's place? And second, why are the only Black women we see in "mainstream" haircare ads usually sporting industrial weaves? Now, I know that a good weave requires a lot of care but seriously, what is up with this? It's like the companies are saying, "See! We haven't left you poor black women out of our campaign! You too can have healthy manageable hair, provided that you are wearing someone else's." It just seems silly to me.
I'm also bugged that everyone in the media seems to think that singers and rappers are always the go-to girls for ad campaigns and films when there are plenty of actual black models and actresses waiting in the wings.
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