I was enthralled by the podcast entitled ‘On the Edge’ (by Radiolab). The topic of discussion was the story of Surya Bonaly. The rebellious Figure Skater. The tumbling star gone rogue. Her story captures the predicament that many women of colour still face today. Her talents were undermined simply because of the colour of her skin. Surya was born in Nice, and from African descent. She always dreamed of being a successful figure skater. She worked hard, and finally made it onto the world stage. However, her arrival was marred with hostility and negativity.
At first, the commentators and general public were drawn to her, because she was different from all the other female skaters. She challenged the conventional image of a sport which was defined by elegance, artistry and beauty. On the surface, this sudden rise to notoriety could be perceived as something positive. However, the attention Surya was receiving (at that time) was not in any way due to her unique unorthodox talents. Even though, she was a naturally athletic and gifted skater. The world was captivated by “the contrast of her skin on the ice”. A politer way of saying: OMG, she is black. All the other skaters were white “beautiful” girls, and this turned Surya into (what Simone de Beavioure would term) the Other. The world’s reaction reinforced this. She seemed as absurd to them as Victor’s creation, Frankenstein. Soon ignorant and ridiculous rumours started to spread about her. For instance, it was believed that she was adopted from a coconut farm in Africa. Her diet consisted solely of bird seeds, and she never cut her hair.
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In other words, she was seen by many as an alien. Nothing more than a spectacle. As laughable as this may seem, this was the reaction of the media at the time. Surya’s team perpetuated these rumours, explaining that the world wanted to believe this narrative. More specifically, these were ideas already circulating, and her team endeavored to solidify these misconceptions by repeatedly sending the same messages to the public. This suggests that a truth can be constructed through repetition. However, does this mean as viewers or receivers we are more likely to consume messages without decoding, if the message is constantly repeated?
An influential sport critique explained that the problem with Surya was that she was not “artistic” in her style. In an interview, she proclaimed “everything about skating is built on circles”. Therefore, her problem with Surya was that she skated on a “straight line”. Her style was not only unorthodox, but she also sounded uncanny on the ice. The main critique she received was that she was not “graceful” like the other female skaters. This narrative was continuously repeated, and used to distract the viewers from the actual problem. Her race. The term “athletic” was used over and over again to diminish her natural ability. This adjective became her identity. The phrase “too muscular” defined her aesthetically. Does this narrative not remind you of the current predicament facing sports women like Simone Biles, Serena William and Venus Williams? Can they not be seen as the modern equivalents of Surya? The real issue is that black women will never be seen as “normal”. Many talented, beautiful and gifted black women are caged by racist, demeaning and insulting labels.
Memes such as these found readily on the web epitomize the dominant attitude towards black women. The term “masculine” is thrown at athletic black women, and their femininity is undermined. Barbaric associations made with their physical features, and this has a negative impact on the way black people view themselves.
All these women are unable to escape the constrains of their race. Surya’s actions are seen as deviant, even though her intentions are to solely express herself. for instance, the infamous “back flip” was described by many as “a middle finger to the establishment”. However, for Surya the meaning of this acrobatic gesture was a claim of ownership. The media’s ability to create “good” and “bad” images is prevalent and evident in the representation of Surya. Writer and social activist Bell Hook discusses the concept of constructing images, and how this influences perception.
“For some time now the critical challenge for black folks has been to expand the discussion of race and representation beyond debates about good and bad imagery. Often what is thought to be good is merely a reaction against representations created by white that were blatantly stereotypical”. -Bell Hooks
According to Hook, the issue is no longer about turning bad images into positive ones, because even the “good” images are polluted with stereotypical colonial ideas. These images are reactionary, and do not resist popular representation. Consequently, in order to expand racial discussions beyond the restrains of good and bad, one must actively challenge and transform images created on the basis of colonial ideology. Hook presents the media as a site of struggle between positive and negative images, and seeks to end this ancient and tiresome battle. It is time to challenge images such as “the angry black woman”, which is still used to undermine black people’s emotions. Even Michelle Obama has expressed a sense of exhaustion in regards to this matter, after she was subjected to media criticism for her “angry resting face”.
twenty first century popular culture 