Before slut-shaming was real: The dethroning and reinvention of Vanessa Williams and the Melania Trump double standard
buzzz worthy. . .
This is the story about how actress, singer and former pageant queen Vanessa Williams rose above shame to become a huge success by not allowing the media to define her. Ever so often, such as when the Miss USA organization suspended its director for talking behind contestant's backs, there are scandals in the pageant world. Ms. Williams was at the center of the most controversial scandal in pageantry to date. With the support of her fearless mother, she stood up to the pageant establishment and became an overcomer. Her fall from grace would later become a footnote in her life's story.
By Mona Austin
In 2016, outgoing Miss USA Deshauna Barber who represented DC crowned the current DC title holder Kára McCullough, also black, as the new Miss USA. Black women have a history of defying the odds in pageantry and it all started with Vanessa Williams.
Williams was famously stripped of the Miss America crown (i.e., forced to resign) and condemned for nude modeling. However, she did not allow the mistake of her youth to become her downfall.
Here I reminisce about the strength and perseverance Williams exuded to become the entertainment staple in Hollywood she is today.
There has been a deep double standard in the response to how the public views white women and black women and sexuality.
As an example, the New York Post outed Melania Trump's past in pornography. Some considered it a disqualifying aspect of her serving as the First Lady of the United States while others view it as a non-issue. Commentators who were in support of her called those who were not misogynist, sexist and "slut shamers." Her husband, now Pres. Donald Trump, and others quickly came to her defense. Nude photos like hers were normal in Europe they said, besides she had taken them before they were married pointed out Jason Miller, senior communications director during the Trump campaign. In Melania's defense Miller stated, “They’re a celebration of the human body as art, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. She’s a beautiful woman.” So was First Lady Michelle Obama. but Conservatives verbally attacked her for wearing sleeveless dresses that revealed her toned arms.
Like millions of viewers in 2015, I witnessed Williams reunite with the Miss America organization from which she was spewed in 1983 for posing nude. My mind immediately traveled back to when I was a beaming little girl 32 years ago, excited to see this ethereal beauty take the crown as the first African American woman ever to claim it and the disappointment I felt when she had to give up the title. This generation will recognize Williams, perhaps, as the boss (Wilhelmena Slater) on Ugly Betty or Courtney Paige from The Good Wife.
That night she sang beautifully and looked drop dead gorgeous. She could have leveraged the sale of the single on iTunes of taken advantage of the opportunity to discuss with media why she came back after all those years. She did nothing except show up to do the job she was to do. You see, Williams knows exactly who she is and did not need further validation.
During the time Williams was crowned the women's liberation movement was in full swing but was not as successful as it is today and many people of all races and social levels were uncomfortable with Miss America 1983-84 wearing the esteemed title after posing nude (both alone and in compromising shots with another women like First Lady Melania Trump) in Penthouse and Hustler magazines. She was stripped of the crown. Just. Like. That. Without hesitation or contemplation. This rejection was the pre-cursor to "slut-shaming."
Slut-shaming is when women are criticized for being too sexually liberal or when there is a double standard in how men and women are perceived concerning sexuality.
In the aftermath of the ordeal, Williams was much more than slut-shamed. The former Syracuse University Theatre major's life changed dramatically. She received hate mail and was constantly reminded of her painful past.
At 52, Williams performing a song on the program and acting as a head judge could have been closure. She appeared to be caught off guard when the CEO of the organization publicly apologized to her for the scandal. Clearly unphased by the past, Williams was poised and professional. Pageant leads should have allowed her to reclaim her title . Rather than bring attention to this fact, she displayed dignity and fortitude in accepting the role of judge and presenter. How Mrs. Williams carried herself is admirable.
I am not suggesting Williams should have been a role model for women's empowerment. I do not condone porn and recognize the connotation and stigma with which it is associated. This is about respecting the good that came out of a bad situation that could have caused Williams to have a one-sided legacy which ignored her full contribution to women and their self-esteem.
Some people argue that losing the crown to scandal was the best thing that could have happened to Williams as she went on to have a successful career in entertainment. Williams also has raised a family and finds her way back to where she started wearing a smile on her face. She "won" ultimately. It may not be what she set out to do, but Williams benefited from the scandal, although allegedly she was told the photos would be used artistically.
We arrive in 2016 when sexual ideals have evolved to the point where short of public nudity, the manner in which women present themselves to the public is fluid. Today overt expressions of sexuality and women using porn for career-building purposes is the norm. "Leaked" sex tapes and photos are the not-so-secret weapons used to boost bank accounts. Would Williams be accepted into the Miss America organization if the scandal happened today? Have the rules of the organization evolved to embrace risqué behavior. Thirty years ago would Melania Trump have been able to be in the position she is in today considering her porn past? If she were Melania Trump would it be a non-issue? If so, what message are they now sending to future queens? If this is the direction they are going then millions of little girls' dreams may be shattered as moms steer them away from the organization.
We have barely heard anything else about Trump's nude pics as she now serves alongside the most powerful man in the country if not the world.
Perhaps a combination of William's pain and the relaxed values of women have made it easier for Mrs. Trump to wear her sexuality on her sleeves.
Considering racism may be a factor in how women and nudity are perceived perhaps she still would have walked away from the situation untarnished. It is often the American way.
But the double standard continues to shed light on unequal treatment related to race.
Whether it is Bethenny Frankel being exposed for doing soft porn on Real Housewives of New York, or nude pics of American Idol contestant Frenchie Davis surfacing during the competition, attitudes toward women in the public eye bearing it all have become more forgiving.
Vanessa Williams however, suffered embarrassment and humiliation when she modeled nude. America has come a long way in embracing Black women and sexuality. The subject matter is more taboo as it applies to Blacks stemming from rape culture during slavery. Black women were objects to be used to produce more free labor -- not seen as attractive, sexy beings who were desirable in the most natural sense. This stigma followed Black women into the modern era until Josephine Baker challenged it in 1914 with the banana dance. She was in France at the time, but her boldness stood as a testament of Black women's sex appeal around the globe. The forwardness of her number still would not have worked in an America that was driven by more Judeo-Christian values.
Fortunately, Vanessa Williams rebounded and moved on to greater experiences.The photo scandal will become a part of Mrs. William's legacy while Mrs. Trump lives like her past is being covered up. Until women themselves call out the racial disparity blacks will always fit a stereotype of being hypersexual or sluts.
This is the story about how actress, singer and former pageant queen Vanessa Williams rose above shame to become a huge success by not allowing the media to define her. Ever so often, such as when the Miss USA organization suspended its director for talking behind contestant's backs, there are scandals in the pageant world. Ms. Williams was at the center of the most controversial scandal in pageantry to date. With the support of her fearless mother, she stood up to the pageant establishment and became an overcomer. Her fall from grace would later become a footnote in her life's story.
By Mona Austin
In 2016, outgoing Miss USA Deshauna Barber who represented DC crowned the current DC title holder Kára McCullough, also black, as the new Miss USA. Black women have a history of defying the odds in pageantry and it all started with Vanessa Williams.
Williams was famously stripped of the Miss America crown (i.e., forced to resign) and condemned for nude modeling. However, she did not allow the mistake of her youth to become her downfall.
Here I reminisce about the strength and perseverance Williams exuded to become the entertainment staple in Hollywood she is today.
There has been a deep double standard in the response to how the public views white women and black women and sexuality.
As an example, the New York Post outed Melania Trump's past in pornography. Some considered it a disqualifying aspect of her serving as the First Lady of the United States while others view it as a non-issue. Commentators who were in support of her called those who were not misogynist, sexist and "slut shamers." Her husband, now Pres. Donald Trump, and others quickly came to her defense. Nude photos like hers were normal in Europe they said, besides she had taken them before they were married pointed out Jason Miller, senior communications director during the Trump campaign. In Melania's defense Miller stated, “They’re a celebration of the human body as art, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. She’s a beautiful woman.” So was First Lady Michelle Obama. but Conservatives verbally attacked her for wearing sleeveless dresses that revealed her toned arms.
Williams was thrust into the national spotlight as a pageant queen who shares a similar past with Melania Trump, but received much different treatment. Neither woman posed like Grecian statues whose physical forms were worthy of study, but theirs were sexy poses intended to titilate sexual arousal.
Yet, most people with a clear conscious can agree calling Melania Trump a "Bimbo" was wrong. One,"Bimbo" is an outdated word that many people would not know what it means and two, it is mean spirited and not politically correct. When the pics made their rounds online Trump supporters downplayed Melania's experience with pornographic modeling and it seemingly had no effect on the campaign. Vanessa Williams was not so fortunate.Like millions of viewers in 2015, I witnessed Williams reunite with the Miss America organization from which she was spewed in 1983 for posing nude. My mind immediately traveled back to when I was a beaming little girl 32 years ago, excited to see this ethereal beauty take the crown as the first African American woman ever to claim it and the disappointment I felt when she had to give up the title. This generation will recognize Williams, perhaps, as the boss (Wilhelmena Slater) on Ugly Betty or Courtney Paige from The Good Wife.
That night she sang beautifully and looked drop dead gorgeous. She could have leveraged the sale of the single on iTunes of taken advantage of the opportunity to discuss with media why she came back after all those years. She did nothing except show up to do the job she was to do. You see, Williams knows exactly who she is and did not need further validation.
During the time Williams was crowned the women's liberation movement was in full swing but was not as successful as it is today and many people of all races and social levels were uncomfortable with Miss America 1983-84 wearing the esteemed title after posing nude (both alone and in compromising shots with another women like First Lady Melania Trump) in Penthouse and Hustler magazines. She was stripped of the crown. Just. Like. That. Without hesitation or contemplation. This rejection was the pre-cursor to "slut-shaming."
Slut-shaming is when women are criticized for being too sexually liberal or when there is a double standard in how men and women are perceived concerning sexuality.
In the aftermath of the ordeal, Williams was much more than slut-shamed. The former Syracuse University Theatre major's life changed dramatically. She received hate mail and was constantly reminded of her painful past.
At 52, Williams performing a song on the program and acting as a head judge could have been closure. She appeared to be caught off guard when the CEO of the organization publicly apologized to her for the scandal. Clearly unphased by the past, Williams was poised and professional. Pageant leads should have allowed her to reclaim her title . Rather than bring attention to this fact, she displayed dignity and fortitude in accepting the role of judge and presenter. How Mrs. Williams carried herself is admirable.
I am not suggesting Williams should have been a role model for women's empowerment. I do not condone porn and recognize the connotation and stigma with which it is associated. This is about respecting the good that came out of a bad situation that could have caused Williams to have a one-sided legacy which ignored her full contribution to women and their self-esteem.
Some people argue that losing the crown to scandal was the best thing that could have happened to Williams as she went on to have a successful career in entertainment. Williams also has raised a family and finds her way back to where she started wearing a smile on her face. She "won" ultimately. It may not be what she set out to do, but Williams benefited from the scandal, although allegedly she was told the photos would be used artistically.
We arrive in 2016 when sexual ideals have evolved to the point where short of public nudity, the manner in which women present themselves to the public is fluid. Today overt expressions of sexuality and women using porn for career-building purposes is the norm. "Leaked" sex tapes and photos are the not-so-secret weapons used to boost bank accounts. Would Williams be accepted into the Miss America organization if the scandal happened today? Have the rules of the organization evolved to embrace risqué behavior. Thirty years ago would Melania Trump have been able to be in the position she is in today considering her porn past? If she were Melania Trump would it be a non-issue? If so, what message are they now sending to future queens? If this is the direction they are going then millions of little girls' dreams may be shattered as moms steer them away from the organization.
We have barely heard anything else about Trump's nude pics as she now serves alongside the most powerful man in the country if not the world.
Perhaps a combination of William's pain and the relaxed values of women have made it easier for Mrs. Trump to wear her sexuality on her sleeves.
Considering racism may be a factor in how women and nudity are perceived perhaps she still would have walked away from the situation untarnished. It is often the American way.
But the double standard continues to shed light on unequal treatment related to race.
Whether it is Bethenny Frankel being exposed for doing soft porn on Real Housewives of New York, or nude pics of American Idol contestant Frenchie Davis surfacing during the competition, attitudes toward women in the public eye bearing it all have become more forgiving.
Vanessa Williams however, suffered embarrassment and humiliation when she modeled nude. America has come a long way in embracing Black women and sexuality. The subject matter is more taboo as it applies to Blacks stemming from rape culture during slavery. Black women were objects to be used to produce more free labor -- not seen as attractive, sexy beings who were desirable in the most natural sense. This stigma followed Black women into the modern era until Josephine Baker challenged it in 1914 with the banana dance. She was in France at the time, but her boldness stood as a testament of Black women's sex appeal around the globe. The forwardness of her number still would not have worked in an America that was driven by more Judeo-Christian values.
Fortunately, Vanessa Williams rebounded and moved on to greater experiences.The photo scandal will become a part of Mrs. William's legacy while Mrs. Trump lives like her past is being covered up. Until women themselves call out the racial disparity blacks will always fit a stereotype of being hypersexual or sluts.
