The New Face of Black Feminine Beauty Essay -- Hairstyles Beauty Adver

The New Face of Black Feminine Beauty Since the early 1900s, Black women have had a fascination with their hair. More explicitly, they have had a fascination with straightening their hair. The need to be accepted by the majority class has caused them to do so. Though the image of straight hair as being better than coarse hair still hasn’t left the Black community, there has been a surge of non straight hairstyles since the nineteen sixties. Wearing more natural hairstyles, which ironically enough include ‘weaves’ and ‘hair extensions’ has been considered to be more empowered and more enlightened. However, this image comes with a price, and though it appears the ‘natural’ hairstyle movement has advanced Black women, it has actually set them back. The color of the ad is done in browns, earth tones. The signifier in this ad is the colorless sketch drawing of a woman that takes up one page of the two-page ad. She is a symbolic, versus an iconic sign, because the images that lead people to assume the picture is of a Black woman are learned, symbols such as ‘thick lips’ and the way her hair looks, not straight lines, but dotted. The signified is a Black woman, with ‘natural hair’, presumably pretty. The next part of the ad, and as equally important as the first, is on the second page. Large, in bold, is the word ‘naturally’. Beneath it are the words â€Å"If citrus sheen fell on shimmering braids and soothing mist caressed short twists. How lovely would that be?† It has the feel of a poem, and the different shades of brown add to the artistic feel of the page. The artistic feel is important, because it adds the idea of a woman with natural hair as being both bohemian and sophisticated. Beneath the ‘poem’ is an introduction to the product. It emphasizes the product’s natural ingredients, things that seem as though they would be better in a salad dressing than on one’s hair. However, these ingredients are important. First, the emphasis the ‘naturalness’ of the product in turn emphasizes the natural state of the projected audience’s hair. Secondly, its use of Americanized products instead of typical African products (olive oil versus jojoba oil) separate this ad from the typical ‘natural hair care product’ ads. This ad is geared towards a new type of Black woman, one who is more interested in a connection to spirituality and art than to Africa. The actual... ...ce political and socially, the harsher the beauty myth is used against them. In this case, the punishment for rebelling against the majority culture by adapting a ‘subversive’ hairstyle, the thinner you have to be in order to still be considered beautiful. Furthermore, thinness in the Black community is difficult to achieve. Typically, Black body structure, food and eating culture doesn’t easily result in thinness. This is the price Black women pay for this new expression of self. The new face of Black feminine beauty comes with a price. It alienates nearly half of those in the culture that don’t fit the standard. While the hairstyle challenges the majority culture, the newfound search for thinness that comes with the hairstyles returns Black women to the confines of White beauty standards. The ideology that natural hairstyles bring enlightenment came from the Rastafarian tradition. However, what new ads and cultural myth discount is the religious dimension that the Rastafarians placed on their hair. Natural hair doesn’t mean immediate spiritual or intellectual wisdom. What at first seems to be the advancement of Black women, shows the backwards regression of Black beauty.

Everyday Use Essay Essay

In â€Å"Everyday use† Maggie gained the most emotionally because she finally got something she wanted after years of feeling she didn’t deserve the things she desired. Dee, Maggie’s sister, usually could take what she wished from her mother’s home such as the churn top from a butter churn her family had for years. Meanwhile Maggie usually assumed it was the way life went and that other people were more deserving of the things they wished for than she was. When Dee asked her mother for two quilts their grandmother had handmade, her mother told her no and that the quilts were promised to Maggie. In this case Maggie finally gained something she wished for and was shown she deserved it too. Part of Maggie’s belief that she didn’t deserve the things she wanted sprung from her sister’s ability to get everything she asked for. Dee, as it would seem always received everything she asked for when she asked for it. When Dee was graduating from high school she requested a yellow organdy dress to wear on the evening of her graduation which her mother purchased fro her. This showed Maggie that Dee received many things she wanted, while she remained with the little she already had, never asking for much. When Dee asked her mother for the hand carved churn top their relatives had made her mother gave it too her with no problems, even though it was an important piece from their family. This gave Maggie another example of how her sister got things she would have liked to keep. Maggie often felt that she didn’t deserve as many good things as her sister got. Maggie was often stuck with lesser than that of what her sister received and believed that was how life worked for her. As a child Maggie was badly burned in a house fire while her sister escaped just fine, this resulted in her feeling insignificant and shuffling everywhere she went trying to hide her face. The fire having burned and scarred her made her believe she deserved the lower hand of all things in life. Maggie’s school was closed when she was young while Dee went on through full education, this made Maggie feel simple and uneducated. The advantage of her sister’s education made Maggie feel lesser and undeserving. Before the events in the story Maggie felt more like an outcast and unimportant. When Maggie’s mother gave the quilts to Maggie instead of Dee it shocked Maggie and helped her change her perspective on how she should be treated. Dee who always got what she wanted begged and begged for the quilts and expected to receive them. Maggie also expected so and believed her sister was more deserving of the quilts than she was, she told her mother to give the quilts to Dee. Maggie’s mother instead gave the quilts to Maggie shocking everyone and giving Maggie something she deserved for once. In the end Maggie was shown she deserved just as much as everyone else and that life didn’t always give certain people what they wanted. Her sister who had always gotten everything she desired was not given what she wanted for once. Showing her that their was a little fairness to the way things work. While Maggie received what her sister had asked for, getting something she wanted for the first time. This showed Maggie she deserved a little more than she was getting. Over all the event with the quilts broke Maggie’s mindset and gave her a new view on how she was treated.

Dell s Value Chain For The Profitability Of The Company

Introduction This paper will enumerate a brief background of Dell, customer Focus Company that has maximized its value chain for the profitability of the company. This paper will analyze the unique value chain of the company. Furthermore, the paper will evaluate how Dell has used its direct sales and build-to-order model to develop an exceptional supply chain. The main advantages and disadvantages of Dell’s direct sales model will also be analyzed. Also noted is how Dell competes with other retailers that already have stocks in house and how Dell’s supply chain deals with the bullwhip effect. Finally an inferred conclusion is made about the company’s value chain and its role in the company financial status in the market. Identify the business problem that Dell needs to resolve From the case study about dell’s value chain, the company does not seem to have any problems that need to be resolved with regards to its value chain. Identify the relevant background information Dell computer is a customer focus company that has maximized its value chain for the profitability of the company; the company focuses on researching their customers wants, needs, and leverages the research information to enhance the profitability of the company and its suppliers. To this end, Dell uses direct sales business strategy; offering products to customers mainly through the internet. Furthermore, by offering unlimited varieties of their build- to- order desktop, note book and other products, theShow MoreRelatedDell Financial Strategy Analysis812 Words   |  3 PagesDell Financial Analysis Introduction In their latest full fiscal year, Dell Corporation (NASDAQ: DELL) generated global revenues of $62B, earning a Net Income of $3.4B. Of this figure, $19B is directly attributable to their mobility business initiatives, which have been the most profitable and fastest growing of any in the history of the company (Dell Investor Relations, 2012). Dell is known for their expertise in mass customization and lean manufacturing strategies predicated on one of the mostRead MoreAssessment of Dells Approach to Operations Management1287 Words   |  5 PagesApproach to Operations Management Introduction Dell Corporation (NASDAQ: DELL) is a global leader in operations management, supply chain management (SCM), logistics and advanced lean manufacturing techniques. While hundreds of companies have attempted to attain the level of performance they have using their unique approach to operations management and supply chain synchronization to demand forecasting, few have attained the level of production efficiency Dell has. The center of their strength as a highRead MoreDell: Process Strategies and Analysis1293 Words   |  5 PagesDell Process Strategies Analysis Introduction Dell Corporation (NASDAQ: DELL) generated global sales of $62B in revenue, earning a Net Income of $3.4B. Dell relies heavily on supply chain management (SCM) and optimization strategies to support their mass customization process strategy, often achieving inventory turns of 26X or greater on a consistent basis (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2009). Due to the agility of their mass customization strategy, Dell has been very successful in moving into new marketsRead MoreIntroduction to Supply Chain Management System: Dell Computer Corporation1451 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction to Supply Chain Management (SCM) System Supply chain management (SCM) is the combination of activities which help a company to improve the methods to make a product or service and deliver it to customers. (Larson, 2004) SCM encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities. More importantly, it includes coordination and collaboration with other people who are associated with the business likeRead MoreDell Inc. : Falling Innovation At Dell1385 Words   |  6 PagesFalling Innovation at Dell Dell Inc. (Dell) is an American privately owned multinational computer technology company based in Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services (Wikipedia, 2016). Dell founded in 1984 by Michael dell, is the world famous computer systems, computer products and service provider in the first place (Jones, 2013, P.388). According to Jones (2013), during mid 1990s to 2007, Dell was developing with aRead MoreDell s Competitive Advantage Analysis1370 Words   |  6 PagesDell Inc. (Dell) is an American privately owned multinational computer technology company based in Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services (Wikipedia, 2016). Dell founded in 1984 by Michael dell, is the world famous computer systems, computer products and service provider in the first place (Jones, 2013, P.388). According to Jones (2013), during mid 1990s to 2007, Dell was developing with a rapid speed and profitingRead MoreMatching Dell1437 Words   |  6 Pagesadvantages, which heavily depend on extremely successful direct sales model and supply chain management. We will wrap up the case with some recommendations. The PC industry has started to develop fast in the 80s when IBM, the leader of the industry thanks to the first mover advantage, launched its first PC series and later on when numerous small companies entered the market. PC is a new product and companies had to create the demand to it from the scratch. We will apply the Porters 5 Forces modelRead MoreDell Inc And How It Uses Customer Data Drive The Manufacturing Of Its Products1348 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction This essay will focus predominantly on Dell Compter Inc and how it uses customer data to drive the manufacturing of its products. Discussion on how Dell uses technology to make business decisions is presented. The current model of distribution is investigated and finally recommendations will be made in terms of overall improvement to the current operating model. This paper will discuss how Dell pioneered a shift in computer manufacturing, the method it used to become a leader in thatRead MoreCase Study Dell Computer4973 Words   |  20 PagesCASE STUDY amp; ARTICLES: DELL COMPUTER ARTICLES amp; INFORMATION Supply Chains - A Manager s Guide - Chapter 1 (abstracts) by David A. Taylor Cost reduction is the number-one reason that companies initiate supply chain improvements. But there’s an even bigger opportunity here: Supply chain improvements are good for the bottom line, but they can be even better for the top line. Getting the supply chain right can give a company a tremendous competitive advantage, and sometimes that advantageRead MoreDell, Inc. Research Application 2-281568 Words   |  7 PagesDell, Inc. Research and Application 2-28 Managerial Accounting BUS 630 Professor Ruizhen Hardin July 18, 2011 Outline I. Research and Application 2-28 a. What is Dell’s strategy for success in the marketplace? Does the company rely primarily on a customer intimacy, operational excellence, or product leadership customer value proposition? What evidence supports your conclusion? b. What Business risks does Dell face that may threaten its ability to satisfy stockholder expectations? What