Deena and "The Dreams" (not Diana and "The Supremes)

This week in class we read Bell Hook's article which talks about the representation and objectification of Black women in media. Hooks talks about Black women represented in the music industry, and I can't think of any media that better represents this objectification than the 2006 musical film "Dreamgirls" starring Beyonce as Deena Jones, lead singer of "The Dreams." The film follows Deena, Lorell (Anika Noni Rose), and Effie (Jennifer Hudson) as they struggle to break into the white-dominated pop charts of the 1960's and 70's. The women continually change their image and their "sound" to appeal to the music industry. Aside from the fact that Beyonce (already famous for her amazing figure) LOST 20 pounds to play the role, the film showcases different stages of the girls shaping their image to fit the tastes of white music consumers.

The first example of this is when the girls sing with Jimmy Early (Eddie Murphy) when he first headlines at a white club (about mark 39:45 in the link below). The girls have quite obviously changed their hairstyles to a lighter, straighter style to appeal to the white image o

f what a star should look like. Also important to mention is the change in song style from the previously more wild songs of Jimmy Early.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=PIU03BWH

The next, and maybe most important example is when "The Dreams" manager tells the ladies they will be separated from Jimmy to start their own act... the only catch is Deena will sing lead instead of Effie (mark 43:54-45:50). The scene shows that even though Effie has the better voice, Deena will sing lead because she is skinnier and more beautiful than Effie--2 qualities that will be most important while appealing the white audiences.

And here's the real clincher (mark 49:00-52:40), in "The Dreams" debut performance Curtis spells it out for everyone when talking to Deena's mother, when calls Deena "a product." A product! The whole point of the movie, and Hook's article is so bluntly phrased by Curtis. For a female, African American group to appeal to white audiences they need to conform their image and sound to that of the pre-established image and sound of the music industry.

Effie eventually leaves the group when she is not getting the credit her voice deserves, but is quickly replaced by the slender and beautiful Michelle (Sharon Leal). From this point on we see "The Dreams" constantly transforming, the climax of which is shown in both the performance and lyrics of the song "One Night Only " (http://videos.sapo.pt/ZaSYldm7JjIBY4pk0PMy). The group is hyper-sexualized through their lyrics:

"I have no doubt that I could love you forever,

The only trouble is I really don't have the time,

I've got one night only, one night only, come on big baby come one,

One night only, we only have til dawn"

The group has taken on the image of the "wild and untamed" black female perfomer (Tina Turner-esque) in their dance moves, big hair, and tight clothes.

Inadvertently, this film is a tribute to Hooks' article, and so clearly displays the objectification of black women--implying that their whole career was/is based on the desire to fit into a white mediated culture.