How does Barthes’ theory about mythology apply to colourism in Western Media?

The term colourism was first coined by Alice Walker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning professor, and was defined as the "prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their colour." Although being influenced by racism, colourism can be more gendered and often affects women more than men due to the nature of its impact. This is especially present in Hollywood and Western media where stories with lighter-skinned or racially ambiguous protagonists are favoured and stories focusing on dark-skinned protagonists are not given screen time or the protagonists are whitewashed and replaced with lighter-skinned actors. Zendaya's popularity and success are an example of this as she is a highly acclaimed actress of colour who is also biracial, mixed with black and white, making her a light-skinned woman. This essay will critique Western media's treatment of her compared to other Black actresses and highlight how Barthes' theory of mythologies can be connected to this phenomenon.

Robert L. Reece defines colourism as "the process by which people of colour are awarded advantages based on their proximity to whiteness." There is no linear history of colourism as it manifested itself in different ways in different locations however colonialism served as the common denominator. One of its earliest instances in history was during the height of slavery in the United States when slave owners would offer preferential treatment to African slaves who possessed more Eurocentric features. Children of white slaveowners and enslaved women, although still also enslaved, were allowed to assume indoor domestic positions rather than working in the fields like their dark-skin counterparts; these children would even receive schooling and be educated abroad especially if their white parents were wealthy. Lighter-skinned individuals, referred to as "mulattoes," were given a "status superior to that of Blacks" due to their proximity to whiteness which can still be seen today in modern media. The statement "white is right" accurately describes the colour hierarchy in Hollywood with producers making casting choices based on skin colour, favouring someone with a skin tone similar to Halle Berry rather than Whoopi Goldberg. Erasure of dark-skinned protagonists and love interests in Hollywood films especially women is a deliberate choice especially when adapting films that centre them becomes distorted when the "Black-authored narrative is moved to a White-authored narrative," as "the portrayal of Black people in Hollywood productions is often defined by Whites." 'The Hate U Give' film is an example of this; originally a novel, it was adapted into a screenplay where changes were made most notably being the colour of, the main character, Starr's complexion. In the book Starr's complexion is described as "medium-brown" and other characters as being either lighter or darker-skinned compared to her, the illustrator of the book cover Debra Cartwright hoped the actress portraying Starr would be "a very brown-skinned actress because there's so little opportunities in these big movies for darker-skinned actresses." The actress who ended up portraying Starr was Amandla Stenberg a biracial light-skinned actress, emphasising Hollywood's preferences for light-skinned actresses. Other examples of the erasure and replacement of dark-skinned actresses with lighter-skinned actresses can be seen with the replacement of Aunt Viv in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' and Claire in 'My Wife and Kids' which were more obvious than 'The Hate U Give' as this change happened in the middle of these shows airing. These shows and films serve as representation for the Black community and so to see that even the majority of Black media favours lighter-skinned actors, mainly actresses, sends the message to young Black girls (especially those with darker skin) that their proximity to whiteness determines their value. Reece notes how in reality "Light-skinned Black Americans earn higher incomes and wages, enjoy better mental and physical health, experience fewer negative encounters with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, are punished less and less harshly in schools and are viewed as more attractive and competent", Black women are made to believe that the darker their complexion the less attractive she is. Light-skinned women are uplifted by men in the black community which in turn affronts dark-skinned women as they face more condemnation for what they cannot control; this coupled with the fact that black women and Asian men were deemed the least desirable groups by data from the dating site OKCupid further confirms the bias against black women mostly those with dark skin as its co-founder Christian Rudder addresses "Beauty is a cultural idea as much as a physical one, and the standard is of course set by the dominant culture, I believe that's what you see in the data here."

Roland Barthes' Mythologies were essays made to analyse French popular culture. The three main aspects of his theory are: "myth is a type of speech," "myth as a semiological system" and "the signification. Myth as a type of speech reflects on the awakening of myth through the use of language to signify its message through an already existing idea; "Myth is not defined by the object of its message, but by how it utters this message" However it conceals its true intentions not only through its connection to a pre-existing idea but also its manifestation. Connecting this to colourism, this concept can be seen throughout media and reality from the affirmation of Eurocentric beauty features with phrases uplifting them such as "white is right," "lighter is righter" or "if you is white, you's alright" and the denouncement of anything that is not close to or fits into that sentiment. These standards have been established as the norm and as a result, assimilation benefits Black people more than resistance. Kim Carter explores its influence in the workplace, Black hair textures do not conform to Eurocentric beauty standards which favour straight hair and so black hair textures have been branded as "unprofessional", "unkempt" and "messy" with those who resist assimilating by straightening and "removing the kink" in their hair have been subjected to discrimination in the forms of demotion, termination or even being refused promotion opportunities. This ideal has further permeated itself into the Black community with the distinction of having "good hair" being determined by your proximity to whiteness and minimised African ancestry.

Myth as a semiotic system refers to taking an already existing concept and turning it into a signifier of something else by assuming a relationship between "a signifier and a signified." Barthes uses the example of a Black soldier in French uniform saluting the French flag on a magazine cover and what it signifies to him that "France is a great Empire (…) without any colour discrimination" However what the cover presents is propaganda to distract but also justify colonialism and oppression "the zeal shown by this negro in serving his so-called oppressors." Regarding colourism, this same symbolism is used to characterise Black women but also divide dark-skinned women from those with lighter skin. During slavery, enslaved Black women were characterised as "strong, mule-like animals" and expected to work in the fields alongside their male counterparts whereas white women were expected to follow "virtues of piety, purity, submission and domesticity" leading to them being characterised as "naturally pure and without a sexual nature" and needing to be protected. Some of these beliefs transferred to light-skin black women due to their proximity to whiteness whereas it was "neither possible nor desirable" for dark-skin women who are still perceived through harmful stereotypes like the Jezebel (black women as promiscuous and hypersexual, a justification for assault and exploitation of enslaved women), Mammy (black women as overweight, obedient slaves) and Sapphire (black women as angry, loud and aggressive, a justification to masculinise and incite violence on especially dark-skin black women). The distinction between these stereotypes of white and Black women is still prevalent in society today due to the symbolism created by white supremacy, Eurocentric beauty standards and colonialism.

The third aspect highlights how myth manifests itself as the signification. This is done by distorting the message and images surrounding it to carry only a particular meaning as Barthes states "myth hides nothing: its function is to distort, not to make disappear" which has already been done through language but is solidified by its encompassing presence as correct or the "norm",  it is inescapable not only in Hollywood or western media but also around the world. In 2014, the magazine Vanity Fair came under fire for lightening actress Lupita Nyongo's skin for their cover however this is not the first time this has happened, in 2008 the brand L'Oreal was accused of 'whitening' Beyonce for their ad although compared to Lupita her skin was not dark. Regardless of the purpose, the message is sent that women of colour can only be marketed in the media if they are white. Skin whitening is not only exclusive to the media but happens in reality around the world. In the continent of Africa, 75% of the population in Nigeria, 52% in Senegal, 35% in South Africa and 50% of the female population in Mali all use skin bleaching products. This has affected African communities, and it is seen as "nothing less than a way of life." This depicts the spread of white supremacy, although colonialism ended in the 20th century remnants of it have been left behind and through Barthes, it is evident how the myth has effectively distorted the concept of beauty that it has led to a continent of majority Black inhabitants to uphold Eurocentric beauty standards at their detriment.

Zendaya is a biracial actress who first got her start on Disney before making it into the mainstream. She is viewed as an esteemed actress and a representative of the black community in Hollywood however as a lighter-skinned black woman she has a bit more privilege than her darker-skinned counterparts something she acknowledged in an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2016, "Unfortunately, I have a bit of a privilege compared to my darker sisters and brothers,(…) Can I honestly say that I've had to face the same racism and struggles as a woman with darker skin? No, I cannot." This is particularly evident in her filmography compared to her darker-skinned counterparts like Lupita Nyong'o who was propelled into fame after her role in the film '12 Years A Slave', Zendaya has never had to cement herself through films considered black trauma movies. This is very common in Hollywood where dark-skin actresses are considered and may be typecasted to play the roles of "a slave, a maid (…) the sassy or angry Black girl, or a hyper-sexualized character"  whereas there is freedom for light-skin actresses like Zendaya to act as a love interest or play a lead as she did in 'Spider-Man' and 'Dune'. Her awareness is needed when Hollywood will not directly address their colourism problem as she has said "I am Hollywood's, I guess you could say, acceptable version of a Black girl and that has to change."

In conclusion, Barthes' theory of mythologies helps to highlight the insidious ways white supremacy has been able to advance throughout history and manifest itself in colourism that shapes so much of the media's landscape and in turn Black women's perception of themselves. A critique of Barthes's theory came from Jean-Marie Floch who resisted "Barthes' notion that one may only come to non-verbal meaning systems via language" if connected back to colourism could argue that speech is not the only way for the myth to come to life as attitudes concerning colourism and white supremacy is what has shaped what it has become today as seen with police brutality and general violence against black people which stemmed from the treatment of enslaved black people. Moreover, only one group of people of colour and gender was focused on in this essay which could limit the full exploration of this topic. However, light-skinned actresses like Zendaya being aware of this problem and working against suggests hope for the future of Western media and Black people's space in it and in controlling their narrative.

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