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FHM Philippines Brings Bela Padilla ‘Out Of The Shadows’ And Offends Black Women Everywhere

Written By Shannon Washington

Take a look at the planned FHM Philippines’ cover for March 2012 featuring Bela Padilla with the line “Stepping Out of The Shadows” while surrounded by dark-skinned black women. Offended much? No wonder it was just pulled from the shelves, says Irish website Joe:

“The magazine issued a statement which really didn’t address the racism at all: “When FHM hits the stands in March it will have a different cover. We deem this to be the most prudent move in the light of the confusion over the previous cover execution.”

Wait. So it’s confusion and not racism FHM? Lately the degradation of black women in media (Remember Niggabitch?) is running rampant lately, and made worse by some of the worst non-apologies ever. Is this the new trend? No cover love.

Last 5 posts by Shannon Washington

  • KissOfDanger

    Damn shame!


  • Lately the degradation of black women in media (Remember Niggabitch?) is running rampant lately, and made worse by some of the worst non-apologies ever.

    Thank you for saying this.  And saying it exactly like this.

  • Cosign!

  • leigh204

     

    Fancy seeing you here. 🙂 Anyway, have your heard of model/actress Bela Padilla’s rationalization of the use of the darker-skinned models? She admitted some of the models used were Filipinas painted black. I mean, wtf ? That’s blackface!

    Here’s the interview she did with the BBC.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-17196449

  • leigh204

    @Brotha Wolf:

    Glad to see you here, too. Personally, I was disgusted. The model/actress Bela Padilla maintained the photo wasn’t intended to be racist, but a metaphor for “stepping out of the shadows.” Did she not realize using darker-skinned models in the background conveyed a subtle message of white supremacist ideology?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-17196449

  • Fancy running into YOU here!!!!

  • leigh204

    Hi there! Happy to be here!

  • Erin

    I was shocked when I saw this! I’ve been following & trying to understand the stereotypes and issues I’ve found in ‘Only Decent People’ a dutch film, ‘A White Mans Burden’ film with John Travolta and magazine articles.

    Could this be, and I’m going to say this wrong here, a very VERY poor attempt at advertising the skin whitening creams you find all over Asia.
    I mean the lighter your skin is, the richer you look (according to locals I’ve spoken to in Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam etc) because the less wealthy work in the sun all day in the fields and … can you see where I’m going with this?

    By all means I am NOT trying to justify this. I am merely trying to understand it. I mean there are so many things wrong with this on so many levels…

  • Stephen Clemente

    I think it’s more a matter of curiosity/novelty than racism. How many black people do you know in the Philippine market?

    And white people get tans (she could use one).