Miss & Mister SL Ebony 2008
by Alphaville Herald on 10/04/08 at 7:56 am
The most refined tan, dark tan and black Models in the metaverse
Miss SL Ebony 2008 is not your usual beauty pageant.
Launched in order to promote black culture and cultural diversity in SL, this is the first beauty competition ever planned in the metaverse for avitars concerned by the cultural diversity and who are owning and wearing tan, dark tan, black and ebony skintones.
Hosted at Ebony City, the official headquarters of Miss and Mister SL Ebony 2008, the competition will be judged by the powerhouses of SL Black community :
-Vixen Fairplay (Lead officer of Black Men and Women of SL group)
-Shaka Saintlouis (Designer of Shakture)
-Storm Babeli (Designer of Purple Rose Jewelry, Designer of the winner crown)
-Kwamey Pinion (Designer of SOREAL)
-Indyra Seigo (Designer of Indyra Original)
-Patty Cortes (CEO of Ebony Limited and owner of Ebony City)
Sponsors include JCNY, Vitamin Ci, Kid Asia, Urban Diva Store, Otto&Floyd, Ramos Design, ADIMU, Indyra Original, SOREAL, Shakture, Purple Rose Jewelry, CCDesignz, FreeSoul Design…
Sponsors are offering over 25,000L$ of gifts to the finalists of Miss SL Ebony 2008.
For more details see these web sites: http://missandmisterslebony2008.wordpress.com
and http://ebonystylesl.wordpress.com/
Shannon
Apr 11th, 2008
ROFL guys ! There’s nothing racist in this contest but well it’ll always have folks around who never take any kind of initiative and make easy critics – these are real hypocrites. I could stand for any of these arguments however I can’t go for guys who defend themselves trying to say they aren’t racists and in the same time use words such as “kneegro” or say this girl is “ignorant” or “naive”… I mean is that a debate about this Patty or about the pageant ? I’m pretty sure behind the screen and behind these pseudos, there are people who have been disqualified from the pageant (especially “quiet observer” LMAO !) !
Hey guys, try to get a real life…! Especially Ava who is trying to get Patty replying to her poor attacks (nobody would like to lower his intellectual level to answer you, Ava, it shows that this girl is clever) and hell yeah, you’ve posted lot of comments around… Are you camping Second Life Herald website or what ? LOOOL ! Try http://www.get-a-real-life.com !
Nauseated!!!
Apr 11th, 2008
This convo is dumb, dumb and DUMB! All this stupid bickering about black, white, beauty, racism, yada yada yada. Crap like this in real, is the reason I log on SL….to get a break from asanine people! Now it’s in here just as bad as irl. Get a third life folks…if not, keep trying til you get it right!
Pageants are for a bunch of vanity stricken folks anyways irl or SL no matter what color you are! There’s a lot of ugly personalities in this thread and in the beauty contest. NO ONE WINS!
I can’t wait till the green aliens come invade the rl world so all the stupid crybabies and racists will just STFU as they flee for their lives!
*smooths down my dress and sashays off*
(smirks)
Lewis Nerd
Apr 12th, 2008
“There are plenty of white beauty pageants”
In two years of SL I’ve never, ever seen a ‘white only’ beauty pageant. It may be that most or all of those who enter have caucasian avatars, that’s not because other avatars are excluded but because other non-caucasian avatars CHOOSE NOT TO ENTER!
Not once have I ever seen a ‘no blacks’ note in anything about a beauty contest, yet when this is essentially ‘no whites’ it’s somehow perfectly acceptable.
Except, of course, that racism towards whites *does* exist (and I experience it frequently, living in a majority non-white area of London) but we aren’t supposed to have a problem with it.
Penance Sautereau
Apr 12th, 2008
I’m not sure what my opinion is about whether or not this contest is racist, but my wife Fran’s paternal great grandmother was black, and I met her once before she died. She was a spitfire who insisted I never call her African-American, as she’d never heard any white people calling themselves European-American.
She said African-American is a bullshit PC term invented for guilty white people to make themselves feel better about the general level of inequality that still exists in the world. She was a black woman and dammit I better call her one.
I do acknowledge Patty Cortes’ point about the rarity of good ethnic skins on SL, so I made a couple, if anyone wants one.
Shaft Seattle
Apr 12th, 2008
Letter to the Editor
By Shaft Seattle
There was a great quote on Meet The Press last Sunday in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For those of you that don’t know or have forgotten; Blackness…. has never really been about genetics anyway… What disturbs or assures us about race has very little to do with blood or biology. … [Race is] about how you use language, understand your heritage, interpret your history, identify with your kin, and figure out your meaning and worth to a society that places values on you beyond your control. And it’s also about what people see you as – or take you to be.
-Michael Eric Dyson
This I believe to be the spirit in which the pageant was to be held. Unfortunately, it sounds like the execution of the event was challenged in spite of it being a culturally enriched idea that would personify the quote above in a positive fashion. Furthermore, we (black folks) all deal with varying degrees of blackness in our day-to-day lives in whatever way we see fit in a world that still presents challenges unique to people of color. We have come a long way, we have much further to go. Patty said what she felt was right, just as Barrack Obama has regarding his positions … I however, have never felt the need to justify my blackness to anyone white or black (in RL or SL) – it is enough that I am qualified and successful – being “Black” is a bonus – less you feel I should be ashamed of my heritage and not lift it up. Placing aside all the things that characterize me as being black, last time I checked, the only color in this world that matters is the color of money (green), like the aliens the last poster referred too *winks*.
For the record, I find this discussion thread repulsive and saddening. I will only post once – I will not be returning. First and foremost, I put the Second Life Hearld at center stage for letting this conversation continue. As a former journalist for a major newspaper chain in the real world, I find your condoning this discussion to be highly irresponsible and irreprehensible. Are you that unprofessional … Walker Spaight, editor and Chief? If you want to be considered a real media outlet – perhaps you should start behaving like one? At a minimum, if you want to continue this discussion – why not do it in a controlled fashion? Write a story about SL race relations that is balanced and objective. I am not impressed with you standing by and not monitoring these posts that could be considered highly offensive and hateful so that you can get more hits and posts. This story is not newsworthy to begin with. There are limits when it comes to freedom of the press – it’s called hateful speech or in your case the endorsement of it.
Are we as Americans that racially divided that we are arguing over a silly virtual-world, beauty pageant? People; we are talking about 100,000L … you all can’t be that broke. And, if you are, please find some gainful employment – causing drama in SL over something this trivial and has no relevance in the big scheme of things; i.e., like the economy, the price of gas, the housing market, Iraq, and unemployment. Read my lips: THIS IS FOR FUN.
Wow… talk about complete disconnect from reality and what should be most important to all Americans – regardless of race or nationality. How petty we are as a people and as a nation. How embarrassing; where is the class in this discussion. I now see how what Barrack Obama feels and thinks about Rev. Richard Wright comments, Louis Farrakhan’s support, if he is a Muslim or Christian, or how his wife, Michelle, feels about this country is such a big issue. I am not trying to digress, but for the uninformed person that mentioned diversity; above and beyond all, diversity is about accepting people’s individual differences as a group as well as a culture. Until we get beyond the petty differences and realize that we all have many of the same REAL world problems this country will not move forward.
Shame on you Mr. Editor for contributing to the problem – rather than the solution. Let’s see if this post makes it to press … it might bring people to their senses, or better yet – the person representing The Herald who is approving the hateful posts.
anon
Apr 12th, 2008
“I’m no more racist than Patty. There ya go. Take that however you want to.”
so you both hate them uppity negros then
gotcha
Alicia
Apr 12th, 2008
“The conversation that Quiet Observer posted clearly puts a few holes in the defense that this contest is free for anyone to enter. ”
Fill your own holes… The conversation is just showing that the judges don’t like people who are dishonnest and who copy and paste what other applicants write in their motivations card… And this competition is about promoting black culture and black beauty so of course, the black agenda in SL counts ! Don’t be naive !
You think people are ignorant and naive about the world “racism” ? Ava, are you kidding ? The real ignorant are those who imagine that when you hide the word “black” from any title, then racism doesn’t exist.
Grow up.
pointblank
Apr 12th, 2008
Racist white people… are the only ones that are going to be offended by anything black people try to do to make themselves noticed. It burns them in the inside that’s why the constantly come on blogs to ridicule anything that the blacks do. They know that black people are always pushed behind, they know this, as a white women I know this.
It’s just best to keep doing what you are doing and not respond to the comments that are being made. When someone is set in thier racist ways there is no bringing them out of it even if they know they are wrong.
DinkyHockerShootsSmack!
Apr 12th, 2008
You know what I find discouraging?
That out of all the events you could have chosen to celebrate blacks, you had to choose one of the ugliest facets of America – the beauty pageant – to do it. (yes, I realise that other countries have pageants too, but believe me, after being immersed in that Pageant culture in the southern US, for nigh on a decade, due to the fact that my ex wife, her family, and her friends were all into it heavily – I have seen just how base these things really are). I don’t know how focusing on the physical “beauty” of one “race” accomplishes anything.
That’s the real shame here.
Lewis Nerd
Apr 12th, 2008
Who made it an ‘american only’ issue, Shaft Seattle?
There are black and white people the whole world over – and in Second Life.
You might be well to remember that american players (regardless of racial background) of Second Life count for around only 30% of the playerbase – the 70% of us who are outside of US borders don’t seem to have as much of a hangup about our racial history. I’m not “British-European” … I’m English, native of Wessex if you really want to get petty about it… but I live in England, and I don’t feel the need to bring my race into a discussion especially to try and justify a viewpoint.
Dita Tran
Apr 12th, 2008
@ anon who posted, “The conversation is just showing that the judges don’t like people who are dishonnest and who copy and paste what other applicants write in their motivations card…”
I haven’t been dishonest about anything. Anyone who knows me knows I sometimes portray a black woman in SL, and I sometimes portray an ambiguously Asian woman. On rare occasions, as the mood strikes me, I may portray an asian child, a 200 year old child vampire, a blue faerie or a tiny bunny rabbit.
Furthermore, you have no clue what I wrote in my motivations card. In case you’re interested, (and I doubt you are), what follows is the entire text of my motivations card:
“In a world where we can be whatever we want to be, there is a surprising lack of diversity in Second Life.
“My style icons are beauties like Iman, Grace Jones, and the late, great Donyale Luna.
“In the SL modeling world, the template is pale skin, light blue or grey eyes with lots of black eyeliner, nude lips, and black hair.
“Most models in SL are interchangeable, I’ve never wanted to be that.
“I’ve created my avatar to showcase a different aesthetic…to show that black women in SL can be more than big booties or a white euro shape with a dark skintone.”
It was disjointed and sloppily written 5 minutes before the deadline, but it was 100% GENUINE.
I believe my sentence regarding interchangeable models can be better understood by referring to the previous two sentences. For whatever reason, though, it was taken out of context and made an issue of. I am going to give the parties the benefit of the doubt and assume something was lost in the translation.
I was humiliated and hurt to be (the only one) called out without warning like that rather than questioned privately, as it is my understanding other ladies were. But ya know what? I’m not gotten rid of that easily – I intend to go as far as I can in this contest. And anyway, it made for great theatre, didn’t it?
It is worth noting, I have found nothing but support and sisterhood from the Miss Ebony SL contestants, ALL are beautiful, distinctive, black avatars; and I would not be ashamed to lose to any one of them. I’ve met alot of new people and made some friends, which, aside from getting my face out there, is the reason I join these modeling contests, anyway. That is the sort of thing that should be focused on, here.
One last word to anon, your misspelling of the word “dishonnest” is strikingly familiar. I sincerely hope you are not who I think you are…
*kisses*
Dita Tran aka Gina
Dita Tran
Apr 12th, 2008
Also, please, everyone take a breath and realize that alot of posters are using other people’s names.
Dita
Doz
Apr 13th, 2008
For all of you who believe this contest is racist, do not post another comment until you have created your “whites only” sl competition. Until then you are just taliking out of the side of your neck with the claim that there would be a back lash towards the competition. Until there is an actual back lash your arguments are unfounded.
Lewis Nerd
Apr 13th, 2008
Doz… making a “Whites Only” competition would fall foul of the Community Standards.
JadeLee Ling
Apr 14th, 2008
Boyz, what a f…. is wrong with U? am i racist if i organize a neko contest? yep, mouses can’t enter this contest LMAO! Yall are going crazy, bringing racism in SL, don’t U find enough of it in RL.i’m black in RL and in SL. I didn’t choose my color in RL, but I DID in SL.and maybe one day i’ll be blond hair like Pamela Anderson and i will enter in a blond contest. but for the moment, i think i’m gonna get me a sun bath to keep my ebony skin golden and shinning (;>)
UncleBill
Apr 15th, 2008
Kind of surprising myself at the position I’m taking, since my initial gut reaction was that this was indeed a ‘racist’ event.
Fact is, kids, wearing a black skin in SL makes does not make you black. If anything, you can look on this event as another product showcase for the designers of not only ‘urban’ or whatever apparel, but skin designers as well.
You hear all the time the dearth of quality ‘black’ skins in SL, so why not host an event that highlights some of the better quality ones?
On the flipside, if that above conversation in the comments quoted is genuine, then the event organizers are probably not hosting this in the spirit I’ve outlined. Some may be thinking that black, asian or whichever toned avatars are guided by RL humans of the same. Obviously not true.
So, support it or no, attend or don’t. But don’t get caught up in the idea that the ‘black’ models showcased in any way represent actual race.
Lewis Nerd
Apr 15th, 2008
Jadelee… you’re entirely missing the point.
You would never, ever see a ‘white avatar only’ beauty contest yet this one clearly states that only ‘black avatars’ can enter.
“Neko” or “furry” is not a race. Never has been, never will. Would you consider a restaurant having a ‘no pets’ rule racist? Of course not!
The kind of ‘reverse racism’ that this contest is promoting is totally against all that racial equality has fought for. It is unfortunate that so many things these days are ‘we want equality so give us special treatment’ whether it’s race, sexual preference or any other number of so-called ‘minority interests’. The funny thing is that those promoting them simply cannot see it.
DinkyHockerShootsSmack!
Apr 15th, 2008
“For all of you who believe this contest is racist, do not post another comment until you have created your “whites only” sl competition.”
LOLOLOLOL
Suuuuure buddy. No one will say a word if I start a whites only pageant. The only way to prove it is to start the contest though, huh? *HUGE GUTBUSTING LAUGH*
Apparently, you’ve only been in SL (and apparently the real world too) for about 5 minutes.
And I will post as many comments as I like, regardless of your control issues.
And you know I just have to chuckle at those saying that black women “have to” straighten their hair and so on. Says who? I’ll tell you who – their own groomers – moms, aunts, grandmothers, friends. Not The Man.
Lessee, I just did a cursory perusal of both the Miss USA and Miss America sites, where I loooked at past winners. I want to list some of the ethnic backgrounds of various winners. When I say “African”, etc., I mean ethnic heritage, so don’t start whacking me with the PC stick please.
We had African heritage Miss Americas in 1984, 1990, 1991, and 2004. 2001 was a Filipina and 2003 was a woman of mixed heritage, including African.
And then there is Miss USA.
1982 – mixed Asian/European, 1985 – Mexican, 1990 – African, 1993 – African, 1995 – African/Native American/European, 1997 – Asian, 2000 – Hispanic, 2002 – African, 2003 – Hispanic, 2007 African/European, and of course, in 2008 – African.
So tell me again how we need pageants limited to one skin color? I ask, because someone(s) above insinuated that the reason we have to have black only pageants is because the other pageants are fixed against them or something.
Eye Korobase
Apr 18th, 2008
Most pointless news ever. The Herald has hit a all time low for this.