Lighter-skinned women are considered more desirable in the Western beauty ideology. Which theorist discusses this representation?

Lighter-skinned women are considered more desirable in the Western beauty ideology. Which theorist discusses this representation?

• A. bell hooks
• B. Judith Butler
• C. Dyer
• D. Hall

Answer: (A)

Desirability in Western beauty ideology is constructed through race and gender in media. bell hooks argues that mainstream culture treats whiteness as the standard of beauty and desirability, and women of color are repeatedly framed within that gaze in ways that sexualize or devalue them. This means lighter skin and Eurocentric features are presented as more desirable, while darker skin becomes associated with stigma or exoticism. hooks links these representations to broader systems of oppression—racism, patriarchy, and capitalism—showing how media images reinforce power hierarchies and shape how people feel about themselves and others. So, when a question asks which theorist discusses this specific pattern of representation, hooks is the best fit because she foregrounds the connection between race, gender, and media imagery in shaping beauty norms.

Desirability in Western beauty ideology is constructed through race and gender in media. bell hooks argues that mainstream culture treats whiteness as the standard of beauty and desirability, and women of color are repeatedly framed within that gaze in ways that sexualize or devalue them. This means lighter skin and Eurocentric features are presented as more desirable, while darker skin becomes associated with stigma or exoticism. hooks links these representations to broader systems of oppression—racism, patriarchy, and capitalism—showing how media images reinforce power hierarchies and shape how people feel about themselves and others. So, when a question asks which theorist discusses this specific pattern of representation, hooks is the best fit because she foregrounds the connection between race, gender, and media imagery in shaping beauty norms.