1. All Black Men Are Well-Endowed
This one is bound to start some discussion. Upon googling ‘Black men big penis true?’, you’ll find a range of references to an unemployed white man from Brooklyn named John Falcon, who’s apparently the owner of the world’s largest.

Research however will tell you that there is in fact no truth to the debate about differences in size across the races. It is certainly not a guarantee that the next black man you meet will outdo John Falcon in the size department but in terms of a continued discussion about this myth, we’ll leave it with you.

2. They Don’t Like To Work
While Black men suffer from some of the highest rates of unemployment in America, psychologists will confirm that this is in no way related to choice. Men in general are hardwired to want to provide for their families and so will pursue any means possible to achieve that goal. ‘Not wanting to work’ is a negative stereotype of black men that is certainly not true in the grand majority of cases of unemployment.

3. Black Men Are Extremely Sexually Virile
Can we keep this one as it is? What do you think?

4. Black Men Are Great Athletes
Any major sporting event features an array of muscular, testosterone-filled black men. But, ‘Look at them! Now look at your man! And back to them! Now look at your man!’

5. Players
Popular urban culture and Hollywood have perpetuated the myth of the black man as a player. This is in fact not true of black men in particular. All human beings must actively resist polygamy in their lives because of the pressures of evolution, which tell us to procreate with as many people as possible, and society, which dictates that we remain faithful to our chosen partner.

6. Black Men Like White Women
Now this one depends largely on who you ask. Interracial marriage is on the rise in America and the perception that black men like white women may stem from the fact that it is becoming more socially acceptable and therefore more common. In the end, a man and a woman will be together for reasons of personal compatibility, not race.

7. Black Men Don’t Take Care Of Their Children
A good black man will be a wonderful father to his children no matter what the circumstances. The trick is to avoid those who might take the easy way out of hard circumstances – of these there are plenty and they’re all shapes, sizes and colors.

8. He’s Been In Jail
This stereotype is like a bad joke gone worse. Urban and pop cultures have played on this perception to the point that those who unfamiliar with black people maintain some crazy ideas about our world.

9. Good At Dancing
The only reason people become known for dancing well is that one good mover can overshadow the 5 others who just escaped through the fire exit to avoid being pulled onto the dance floor.

We want to hear from you. What do you think about the validity of some of these stereotypes?

How Many “Fish In The Sea” Does Your Body Attract?

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A 2010 study by the Pew Research Center showed that in all but three of the 150 biggest cities in this country, young women out earn young men. However, another Pew survey found that 67% of Americans said that in order to be ready for marriage, a man should be able to financially support his family, while only 33% said the same for women. Why the disparity?

I like to think that me and my friends are mature enough and evolved enough to look beyond the “female housewife, male breadwinner” stereotype that was typical for our grandparents generation, and understand that in this day and age, we can be whoever we want to be and work (or not work) wherever we want to work, regardless of our gender. As such, whenever I heard people talk about “a woman’s role” being in the household rather than the workforce, or listened to people argue about how emasculating it can be for some men to be with a woman who earns more than them, I looked at them like they were crazy and sat quietly silently judging them.

But are we really as evolved and forward thinking in regards to the female breadwinner as we thought?

Will’s comment startled me because it made me realize that maybe we’re not as advanced in our thinking as I want to believe. When he said it, most of the reactions from our friends were to rib him about being a “woman” and jokingly ask him for recipes because obviously as the woman, he must cook all the meals. As lighthearted and harmless as the comments were, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, even unconsciously, we do still expect men to earn more than women. After thinking about it, I found that, even in a lighthearted way, my female friends and I joke about marrying a rich guy so we don’t have to worry about job interviews, debt, retirement savings. We make fun of women we think are “gold-diggers” or women (like the cast of “Basketball Wives”) who seem to get ahead in life because of their husbands, yet we probably would be quite satisfied if our husbands or boyfriends were more successful than us (but we would never admit it). And, as displayed by Will, apparently the same sort of thinking still goes for men too. And not just my friends, but the whole society.

Slate tackled the issue of female breadwinners, and they surmised that “such a vast shift in earning power [with females earning more] suggests that the next generation may make different decisions about whose salary counts more and who should be the family’s primary breadwinner.” However, our reactions about, and expectations of, specific gender roles tend to suggest otherwise.

An editorial in Marie Claire suggested that;

“the truth is that, while most men are attracted to women with power (and money is a vehicle for power), we do not want powerful women for partners. The idea of a woman that desires, earns, and achieves more is scary. Most men simply do not want to compete with their partners for power. Our partners can earn, do, and achieve slightly more than us and we’re fine with it. It’s a fun and friendly competition, and it helps keep us honest and focused. If, however, you eclipse us to the point that we can’t out earn or success you, we’ll lose interest faster than you can say “corner office.”

Are Black Women’s Standards Ruining Their Chances At Love?

“I’m A Good Man & I Don’t Know What’s Wrong With Women Today”

Hottest Celeb Pics Of The Week

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Here are the top 10…

1. We all fit the ‘ugly American’ stereotype.

Come on now, that’s just like saying all Germans are incredibly efficient or all Australians wrestle crocodiles. Plain crazy!

2. The whole nation is celebrity obsessed.

The whole world is celebrity obsessed. If there wasn’t a market for Hollywood blockbusters and people, the world over, didn’t want to see celebrities living their life then the celebrity culture wouldn’t exist.

3. Everyone says ‘y’all’.

Of course we don’t. But come to think of it, why would it even matter if we did?

4. Everything we eat is deep-fried. And probably wrapped in bacon.

Movies like ‘Supersize Me’, and the global juggernaut that is McDonald’s probably helped perpetuate the stereotype that all Americans are incredibly unhealthy, but it is just that, only a stereotype. In fact New York’s policy of placing calorie counters on menu’s is a direct step to reduce the obesity rate by 30,000 in the next 3 years. Take that stereotype!

5. All Americans hate Canada.

Come on, we all know ragging on Canada is just harmless fun. We can’t help that they wish they were American now can we?

6. Everyone in Texas is a good old fashioned, gun-toting, cowboy.

Obviously what is shown on television and in movies is exaggerated for entertainment value. Although we do have it in the Bill of Rights that we can carry a gun if we wish, only approximately 45% of households do. And the Lone Star state has come a long way from Bandolero!

7. We are all fanatically patriotic.

With the seemingly constant threat of terrorism, and our troops being deployed in war zones, we need to stick together as a country to show our troops that we support them, as well as showing our ‘enemies’ that they can’t break us. FIX LANGUAGE

8. Nothing exists outside of USA.

With the statistics showing that 75% of American’s don’t have a passport, I suppose it’s easy to see why people assume American’s don’t care about the rest of the world. But not every American is ignorant of the rest of the world and we do actually like to be informed about world events. We can’t help that we are a global super power, who’s leaders are always being called upon for opinions and to help make decisions.

But there were two stereotypes that I was told, which I think kinda ring true…

1. Everything in the USA is XXL.

We do love our big cars, big houses, big food, and big events, and we do have big personalities, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t? I don’t think it’s a bad thing,

2. Americans love their tan pants.

This one I can’t deny. It’s true, we love tan pants (or at least the men do). When I was told this by my NZ friend, I scoffed. But then I started noticing men on the subway, in restaurants, walking the dog, at the museum. And surprise surprise, a lot of them were wearing tan pants. Why? I don’t know, but I think it may be a trend.

So what do you all think? Is there any validity in any of these stereotypes, or do you have more that you’ve heard?

9 Stereotypes Of Black Women That Aren’t Always True

9 Stereotypes Of Black Men That Aren’t Always True

4 Stereotypes That Women Are Taught

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From the time we are little girls, women are mentally trained by society, family and random images we see in the media of how a woman’s life should be, how she should behave and what she should and should not value. Any woman who does not follow suit is thought to have a skewed train of thought or to be too far from the norm.  For some of you, these may seem obvious and that no woman in her right mind suffers from these symptoms. However, there are many women who actually do. Here are a few stereotypes that women are groomed to accept:

1. You Have To Have A Baby To Be Complete

Having a child is a wonderful experience for any woman. It also is forever life changing. It is one of the most significant things a woman can do in her life. The key words are “one of the most.” I would never encourage any woman to find her self worth through having a child. That is something that she should already have internally before she marries or becomes a mother. Knowing one’s self worth makes them even more valuable within the various relationships one has. Eventually, the child will grow and mature and will not be as needy towards their mother. When this happens it is a shocker to the woman’s system and suddenly she no longer feels that she has a purpose in life and becomes lost.

Tracee Ellis Ross Heads To BET With New Sitcom

2. You Need To Be A Wife To Be Complete

Like having a baby, finding the man of your dreams is one of the most special moments a woman can have in her life. The idea of finding your soul mate is what many women dream about all of their lives. However, for some women, it takes much longer for that to happen or unfortunately never happens in their lifetime. Meanwhile, you have to be able to still feel complete and happy with yourself until that special guy comes.

3. You Cannot Have A Successful Career And A Husband

For those who were fans of the show “Girlfriends,” there was a character on the show named Joan. She was a successful lawyer, beautiful, talented, and intelligent. She was also single. This woman went from guy to guy and had a difficult time maintaining a relationship with a man. It was only after she quit her job as a lawyer, opened up her own restaurant and took a pay cut that she met a man and became engaged.  Although I was happy for Joan, it concerned me that it took her quitting her successful career as a lawyer to find the man of her dreams. This furthered promoted the theory that a successful woman cannot be successful and have a successful love life simultaneously. Especially a successful Black woman.

Alicia And Swizz Get Married

4. Prince Charming Will Come and Swoop You Up And Solve All Of  Your Problems

Once you find that Prince Charming it is easy to slip into the belief that he is your savior and protector from all harm because he is so good to you.  On the contrary he is not your personal problem solver. No woman should ever place all of her faith into a man and expect that he is the solution to all of her existing and future problems. The right man should be an asset to her life as she should be to his but he should never become her super hero. The truth is that they do not exist.

For More LJ Knight Visit YeahSheSaidIt

A blogger at Clutch Magazine wonders why white artists get to profit from typically black modes of fashion but not get labeled “ghetto” whereas black artists have to play it safe because they risk alienating mainstream buyers if they’re too ethnic.

“…When I think of artists who compromise their own heritage for the sake of seeming relevant to a Euro-centric audience, I can’t help but think of female artists in the Black entertainment industry.

Within the Black community, there are perceptions of physical beauty that sometimes vary from the norm; these perceptions are heavily skewed by European standards. History shows the damaging effects that America’s racial climate had and still has on minority women and their self-image/self esteem.

But what happens when someone from outside the racial group is able to profit from abandoned modes of self-beautification?

Fergie being the only female member of the Black Eyed Peas allows her to stand out easily. With her gaudy jewelry, towering hairstyles, and clawing nails, she is hard to ignore. Though these qualities might seem reminiscent of outdated ‘ghetto’ styles that have been deemed tawdry, Fergie manages to make it commercially appealing.

I find it ironic that Black female artists are on the endless pursuit of class and that which will not offend. Fergie’s Black counterparts would never be able to compete in the mainstream market with her image. In music videos and in album books, she can be an urban queen with no reservations, but on the red carpet and in interviews she adheres to the standards of being a lady. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Fergie: Kanye Made Hip-Hop “Gay-Friendly”

GALLERY: 2009 American Music Awards

We love us some Beyonce. We do. But we ran across this article from the blog A Belle in Brooklyn, and the writer has made such a good point, we decided to share it with you. What’s your response?

“So I watched the “Video Phone” video yesterday…

Here’s what I do wonder: what exactly is the difference between Bey, Lil Kim, and say, Trina? Yes, Bey sings, they rap. She can dance too and does her own beats and production whereas it’s still a big question mark if Trina and Kim even write their own lyrics. I fully acknowledge all of Bey’s talents. But content-wise, where’s the difference? Bey’s lyrics are just as materialistic, her video and stage outfits are just as scanty, and she spreads and P-pops it just as good as (if not more and better) than both Kim and Trina in their heyday.

So I’m confused. Is it that Bey cleans up nice for awards shows? That she comes from a two-parent home? That she’s from the ‘burbs? That she manages to be raunchy without cursing? That she’s light-brite and generally assessed as pretty? (just throwing ideas out there.) That she mixes her catalogue of raunch in with empowerment anthems? That she hides her raunchiest side behind an alter-ego, Sasha Fierce so it seems like it’s not really her? (Pause. You have no idea how disturbing I find it that a alleged 28 year old woman feels compelled to express her sexuality solely as a stage persona or an alter ego of said stage persona.) I’m really, really curious where the distinction lies.

CHECK OUR BEYONCE VS. SASHA FIERCE GALLERY!

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And so we’re clear, this isn’t me trying to diss Bey. I’m not a hardcore Bey Bey fan, but I’ve got enough on my iPod to do a train ride to work and a three-mile run without doubling up. And though I don’t like all the content she puts out (frankly her film career is mediocre at best), I do respect a woman’s hustle and grind. I am, however, a hardcore Lil Kim fan (no pun) and can recite her debut album line for line. This is not me trying to bring Bey down, more like bringing Kim up, and Trina too, by extension.

VIDEO: Bey Stage Dives In London

How do you get away with lyrics like:

you like it when i shake it / shawty on a mission / wat yo name is? / what you want me naked / if you liking this position / you can tape it / on yo video phone - “Video Phone”

and not be called a bird? Trina and Kim would be torn to bits for rapping about sex on tape, and they were hardly held up as role models. Let’s also keep in mind that 9/10 of Bey songs about men are for “soliders” i.e., dudes with their pants sagging low and in white tees. Picture Wayne (who was in the “Solider” video), or better, Jay… but in his dealing days, ‘cause 9/10 when you see him now, he’s in thong sandals on the beach or grown man sweaters around New York or Londontown. What kind of occupations to dudes you know have if they still wear white tees and sagging pants post-college? Exactly.

IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET, HERE IS “VIDEO PHONE”:

And Bey’s just as materialistic as Kim and Trina as we can see from the “Upgrade You” lyrics:

Audemars Piguet watch / Dimples in ya necktie / Hermes briefcase / Cartier top clips / Silk lined blazers / Diamond creamed facials / VVS cuff links / 6 star pent suites

And while she may not curse, she’s just as raunchy. Recite any double entendre on “Ego” and get back to me.

[You got the key to my heart /but you ain't gonna need it / I'd rather you open up my body / and show me secrets / you didn't know what's inside / it's too big, it's too wide / it's too strong, it won't fit / it's too much, it's too tough / he talk like this 'cause he can back it up / he got a big ego / I love his big ego / It's too much]

Beyonce: “Not Time For Kids Yet”

Maybe it’s because she started out pretty wholesome—despite the barely-there bedazzled “costumes.” I mean there was “Independent Women,” “Survivor,” “Me Myself and I” (I’m just gonna overlook “Bills, Bills, Bills,” an entire song about a man picking up the tab, for the sake of my argument.) There was also that song that I can’t remember the title to, but with lyrics, ["Nasty, put some clothes on”]. (Oh, the irony!)

But that’s evolved, into every other single being say… “ Freakum Dress” where women are encouraged to “spin it all around and then take it to the ground.” Or maybe we can refer to, “Ring the Alarm,” where instead of leaving a cheating lover, Bey decides to stay, referencing and recounting all the expensive and name-brand gifts she’ll be missing out on if she bounces. If that doesn’t sound like a bird anthem or the blueprint to a Kim or Trina verse or two, I don’t know what does….

Beyonce & A.Keys Share Duet On “Elements Of Freedom”

I really don’t get it. I mean Kim wore next to nothing on stage, and was damn near stoned. Like Amber Rose, Trina got called all manner of “sluts” and “whores” for her all –Spandex, all the time get ups. But Bey shows up to sing Ava Maria, the “Hail Mary” of Catholic songs, in a leotard and veil and it’s like *crickets” from everyone, including the Catholic church. She shows up at the European Music Awards wearing red lingerie and matching garters on stage and no one bats an eye. A few years back, she gave Terrance Howard a lap dance on the stage for the BET Awards and barely a peep from anyone.

Is Bey benefitting from our relatively high shock-value, a bar raised by the antics of Lil Kim and Trina, so that she can do exactly what they did and not inspire the same level of outrage? Or is there something more to it than that?

I’m honestly confused.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

…and wears cornrows while doing so. Tomorrow on The Tyra Show Miss Banks will talk about what “good hair” means in the Black community and whether or not this is a healthy obsession. Watch the preview clip here. Do you think the notion of “good hair” impacts the Black community in a negative way?

Click here to read more about “good hair” vs. “bad hair”

For more of Tyra with weave click here!

BP member and Artist - Scurvin

I am pretty sure by now you may have heard the rumors and speculation about black men being “well hung”.  Well BP member and artist Lance Scurvin has his own interpretation of the common stereotype. Fellas, whether it be truth or fiction for you maybe it is not something to base your self-worth on.

Comment on the photo here and share it with your friends. Tell us what YOU think. BlackPlanet members are discussing this phenomenal drawing in the forum section. Join in here.

Check out his BP photo section for more social commentary here.

BP Member GLCIII

GLCIII asks, “Is he (Tyler Perry) reinforcing stereotypes? And even if he is, how do you weigh that against the good he’s doing?” In the news forum Is Madea bad for Black America members are debating this very question. Find out what other members are saying here.