In 1983, Vanessa Williams became the first black woman to win Miss America. In 1984, a few weeks from the end of her reign, she was forced to step down when she found out Penthouse was going to publish unauthorized nude images of her in their magazine. Williams went on to have a successful singing career and star in movies, but her career trajectory tells more than the story of a black beauty icon who overcame obstacles to make it in Hollywood. It's a story that echoes the legacies of racism, colorism, tokenism and misogynoir (the misogyny experienced specifically by black women) in 20th century Hollywood and how, as a result, black women — from Williams to Whitney Houston — have had to display exceptional talent to make the case that their images are worth circulating and celebrating as beautiful.
This episode was written and performed by Cassie da Costa, an entertainment writer for The Daily Beast. She lives in Ojai, California.
36: Star Wars Episode X: Errol Flynn
35: Star Wars Episode IX: Olivia de Havilland and John Huston, with Special Guest Rian Johnson
34: Star Wars Episode VIII: How Norma Jeane Became Marilyn Monroe
33: Star Wars Episode VII: Lena Horne
32: Star Wars Episode VI: Marlene Dietrich
31: Star Wars Episode V: Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles
30: Star Wars Episode IV: Gene Tierney (Or: The Many Loves of Howard Hughes, Chapter 5)
29: Star Wars Episode III: Hedy Lamarr
28: Star Wars Episode II: Carole Lombard and Clark Gable
27: Star Wars Episode I: Bette Davis and the Hollywood Canteen
26: Tales of Celebrity Drunkenness, 2014
25: The Short Lives of Bruce and Brandon Lee
24: Mia Farrow in the 1960s, Part Two: Mia & Dory
23: Mia Farrow in the 1960s, Part One: Mia & Frank
22: Audrey Hepburn: Sex, Style, and Sabrina
21: The Birth of Barbra Streisand’s A Star is Born
20: LIZ <3 MONTY
19: Raquel Welch, From Pin-up to Pariah
18: The Many Loves of Howard Hughes, Chapter 4: Jane Russell
17: Theda Bara, Hollywood’s First Sex Symbol
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