Alicia Keys Vs. Fantasia Barrino

     Hey, guys! So, this is officially my first blog post! I am no stranger to blogging, so I suppose it's not that big of a deal, but this is my first personal blog, so I am completely responsible for making it a good one.
  

     To start off, I would like to address two stories that have been taking the media by storm: Fantasia Barrino's appalling affair with a married man, and Alicia Keys' fairytale ending with a man who she allegledly began dating while he was still married. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen these stories plastered on the cover of tabloids galore. But an important question to ponder: these two ladies are in the same situation, so why are they being treated completely different by the mainstream media?
    
     As I was reading an article on theroot.com this morning, they dared to delve deeper into this by posing the question: "Is it that Keys is too pretty to be pummeled?"
    
     With this, the author carefully approaches the topic of beauty in our culture, considering that the reason might be Alicia's ethereal biracial looks compared to Barrino's tatted, dark-skinned appearance. Could it be that the media melted at the sight of a goddess-like, slightly tanned Alicia sealing the romance with a beautiful wedding in which she donned a gorgeous white dress and adorable baby bump as opposed to Fantasia sealing her romance with a tasteless tattoo of the man's last name on her shoulder?

     Or, the author suggests, is it the antithetic backrounds and rise to fame of the two stars? While both are extremely talented, only Keys has risen to superstar fame and is on the road to possible legendary status. Could it be that our culture respects Keys' struggle as she fought her way into the music industry like so many artists do? And although she was raised in Hell's Kitchen in New York by a single mother, it is notable that Keys did graduate as valedictorian in her performing arts school at the age of 16, going on to attend the prestigious Columbia University. All that while Barrino lived in poverty, being molested as a child, never having graduated from high school, barely being able to read, and being a teen mother. Yet, Barrino had an almost easy ride to the top, being catapulted there by a winning stint on American Idol.

     The article is truly an insightful and eye-opening one for those who have never given this issue much thought, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety.