The June 2010 issue of Essence featured an article on a seemingly new trend amongst black women--looking for "sponsors." In this new phenomenon, independent women with six figure incomes, who can afford their own homes with all the "extras" (manolo blahniks, luis bags, the works) are finding rich men to give their own lifestyles a bit of a boost (expensive trips, breast implants). And, based on already popular t.v. shows like "The Real Housewives of Atlanta/New York/Orange County/Damn near everywhere," "Basketball Wives," and songs like Teairra Mari's "Sponsor," it is clear that pop culture has caught on to the new trend.
Ok, so the nice rich guy gets pretty girl on his arm, and the pretty girl gets the nice rich guy with all the expensive shiny things. Everybody wins, right? So what's the problem?
Problem: As "empowered" as these women may want people to believe they are by describing these relationships as mutually beneficial for both parties, they are not such relationships at all. In fact, one woman interviewed in the article states that "she can't make demands on [her sponsor's time], and two others stated that they would have to sex with their sponsor's whenever HE was in the mood (Essence June 2010) because he had pre-paid for it. So, financial "empowerment" is being acquired in exchange for the right to your own body and sexuality? What do we call this again--- I think it begins with a P?
Now, I ain't saying that love and affection is never involved in these arrangements, but I am saying that when these women seek out sponsorship and money over mutual respect and an equally yoked relationship, they are selling themselves and marketing themselves as FOR SALE. And when our little girls sing along and dance to Teirra Mari, watch Basketball Wives, or say they wanna have a Big Poppa like Kim on Real Housewives, they are selling themselves SHORT!
What do you think?
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