Depictions of Black women's body image have been variously researched. Although extensive, limited findings directly examine popular culture staples about Black women without comparative groups. In this chapter, I discuss the male/popular culture third-party gaze and its disdain for Black women, its impact on self-esteem, and decision-making in body modification for Black women. After situating this chapter in salient literature on body image representations, I use the characters of The Color Purple to illustrate the importance of body image for mental and physical well-being.
