LAUSR

Media portrayals of Caucasian women have received a great deal of research attention. However, substantially less research exists examining media portrayals of women of color. This content analytic study examined appearance messages and standards for women of color present in popular magazines. The 17 magazines (aimed for female audiences) with the highest circulation ratings were rated. All images and text of the magazines were coded. Cohen’s Kappa for all variables was .86. Ninety-six percent of Black women, 91.67% of Asian women, and 96.61% of Latina women had either light- or medium-toned skin. Sixty-three percent of Black women, 100% of Asian women, and 98.59% of Latina women had long, straight hair. Forty-two percent of Black women, 100% of Asian women, and 54% of Latina women had smaller facial features consistent with Caucasian norms. The current study is the first of its kind to examine media-based appearance standards for Asian and Latina women in magazines.