114:
daily struggles. In a society of iconic images, the image of the ghetto fabulous woman started to form. Many of the images in music videos were centered on young women and their hyper-sexualized bodies while the “media turn girls into spectacles−visual objects on display… as in fabulous”. Because of the circumstances of many inner city families, poverty and consumerism became the focal point of artistic expression. With the rise of malls in the 1980s, this could be seen in the larger cultural context as well. “Excessive consumerism and an obsession with bling are certainly not confined to any particular demographic. We are a nation of excess and instant gratification. It has become the
American way”. For inner city youth, the ghetto fabulous life was about trying to outrun their socio-economic situations. For centuries, fashion has represented socio-economic status, so lower classes will buy outside their means in order to try and fit into an image of the upper classes. This mentality of buying outside ones means contrasted many attitudes of earlier generations. Parents and grandparents did not have the culture of overnight success and
113:
The origin of ghetto fabulousness fits into a larger cultural trend of the time. During the 1990s, Black, urban fashion was becoming a hot commodity through the rise of “hardcore” rap. The music of the inner city black male filled radios and television screens with images of inner city life and their
61:
Ghetto fabulous style has moved into the mainstream along with hip-hop and rap music icons adopting the style though sometimes calling the fashion "uptown couture" with common "ghetto fabulous" styles mixed with couture labels, including new upscale/designer labels created by hip-hop moguls including
132:
assistance, relatives, or illicit activities. However, the person is not considered poor. In fact the person may appear well-to-do. Frequently, the term is used in reference to a person's material possessions such as a luxury car, brand-label clothing and accessories, or jewelry. The term may also
118:
sensations. They learned that you must work for what you want. “As the literal and figurative daughter of postfeminists, the current girl inherits the desire to ‘have it all,’ while embracing (unlike her mother, with no angst) both girl power independence and persistent commodity consumption that
141:
applied to the teeth. While the term "ghetto fabulous" may be used to specifically point to any of the above, it is most frequently used a generalization, e.g., "s/he is living (a) ghetto fabulous (life)." Buying from and vibrantly displaying designer brands such as
119:
puts her sexualized body and self on display". The materiality and mentality of being ghetto fabulous go hand-in-hand. You have to have the mind to buy the right items, and those items in return help maintain the mentality of extravagance.
127:
Uses and interpretations of the term vary. For instance, a person who is living "ghetto fabulous" lives above their means, sometimes with means of support other than legitimate work. Money and housing may come from
47:
alluding to individuals living in an affluent materialistic style while not always having any luxurious possessions or wealth. As a comedic device, it often dramatizes and draws attention to life in the
150:
traditionally go hand-in-hand with the trend. Many have gone as far as to customize the exterior and interior of their cars to be coated in the Louis
Vuitton design, and
58:(or Black American Princesses), the protagonists pretend to belong to an upper-economic class, but in reality they live a lifestyle that is full of superficial glamour.
294:
308:
Marshall, Elizabeth; Jeanine
Staples; Simone Gibson (Sep 2009). "Ghetto Fabulous: Reading Black Adolescent Femininity in Contemporary Urban Street Fiction".
441:
436:
446:
270:
217:
154:'s stage name is likely a by-product of ghetto fabulous culture depending on the geographic location e.g. Los Angeles, Houston, Miami.
421:
363:
249:
20:
426:
431:
232:
393:
284:
163:
129:
83:
173:
102:
210:"Rapper Attitude in Designer Diamonds and Furs : Ghetto Fabulous Goes Global (Published 1999)"
71:
404:
262:
209:
359:
317:
32:
289:
138:
93:
415:
352:
178:
143:
133:
reference personal grooming habits such as having one's hair and nails done, being
196:
168:
151:
63:
44:
77:
The phrase has also been the title of several rap albums and songs including
98:
88:
78:
321:
115:
54:
134:
49:
147:
67:
233:"Trashy Chic Goes West And Finds Rodeo Drive (Published 1997)"
381:
Spectacular Girls: Media
Fascination and Celebrity Culture
337:
Spectacular Girls: Media
Fascination and Celebrity Culture
354:
Conversate is Not a Word: Getting Away from the Ghetto
351:
263:"'Ghetto Fabulous' Glitter Fades (Published 2000)"
31:is a lifestyle expression that originated among
8:
383:. New York, NY: New York University Press.
339:. New York, NY: New York University Press.
310:Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
35:communities living in poor urban areas.
189:
139:cosmetic platinum, gold or silver caps
52:. For example, in the motion picture
7:
358:. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books.
14:
261:Givhan, Robin (14 October 2000).
442:Stereotypes of the working class
437:Stereotypes of African Americans
297:from the original on 2016-03-04.
285:"The Fellini of ghetto fabulous"
273:from the original on 2016-03-06.
220:from the original on 2016-07-01.
208:Givhan, Robin (9 October 1999).
21:Ghetto Fabulous (disambiguation)
231:Maslin, Janet (28 March 1997).
1:
43:Ghetto fabulous is a fashion
16:American lifestyle expression
447:Stereotypes of urban people
463:
18:
379:Projansky, Sarah (2014).
335:Projansky, Sarah (2014).
422:African-American culture
350:Donaldson, Jam (2010).
164:Black American princess
427:African-American slang
19:For other uses, see
432:Class-related slurs
322:10.1598/jaal.53.1.3
174:Puttin' on the Ritz
267:The New York Times
237:The New York Times
214:The New York Times
123:Common assumptions
72:Kimora Lee Simmons
394:New York Observer
454:
407:
402:
396:
391:
385:
384:
376:
370:
369:
357:
347:
341:
340:
332:
326:
325:
305:
299:
298:
281:
275:
274:
258:
252:
247:
241:
240:
228:
222:
221:
205:
199:
194:
109:Cultural context
33:African American
462:
461:
457:
456:
455:
453:
452:
451:
412:
411:
410:
403:
399:
392:
388:
378:
377:
373:
366:
349:
348:
344:
334:
333:
329:
307:
306:
302:
293:. 29 May 2002.
290:Chicago Tribune
283:
282:
278:
260:
259:
255:
248:
244:
230:
229:
225:
207:
206:
202:
195:
191:
187:
160:
125:
111:
103:Ghetto Fabulous
94:Ghetto Fabolous
91:'s 2001 album,
84:Ghetto Fabulous
41:
28:Ghetto fabulous
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
460:
458:
450:
449:
444:
439:
434:
429:
424:
414:
413:
409:
408:
397:
386:
371:
364:
342:
327:
300:
276:
253:
242:
223:
200:
188:
186:
183:
182:
181:
176:
171:
166:
159:
156:
124:
121:
110:
107:
81:'s 1998 album
40:
37:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
459:
448:
445:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
419:
417:
406:
401:
398:
395:
390:
387:
382:
375:
372:
367:
365:9781556527807
361:
356:
355:
346:
343:
338:
331:
328:
323:
319:
315:
311:
304:
301:
296:
292:
291:
286:
280:
277:
272:
268:
264:
257:
254:
251:
246:
243:
238:
234:
227:
224:
219:
215:
211:
204:
201:
198:
193:
190:
184:
180:
179:Welfare queen
177:
175:
172:
170:
167:
165:
162:
161:
157:
155:
153:
149:
145:
144:Louis Vuitton
140:
136:
131:
122:
120:
117:
108:
106:
104:
100:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
80:
75:
73:
69:
65:
59:
57:
56:
51:
46:
38:
36:
34:
30:
29:
22:
400:
389:
380:
374:
353:
345:
336:
330:
313:
309:
303:
288:
279:
266:
256:
245:
236:
226:
213:
203:
192:
137:, or having
126:
112:
92:
82:
76:
60:
53:
42:
39:In the media
27:
26:
25:
169:Bling-bling
416:Categories
185:References
152:Gucci Mane
64:Sean Combs
45:stereotype
316:: 28–36.
295:Archived
271:Archived
218:Archived
197:ABC News
158:See also
135:tattooed
101:' song "
99:Ras Kass
97:and the
89:Fabolous
79:Mystikal
130:welfare
116:YouTube
55:B*A*P*S
362:
70:, and
50:ghetto
148:Gucci
68:Jay-Z
360:ISBN
250:Vibe
146:and
405:VH1
318:doi
105:".
418::
314:53
312:.
287:.
269:.
265:.
235:.
216:.
212:.
87:,
74:.
66:,
368:.
324:.
320::
239:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.