A Reverse Beauty Pageant

In both beauty pageants and our culture in general it is normal for girls and women to try and look their best-and then be judged by a group of people. They spend tons of money and time picking the right clothes, the right makeup, and the right hair style. Yet, in the nomadic Wodaabe tribe, this is the opposite. The Wodaabe tribe are cattle-herders and are a part of the Fulani ethnic group of West Africa. This nomadic tribe is largely Islamic and over the years has migrated through Cameroon, Niger, Chad, and Nigeria. One of the most notable things about the Wodaabe is that they place a high emphasis on beauty and the way they form relationships with each other. It is the man’s job to form a relationship with and impress the woman. So the men are the ones that spend large amounts time into making themselves beautiful. The beauty standards for men (and sometimes women as well) emphasizes tallness, an elongated forehead, white eyes, and white teeth. One of the most important ceremonies in the Wodaabe tribe is the Gerewol, where men’s beauty and skills are judged by marriageable young women.

In the week long Gerewol, the men paint their lips black and paint their faces red and yellow with white dots in floral formations. The men where vibrant clothes and hats with tons of accessories such beads, feathers, buttons, etc. They are also said to be very focused on their looks as they carry small mirrors with them. The women will wear darker clothes to contrast the men’s bright ones. After the men spend time doing their makeup and getting ready they link their arms, line up, and begin to sing and dance the Yaake. As they are dancing and swaying to the rhythm, to get the women’s attention they will roll their eyes and flaunt their teeth to show off how white they are. They dance all day but when it gets too hot they will take breaks. Otherwise, they will dance all day and night, drinking a fermented brew that gives them energy. It is said that this brew has a hallucinogenic effect.

The ceremony is for men to find a first, second, or third wife, but it is also for women to find another husband if they would like too. The ceremony can lead people to have a long marriage or just a one-night stand. It also common for an infertile man to ask another man to sleep with his wife so that they can have children. A man can also ask an attractive man to sleep with his wife to produce good looking children, as beauty is greatly treasured in their culture. The Wodaabe value children and they are seen as a sign of wealth, and labor, as well as a way to prevent a high infant mortality rate. Lastly, as Wodaabe are cattle-herders for a living they are also vegetarian and don’t eat their animals but use them to provide milk and millet, and they trade the animals for money.

Out of all the cultural traditions I have heard of this is one of my favorites because it was interesting to see a society where the men are expected to beautify themselves for women and not the other way around. Plus, the Gerewol is not only a good time for the men but the women also. Just like my last post, in the second link I put there is a video from National Geographic interviewing the Wodaabe about the Gerewol.