1971 Flamingo Cover Shows Nigeria’s “Slay Queen” Culture Predates Social Media

A 1971 cover of Lagos-based Flamingo Magazine challenges the idea that provocative public self-presentation began with millennials and Gen Z. The cover featured a young woman described as someone who could “cause a jam” simply by walking down a city street. Long before social media, magazines, newspapers, nightclubs and private gatherings provided spaces for glamour, flirtation and public attention. Features such as the old Sun Girls pages also paired photographs with short biographies and contact details, creating visibility and sometimes attracting admirers. What has changed is not the demand for attractive or sexually suggestive content, but the platform. Smartphones and social media have removed traditional gatekeepers, allowing people to build audiences, influence and businesses directly from home.

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