If Willy Wonker decided to treat his loyal workers to an on site harem he wouldn't need to go back to loompa-land, he could just visit any western country to recruit a bevy of bergamot babes. Have you ever heard anyone say something along the lines of "I know it's bad for my skin, but I just think a tan looks so much healthier". In a bid to tan their milky limbs, white women everywhere wind up in an orange nightmare. Some spray tans are better than others, but many still have a distinctively orange result. And why? Apparently pale skin is undesirable...
Not so according to the many companies selling and promoting skin bleaching creams in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. So in the west we either bake ourselves like lizards (and wind up equally scaly), or walk around resembling a freshly squeezed O.J, meanwhile women with dark skin are being fed this absurd idea that their lives will be better if they lighten their skin.
So what and who is behind this insanity?
It's not easy being a woman in this world at the best of times, or in the most developed of places, but boy can it be tough being a woman from a less developed country. But as globalisation progresses and cultures mainstream, are women of all ethnic backgrounds being forced to try and mould themselves into a one size fits all perception of beauty? Why do women ( and men) with darker skin in so many cultures take the risk of applying bleach to their skin in the name of beauty?
My guess is a lot can be blamed on media exposure, but that's not the only reason. Is it perhaps some kind of hangover from colonial times, where wealth and prosperity are associated with white skin? Most of the famous and admired beauty queens of Bollywood are considerably fair skinned compared to the majority of complexions around India. Really, there isn't anything wrong with women wishing to have fairer skin, I wish I had darker more olive skin, but I think there is something going extremely wrong when women suffer irreversible damage and burning from bleaching creams.
We western whities may think we look better with a tan, but a lot of us choose to accept being gracefully pale over looking ridiculously orange, and with the wide spread knowledge of the dangers of melanoma, being pale is almost kind of cool again. But in the west it's all the same,we're not actually going to face discrimination over the subject. So why is there this concept being put forward to other women around the world that lightening their own skin will enhance their opportunities and their beauty. Will it? Let's be honest, beauty is something always lurking close to a woman's heart. It is deeply entangled with our confidence and how we feel about ourselves. While all cultures vary, and the concept of beauty is different every where you go, virtually every culture places great importance on female beauty. But just because technology and media have made this a small world after all, does not mean there should be one unified ideal of what is beautiful that all women must adhere to in order to feel beautiful in their own skin.
We humans are an odd race, and I find it a little disturbing that we are always thrusting, whether knowingly or unknowingly, ideals upon one another. It's frightening the see how often the urgent yearning to be deemed acceptable over comes the long term risks that many beauty treatments threaten. Many pale skinned women ( including myself) still risk skin cancer by sunbathing or using a solarium, even though we know it could be endangering our lives. Why? Has the world gone mad? Half the population is starving, the other half is trying to lose weight. And all these women are trying to alter their skin colour one way or another. And the funniest thing of all is, it's same big, globalised, cosmetic companies selling us self tanning lotion, who market and sell skin lightening creams to the other half of the world.
Runway shows are certainly much more ethnically varied these days but it's fair to say that the fashion world and it's icons of beauty are still dominated by fair skinned models. Of course skin colour is only one of many ethnic differences, each group has their own unique characteristics. Did you know there is a common plastic surgery procedure in Asia where women with gorgeous almond shaped eyes have them surgically altered to become rounder ( more like Caucasian)? Positively outrageous!!!!!
Thankfully I don't believe this is the majority, but it still breaks my heart to think there are so many young girls and women who are influenced by an ideal of beauty to the point where they'll take such risks to conform. An eye job is said to be the most popular cosmetic surgery in Asia and is very common among teenagers. It's a simple operation, in which a small incision or suture is made above the eye to create an artificial double lid. In Malibu girls get breast implants for their sweet 16, in affluent parts of Asia, girls get bigger eyes. It certainly doesn't sound any more dangerous than typical western cosmetic surgeries, so, each to their own I guess.
When it come beauty concepts, Asia is a fascinating place to start looking. Asian cultures are renowned for pride and perfectionism and it makes sense that they would incorporate that mentality into their personal presentation as well as their work. And if you do your home work you'll soon learn that white skin has long been desired in Asia, before French Vogue and Nivea Whitening Milk washed up on their shores. But what about the plentiful marketing campaigns in Africa, India and Middle Eastern countries? Who are these companies and why are they telling women to lighten their skin? Come to think of it, whose idea was it that tanned skin is what make us look healthy in Europe, Australia, the US and Brazil? Maybe a certain degree comes down to personal preference but I'm pretty convinced that personal preference is highly influenced by the society in which we dwell.
Beauty ideals, as fashion, are very fickle anyhow. One day you've got a mouth full of metal trying to straighten your teeth, the next, a gap filled grin will win you the coveted honour of being first face on a couture runway. So I say, you may have something about your appearance that you don't like, but hold on tight because chances are your quirk will be at the height of fashion some day.
Now here are some relative pictures to ponder over...and be sure to share any thoughts
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| The Beautiful half African American half Caucasian Beyonce |
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| Ad Campaign |
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| Precious, spot the difference? |
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| A role model to Indian girls |
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| Looks like that cream wasn't a great idea |
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| A high price to pay for an ideal of beauty |
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| Untouched V The beauty ideal |
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| Magic! |
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| Not so magic... |
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| Queen of the Oompa Loompa Harem? |
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| Nice one Lindsay |
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| Which do you prefer? |
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| This needs no introduction |
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| Two sides of the same story |
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| I don't care how Haute Couture you are Valentino, this is not a good look! |
