"The White Beauty Myth"

metaoblivia

This is a really interesting topic. I do think it's really sad that some people go to such lengths to change their appearance in order to look more "white." Although, I can understand it, because, as Izzy said, it's a white person's world.

I'm similar to Izzy in that I have pale skin, but very dark hair and eyes, and growing up I got a lot of comments about my coloring and my looks - even moreso than my mother and brother who have the same coloring - because my face also happens to be a little bit odd. And it's not just from white people. I'll never forget, I was in a college class once about multiculturalism. They were talking about doing an experiment involving a biracial couple and people's reaction to them. And someone piped up with, "But you have to make sure the white person looks white because some white people don't look white," and pointed at me. And then cue several other people in class saying, "Yeah, are you even white?"

I've even had people argue with me when I tell them I'm white. Interestingly, these same people will comment on how pale my skin is. :rolleyes:

The point is, there's definitely a hierarchy, not only with all of the races, but even within the races. As sad as it is, it would make sense that some people would feel insecure enough to want to change their bodies to fit "the norm." I know that growing up, I desperately wanted blonde hair and blue eyes, because that what most of the models had and that's what was considered prettiest.

pikachucheeks

[quote=[Deleted User];62861234]Ever taken a look at the colour selection of foundations in Boots? Almost all of them are made for Caucasians. I need a colour at the darker end of the selection, and I'm white. What on earth are people with dark skin supposed to buy? I live in London, which is a really multiracial city, and I saw ONE 'brown' foundation, the rest were different shades of beige, or ivory. The concealer shades 'light, medium and dark' were still all for white complexions. I can totally understand a black person feeling marginalized.[/QUOTE]

I'd have to agree with you there. I think the cosmetics industry has a lot to answer for. By its failure to cater for certain sectors of the market, it has made many women feel completely excluded.

I'm not sure why, but the majority of high street brands (that would be stocked in Boots, as you mentioned) do not cater for darker skin tones. However, more expensive brands such as Mac and Bobbi Brown do.
This is unfair in the sense that you have to pay more for suitable cosmetics, based solely on the fact you have darker skin.

Also, I would argue that many cosmetics companies, including the high end ones, do not cater enough for light skin tones.
I went into Mac recently to try out foundations. The make-up artist tried the lightest one they stocked (NC15) on my skin. It was too dark.
I was quite annoyed by it, because I was excluded from that brand's foundation lines, based on the fact my skin is naturally pale.

I think foundations still have a LONG way to go. It's ridiculous for a brand to label foundation colours "pale" "medium" and "dark". It's ridiculous for them to think they can cater for everyone's needs with merely a few different shades.
It's ridiculous for them to leave out certain skin tones altogether.

It's universally accepted that women come in various shapes and sizes - they also come in various skin tones. It's about time the cosmetics industry started realising this and taking it seriously.

shellyboo

shellyboo wrote: »

Thanks for posting Izzy, you've raised some really interesting points.

It's not so much the people I was criticising, I fully support their right to want to change, I was more despairing over the fact they thought the needed to, and horrified that a doctor would indulge such a request.

I know. I think most people's initial reaction, including mine, would be 'how terrible that they feel the need to look whiter' but thinking about my own experiences, which undoubtedly pale (no pun intended ) in comparison to the way people who are not white were treated, I can understand it.

And as for the doctors, I'm sure many of them have had surgery themselves, like the Korean doctor in the documentary. Having spent time in South Korea, I'd say the figure of 1 in 10 people having had plastic surgery seems very low to me. I'd say it's more like 5 in 10. It's totally acceptable there to have surgery, particularly the eyelid surgery and I'm sure it's the same in other places. It doesn't have the same shock value as it does here.

I mean, clearly the problem is not with how they look, it's about their perception and their lack of ability to accept that and other people's reaction to it... a psychological problem, essentially. And I'm not sure I agree with using plastic surgery to treat a psychological problem.

But is it a psychological problem? The model guy in the documentary was bullied for years and had his teeth knocked out because he was Indian. He's probably had years of being treated as an inferior being because of his skin colour. The word 'psychological' implies it's all in your head, and it obviously wasn't in his case. If you're missing out on jobs, being singled out by the police and even being physically harmed because of your race, then it's clear that this is a very real issue for him - is it really so surprising that he wants to look whiter?

Is it something you'd ever consider, or would you stay looking as you are? Like, if you could wake up tomorrow looking as you do, or looking classically "white", which would you pick? No need to answer if it's too senstive a question.

I would be one of those people who thinks 'why should I change because of other people?', so I would prefer to stay as I am. I still do have times when I think it would be easier to look 'white', but I would never actually have any surgery, that's way too extreme to me. But yes, I do often feel jealous of my brother and all my cousins who show no traces whatsoever of being anything but Irish. I think part of my problem is that I'm NOT another race, and so I don't even have that to cling onto or associate myself with, like a mixed race person might with black culture. I basically look like something I'm not. I mean being a quarter Italian is fairly common, there were 9 or 10 kids like that in my secondary school and I was the only one who looked in any way foreign. So yeah, I do sometimes wish I looked like what I was, so I wouldn't get a million questions every time I claimed to be Irish, but if I could actually change, no, I don't think I would. Sounds a bit contradictory I know.

shellyboo

[quote=[Deleted User];62870347]
But is it a psychological problem? The model guy in the documentary was bullied for years and had his teeth knocked out because he was Indian. He's probably had years of being treated as an inferior being because of his skin colour. The word 'psychological' implies it's all in your head, and it obviously wasn't in his case. If you're missing out on jobs, being singled out by the police and even being physically harmed because of your race, then it's clear that this is a very real issue for him - is it really so surprising that he wants to look whiter?
[/quote]

Absolutely not surprising at all, no. I wasn't suggesting that it's all in his head, but I do think that his reality has caused him psychological trauma and THAT'S why he wanted the surgery.

I mean, not to sound harsh, but he's not the first person to be a victim of racist abuse and he certainly won't be the last - not every victim feels the need for surgery to "fix" them.

I absolutely think it's a shame that, having been abused by bigots who think he's lesser because of his skin, he goes and essentially proves them right by becoming "whiter". I'm like you, Izzy, I'd be stubborn as hell - someone wanting me to change will totally made me dig my heels in.

speedboatchase

Famous retired baseball player was at an event last week in the U.S with... an interesting new look :eek:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287889-sammy-sossas-new-white-look

Azelfafage

It's about social class.

A tanned skin used to be a sign of poor outdoor farm workers.

French and English aristocrats painted their skins snow white (with a touch of blusher on the cheeks)to prove that they did not have to toil in the outdoors.

See:

http://lefleurdelystoo.blogspot.com/2007/10/18th-century-fashions.html

After the industrial revolution the poor worked indoors in factories.
They became pale...like the upper class.

In the mid 20th century wealthy people were able to jet off (The Jet Set) into sunny climes.

They came back tanned.
So a tan became a symbol of wealth.
(Especially a "Winter Tan".)

Now airlines like Ryanair allow even the poor to afford a "Winter Tan".
The pendulum is swinging back.

Tans (and tanning salons) are becoming vulgar...like in the old days.

The rich NOW say..........."A tan is unhealthy."

So the rich want to be pale again...anything to differentiate them from the vulgar poor.

.