You are Beautiful, Dark Skinned Woman!

A pretty girl looks out the window from her second floor hotel room. She sees another pretty girl coming out from a chauffer driven car. She recognises the girl as one of the local celebrities. Reporters and photographers are crowding the famous girl as she walks into the hotel lobby. Pretty girl suddenly had an idea and quickly dresses to the nines. As the celebrity comes up the stairs, the pretty girl descends it. All the reporters and photographers attention is switched to the pretty girl. Even the celebrity stops in the middle of her ascend and stares at the pretty girl. Everyone looks mesmerised by the pretty girl. Pretty girl smiles with a satisfied smug on her face.

That is a cramped version of Lux’s latest advertisement to promote their shower cream; Lux White Impress. In a nutshell, everyone is in awe looking at the FAIR pretty girl including the tanned celebrity.

Advertisement like this is very popular in our country. Probably all Asian countries. Ironically, original Asians are not fair, milky white skinned people. They will be a little yellow or a little brown. Except maybe Japanese. Anyway, let’s talk about Malaysians. UNLESS you have mixed blood from Arabic bloodline or other pale skin genes, you would be less fair. A little hint of yellow or just brown.

I personally feel that ads like this is ridiculous, demeaning and insulting. Ridiculous, because our country is a melting pot of cultures and people. Demeaning, because there should not be double standard because of our skin colour. Insulting, because whether we are brown or pale or yellow or black, we are beautiful creations of God.

When children see ads like these, what kind of message are we giving to them? The fair skinned will feel they are superior in the looks department and the dark skinned ones will feel deprived. Name callings will start. And they grow up having a set of belief that does not promote harmony.

Let me tell you a story of my own experience.

When I was in primary school, I beat up a boy because he called me “hitam” (black). Yes, you read it right the first time. His mother knows mine. And after that incident, she never talks to my mother again. I wonder why. When I was in secondary school, I started to learn what inferiority is. Just because, being fair skinned was considered (still is) more beautiful. I did not know then how strong this belief will later affect my confidence and romantic relationships. Suffice to say, it scarred me and only in my mid 20s that I managed to take control and love myself thoroughly. I still have relapsed moment once in a while, because the feeling never really leave you. But I’m lucky, because now I have someone who really loves me for who I am… (ehem…)

So, again, I ask you. What kind of messages are we giving to our young ones?

I don’t know about you. But I am disturbed by this phenomenon. Do you know that in India, the parents actually said that it’s better to be dead (or something like that) than to have a dark skinned daughter? How bizarre is that, when their gene pool does not really allow their generation to be anything else unless they have albino trait! They associate fair skin with beauty and success.

Surprisingly, the most affected by this belief and social standard are women. Sad, but true. So, dark skinned women are socially pressured and we ended up buying those beauty products that promise us fairer skin in 4 weeks! How much do you think we can mutate our cells?

And to be more bizarre, I have fair skinned friends who absolutely belief that they are dark skinned! And they buy whitening products too! Unbelievable! But true.

So there you go. Malaysians are COLOURIST! We are so backward thinking that skin colour becomes an overlooked issue. I personally feel that advertisers that is creating such demeaning advertisement should be sued. And the products companies? They also should be sued for false advertising which resulting in false expectation.

This is such a long post. I just hope someone will read it, and see it as a REAL issue. It’s not healthy making people inferior. Just because we have something which is God-given. And to all tanned women out there who are still feeling small, chin up girls. Truth be told, coloured skin is beautiful. As a a good friend commented before; it adds character to the owner. And trust me when I say that if a man looks down to you because you’re not fair skinned, he is NOT worth even a second of your thoughts. Move on because you are worth so much more than him. Seriously.