fair & lovely
One of my sisters returned from the UAE and, amongst the items that she purchased over there, one particular product was "Fair & Lovely" cream. For those unfamiliar with this Asian (?) product, the following descriptive blurb may shed some light:
"The new cream not only gives you noticeably fairer and more radiant skin, its new 4 step holistic fairness process also helps to keep your skin free of blemishes and oiliness whilst protecting it from harmful UV sunrays."
One of the commercials for this product, at least the one aired in the UAE, depicts two females walking towards a hotel. A man approaches them with the intention of greeting them; he wholly ignores the darker-complexioned lady and walks towards the lighter-complexioned lady, who is all smiles as he approaches. Both of them walk inside the hotel. Both, manifestly, are - according to society's perceptions - pleasing to the eye. Other commercials send the message that, if one wants to 'get ahead' in society (in terms of careers), one must be lighter-skinned.
i may be taking this too far. However, the cream - in my opinion - is symbolic of how warped our societies are becoming vis-a-vis our perceptions of skin colour. Despite all the technological advancements we have made, despite the fact that we are able to construct space stations, we still have not genuinely progressed if we - collectively and individually - believe that lighter-skin is superior to darker skin. My sister has had to grow up with this throughout her childhood; by relatives and friends she was regularly informed that she was the darkest out of the children in this family. Today she is manifestly no longer a child; she is an articulate, mature young lady. Yet the repercussions of those childhood memories certainly are alive and kicking as evidenced by her independent decision to purchase and use a skin-lightening cream. This may be a minor issue in the eyes of some, but in some cultures (including the one i was raised up in), skin complexion is an issue upon which arranged marriages are either formed, or broken.
There can be nothing more beautiful than what God has bestowed upon each of us. There can be nothing sadder than personal conceptions endeavoring not to accept that.
"The new cream not only gives you noticeably fairer and more radiant skin, its new 4 step holistic fairness process also helps to keep your skin free of blemishes and oiliness whilst protecting it from harmful UV sunrays."
One of the commercials for this product, at least the one aired in the UAE, depicts two females walking towards a hotel. A man approaches them with the intention of greeting them; he wholly ignores the darker-complexioned lady and walks towards the lighter-complexioned lady, who is all smiles as he approaches. Both of them walk inside the hotel. Both, manifestly, are - according to society's perceptions - pleasing to the eye. Other commercials send the message that, if one wants to 'get ahead' in society (in terms of careers), one must be lighter-skinned.
i may be taking this too far. However, the cream - in my opinion - is symbolic of how warped our societies are becoming vis-a-vis our perceptions of skin colour. Despite all the technological advancements we have made, despite the fact that we are able to construct space stations, we still have not genuinely progressed if we - collectively and individually - believe that lighter-skin is superior to darker skin. My sister has had to grow up with this throughout her childhood; by relatives and friends she was regularly informed that she was the darkest out of the children in this family. Today she is manifestly no longer a child; she is an articulate, mature young lady. Yet the repercussions of those childhood memories certainly are alive and kicking as evidenced by her independent decision to purchase and use a skin-lightening cream. This may be a minor issue in the eyes of some, but in some cultures (including the one i was raised up in), skin complexion is an issue upon which arranged marriages are either formed, or broken.
There can be nothing more beautiful than what God has bestowed upon each of us. There can be nothing sadder than personal conceptions endeavoring not to accept that.
posted by rolihlahla at 10:58:00 p.m.
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