Why is everyone so against skin-whitening creams or hostile to questions about them?

Question

Petty counter arguments, more often that not, range from the subtle words of comfort "hey, beauty knows no skin colour" to vicious and ugly attacks like "so u wanna be like MICHAEL JACKSON?////"

Err, no.
No matter how accomodating we may be of other skin colours, the most predominant notion that comes to mind is that people with fairer skin tend to be naturally more attractive that those with dark skin. No matter what we do, people will always push the argument that dark skin is a good thing to have.

Also, having a fair skin lessens the likelihood of facing any form of racist slurs or hassles. A report on racism in Toronto by the Toronto Star asked people a few questions about their ethnicity and their encounter with racism. One Italian guy, who said that he did not face any kind of racism that it was "probably because I'm white." A Venezuelan immigrant agrees, and says that "what saved my *** was my white skin [...]."

There is more to say but I'm running out of space..

Answer 1

Whether people like it or not, this is the way it is. Over the years I have had this conversation with women from a variety of ethnic groups. In the Asian countries they are taught to protect their skin from the sun so that will not get too dark. They are taught thta they will have a better life if they are fair skinned.
Here in southern California I see the Asian women driving and holding something in the other hand to block the sun.

Years ago I saw a movie that was made in Mexico. About half of the way through the movie, I noticed that the maid and the gardner were dark. The main characters were fair. I asked my friend (Mexican) about this and the answer was the same. The lighter the skin the better.

I am Black, and I am fair skinned. The worst treatment I have had was by other Blacks. They will say I think I am White, or if there is a discussion about discrimination some have said that I would not know about discrimination because of my color. I had a friend say "all you light brights have it made" because she did not have a boyfriend. She really thinks that nobody wanted her because she is dark. Last summer, on the same day, I had one coworker who is Black (dark) tell me I "need to put those white legs in the sun". That afternoon my Asian coworker told me to "get out of the sun, you are dark enough"! I too could go on and on.

Does color make a difference? Yes, it does. It took an article I read in Ebony magazine to make me see the truth that I did not want to believe. Their research showed that fairer skinned Blacks got the better jobs, were treated differently, etc. However, none of us have any control over genetics.

The skin whitening creams are used to help lighten dark spots.

Answer 2

Well firstly, you should not change yourself to try to fit in or please others. And secondly, bleaching creams are not for bleaching the colour out of your entire face! Their purpose is to blend uneven pigmentation such as melasma.

And when you have darker skin and use large amounts of bleaching creams, especially in high concentrations, you run the risk of ended up with more problems than benefits.

I personally think you have some kind of inferiority complex and possibly some professional counselling would be beneficial. You are not the only one in the world that has to deal with some kind of prejudice, but you should never change for other people. Take care : )

Answer 3

I don't know about the arguments like Michael Jackson, but my concern would be how safe those cremes are. Many of them will irritate your skin a lot, some might make matters worse by making dark spots to appear. If you consider them for long-term use, I'd sujjest doing a thurough study on them firs how safe they are, and are they intended for.

Answer 4

I think the question is perfectly valid...

In Asian cultures, it's always been more attractive to have lighter skin. It wasn't because of a yearning to appear more Western, it's just that different societies have different perceptions of beauty that sometimes touch. It's not about wanting to look like Michael Jackson or Caucasian.

I can't speak for other cultures, though. And personally, I've always liked having a little bit of a tan.

Answer 5

So you think you can justify this this with testaments...? So what if it's "easier?" That doesn't make it any less racist. It's essentially saying that you have to be white in order to be beautiful and special.

Answer 6

I've read that this is very hard on the skin.