Sup ppl??
Today I was doing my usual boredom ritual, which consists of Google-ing a certain list of words and phrases to see what I could see. And as I made my way to my favorite, "natural hair"...(the images give me styling ideas sometimes), I noticed and article that I can't seem to find now unfortunately, that was about a black beauty magazine running an ad campaign for a skin lightening product line called "So White!". I laughed. But it is far from funny. This is right on the heels of the L'Oreal-Beyonce' scandal. What are these marketing folk thinking? Geez, I don't even know where to start on this one, man.
I am even more dismayed because most of these ads are aimed at YOUNG consumers, ya know, the teeny boppers as I call em. My heart hurts, especially as a dark skinned sister myself!! I remember the days...on the playground, a kid getting mad because you outraced him, and he calls out in frustration "Tarbaby!" or "Blackie!". And those are tame compared to a lot of other things I heard. Not to mention having to deal with the older people. "Stay out the sun baby, you can't afford to get no darker". But the line I hated the most, "Girl,you better make sho you marry a light skinned boy because if you don't I fell sorry for yo chil'en. " UGH!!! There were many days when I wanted to tell some of those old bittys about themselves, but out of respect for my elders, I refrained (Damn my manners sometimes). Growing up and hearing those things is damdging to a girl's self esteem. Then you start getting "You're cute, for a dark girl." Is is possible for me just to be cute? But I guess not because I'm dark, according to these ppl. But its stupid. A stupid, dated mentality that stems from the whole "field nigger/house nigger" thing. I thought we had addressed it in the 60s, but I guess not.
Instead of this riddiculous notion that light ppl and dark ppl are different, this...ignorant caste system we have implemented, we should be sticking together as black ppl. I mean, there are already enough problems we have to deal, like unfair media portrayal, police brutatlity, etc, etc. So let's not add to that. OH! I almost forgot....then of course you have idiots like Young Berg making comments about "dark butts" (wtf?!?!). I dunno...its all just too much for me. I cannot fathom someone thinking a shade difference would make them more attractive (although I actually know some people that think that way...I do live in the DEEP south afterall).
Anyway, I've gone off on a seperate tangent....the point is if the magazine was aimed at black beauty/fashion concious consumers WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU RUN AN AD LIKE THAT?? If all your articles are about maintain clear skin and taking care of natural hair and things of a like nature, why would you run an ad that would cause such an uproar among people that want to do such things? Among your readers? Your bread and butter?? Plus I hear a lot of these products can cause all kinds of side effects, skin disorders, the fumes can lead to various cancers.... SMH. LOL, c'mon...look at Micheal Jackson. Is that really the route you want to take?? I just don't get ppl. I could go further...the whole blond hair, blue eyes beauty standard seems to be going a little far these days. I mean you have ther right to do what you want, but why would you wanna change what you are hat way? That's like a slap in the face to your parents and God....just upper cuttin' and dissin' your genes, LOL.
What about you guys? Would you use a skin lightening product? Why
Today I was doing my usual boredom ritual, which consists of Google-ing a certain list of words and phrases to see what I could see. And as I made my way to my favorite, "natural hair"...(the images give me styling ideas sometimes), I noticed and article that I can't seem to find now unfortunately, that was about a black beauty magazine running an ad campaign for a skin lightening product line called "So White!". I laughed. But it is far from funny. This is right on the heels of the L'Oreal-Beyonce' scandal. What are these marketing folk thinking? Geez, I don't even know where to start on this one, man.
I am even more dismayed because most of these ads are aimed at YOUNG consumers, ya know, the teeny boppers as I call em. My heart hurts, especially as a dark skinned sister myself!! I remember the days...on the playground, a kid getting mad because you outraced him, and he calls out in frustration "Tarbaby!" or "Blackie!". And those are tame compared to a lot of other things I heard. Not to mention having to deal with the older people. "Stay out the sun baby, you can't afford to get no darker". But the line I hated the most, "Girl,you better make sho you marry a light skinned boy because if you don't I fell sorry for yo chil'en. " UGH!!! There were many days when I wanted to tell some of those old bittys about themselves, but out of respect for my elders, I refrained (Damn my manners sometimes). Growing up and hearing those things is damdging to a girl's self esteem. Then you start getting "You're cute, for a dark girl." Is is possible for me just to be cute? But I guess not because I'm dark, according to these ppl. But its stupid. A stupid, dated mentality that stems from the whole "field nigger/house nigger" thing. I thought we had addressed it in the 60s, but I guess not.
Instead of this riddiculous notion that light ppl and dark ppl are different, this...ignorant caste system we have implemented, we should be sticking together as black ppl. I mean, there are already enough problems we have to deal, like unfair media portrayal, police brutatlity, etc, etc. So let's not add to that. OH! I almost forgot....then of course you have idiots like Young Berg making comments about "dark butts" (wtf?!?!). I dunno...its all just too much for me. I cannot fathom someone thinking a shade difference would make them more attractive (although I actually know some people that think that way...I do live in the DEEP south afterall).
Anyway, I've gone off on a seperate tangent....the point is if the magazine was aimed at black beauty/fashion concious consumers WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU RUN AN AD LIKE THAT?? If all your articles are about maintain clear skin and taking care of natural hair and things of a like nature, why would you run an ad that would cause such an uproar among people that want to do such things? Among your readers? Your bread and butter?? Plus I hear a lot of these products can cause all kinds of side effects, skin disorders, the fumes can lead to various cancers.... SMH. LOL, c'mon...look at Micheal Jackson. Is that really the route you want to take?? I just don't get ppl. I could go further...the whole blond hair, blue eyes beauty standard seems to be going a little far these days. I mean you have ther right to do what you want, but why would you wanna change what you are hat way? That's like a slap in the face to your parents and God....just upper cuttin' and dissin' your genes, LOL.
What about you guys? Would you use a skin lightening product? Why
1 comment:
LOL...BTW ppl, the other pic is obviously me, being just as sexy as Beyonce' lite brite self, LOL.
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