clusterfuck

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

via:shakesville

Skin Bleachers in Jamaica

Despite being entirely illegal, skin lightening creams are big business both in the UK and in Jamaica - but who are the women - and men - who use them? And who sells them?

Colonialism leading to the whiter the better, the blacker the worse mentality...Thanks a lot, Britain.
Lighter is Better

Comments

[adores-draco.livejournal.com]

I knew I shouldn't have written anything... I was afraid I would annoy you. As I've told you several times I admire how passionately you feel about race issues. I'm not a native speaker so whatever I'm trying to say might seem naive or even impolite. I definitely do not mean to trivialize or insult. But I think that people have always wanted what they don't have and that's one of the main reasons we have all these problems.

I quite agree with you that it is still unfortunately a white man's (definitely man's!) world. It's most certainly not fair that people get paid better if they're a) white b) male c) tall (ridiculous but true). The colonial policy of the British was of course horribly wrong and it's sad it still affects so many people.

The sins of the cosmetic industry are various but I still think that marketing the beauty of a tanned skin to white people is as wrong as selling whitening products to darker skinned people. It's naturally all about the money. No matter that there're too many cases of skin cancer. I just think it would make more sense to teach people (at school etc.) that they're beautiful, valuable and good just as they are. No matter what race, religion or skin color. Maybe they wouldn't be fooled to buy dangerous and unnecessary products.

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

I just think it would make more sense to teach people (at school etc.) that they're beautiful, valuable and good just as they are.

Go look at some of the advertising being used to market these products in developing ountries. There's plenty of it youtube. Its not as simple as 'just teach them' when there is a multibillion dollar industry out to profit from the opposite.

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

But I think that people have always wanted what they don't have and that's one of the main reasons we have all these problems.


But perhaps people don't have education or money in places where skin lighteners sell so well is that black people/darker skinned people are kept in poverty and ignorance by white racism and colorism shoved into and around these communities by way of colonization, post-colonization, and wealth-stripping through colonization and post-colonization.

I still think that marketing the beauty of a tanned skin to white people is as wrong as selling whitening products to darker skinned people.

How are these equal?

There aren't 'tanned people' who hold entire economies hostage on a global level. There aren't 'tanned' people buying and selling nations in the world markets from other 'tanned people'. There aren't tanned people buying up European nations through opportunistic lending plans and owning most of those nations economies for generations at a time.

[tinyrevolution.livejournal.com]

marketing the beauty of a tanned skin to white people

A lot of people were bringing this up in the comments section of the post unusualmusic linked to, and there's a discussion there about why it's different.