Comments on: Politics of Desi: The New Consumerism and our Old Prejudices http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/ Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:03:15 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Olivia http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-29 Olivia Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:08:23 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-29 So called "beauty campaigns" like these are the height of hypocracy. Creating a "need" like lightening or darkening your skin, when there isn't a need at all is just using people's insecurities to make money. There is an indoor tanning chain in my town that has been touting how people can "get ready" for summer with a tan, and "nothing is as unattractive as dull pale skin". I wish I was making this up. I'm a fair-skinned girl with no ability or desire to tan, and I've often received rude comments about my legs with the assumption I'm supposed to just laugh it off. My husband and I have also been getting the back-handed compliment about how gorgeous our future children will be. You see, he's Nigerian and quite dark, so the combination of his dark skin and my light skin will, of course, result in the perfect blend. If I had married a white man I guess my kids wouldn't be near as beautiful. *sigh* So called “beauty campaigns” like these are the height of hypocracy. Creating a “need” like lightening or darkening your skin, when there isn’t a need at all is just using people’s insecurities to make money. There is an indoor tanning chain in my town that has been touting how people can “get ready” for summer with a tan, and “nothing is as unattractive as dull pale skin”. I wish I was making this up.

I’m a fair-skinned girl with no ability or desire to tan, and I’ve often received rude comments about my legs with the assumption I’m supposed to just laugh it off. My husband and I have also been getting the back-handed compliment about how gorgeous our future children will be. You see, he’s Nigerian and quite dark, so the combination of his dark skin and my light skin will, of course, result in the perfect blend. If I had married a white man I guess my kids wouldn’t be near as beautiful. *sigh*

]]> By: Double standards. at Blogbharti http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-28 Double standards. at Blogbharti Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:48:56 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-28 [...] in a suit asks some tough questions. I think what appalls me most is that just as Unilever, the owner of Dove products, changes its [...] [...] in a suit asks some tough questions. I think what appalls me most is that just as Unilever, the owner of Dove products, changes its [...]

]]> By: eek http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-27 eek Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:45:51 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-27 I'm so pale I'm practically blue, and I caught shit for it my entire small town USA adolescence. I don't faux tan or anything - my skin is what it is because of DNA and I'm not fooling anyone with orange foam. I do get freckled on my arms from driving around with the top down on Nigel, though. But yeah, ironically enough, whitey had such a problem with me being so, um, whitey. I’m so pale I’m practically blue, and I caught shit for it my entire small town USA adolescence. I don’t faux tan or anything – my skin is what it is because of DNA and I’m not fooling anyone with orange foam. I do get freckled on my arms from driving around with the top down on Nigel, though. But yeah, ironically enough, whitey had such a problem with me being so, um, whitey.

]]> By: moderndayhermit http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-26 moderndayhermit Fri, 01 Jun 2007 04:06:56 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-26 I never understood the racist Whitey folks in my small-town USA town baking their asses in the sun and turning themselves into wrinkled, leathered messes all the while discussing how superior they were to their dark-skinned counterparts. Idiots. I've grown to love my glowing legs, it's handy for reading in bed without disturbing the husband, the glow is just right ;). In all seriousness though, this is a great post and sad that such commentary is necessary. I've known a few people (from India) who get married and muck their faces up with light-colored makeup who are beautiful women! It's a crime. Cagey - my best friend is Mexican and Croatian and she is similar with her skin tone. I never understood the racist Whitey folks in my small-town USA town baking their asses in the sun and turning themselves into wrinkled, leathered messes all the while discussing how superior they were to their dark-skinned counterparts. Idiots.

I’ve grown to love my glowing legs, it’s handy for reading in bed without disturbing the husband, the glow is just right ;) .

In all seriousness though, this is a great post and sad that such commentary is necessary. I’ve known a few people (from India) who get married and muck their faces up with light-colored makeup who are beautiful women! It’s a crime.

Cagey – my best friend is Mexican and Croatian and she is similar with her skin tone.

]]> By: cagey http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-25 cagey Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:15:50 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-25 As someone in possession of "chicken legs" who must start applying her Estee Lauder fake suntan stuff on SATURDAY to be able to go to the kiddie wading pool on MONDAY, I stand up and applaud this post! Ironically, folks are already commenting on my "best of both worlds" son. He's quite "fair" (Indian-wise), but is already getting a killer tan thus making him acceptably "dark" (Whitey-wise). As someone in possession of “chicken legs” who must start applying her Estee Lauder fake suntan stuff on SATURDAY to be able to go to the kiddie wading pool on MONDAY, I stand up and applaud this post!

Ironically, folks are already commenting on my “best of both worlds” son. He’s quite “fair” (Indian-wise), but is already getting a killer tan thus making him acceptably “dark” (Whitey-wise).

]]> By: monkeyinasuit http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-24 monkeyinasuit Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:06:14 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-24 Wow, this post is really horribly edited. I'll re-edit and change the font tomorrow. Doola: I think it's a clever campaign but I'll never be able to look at it the same way again. Wow, this post is really horribly edited. I’ll re-edit and change the font tomorrow.

Doola: I think it’s a clever campaign but I’ll never be able to look at it the same way again.

]]> By: Doola! http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-23 Doola! Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:02:48 +0000 http://monkeyinasuit.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/politics-of-desi-the-new-consumerism-and-our-old-prejudices/#comment-23 I've found the whole Dove "Campaign for real beauty" thing kind of disingenuous from the start. Hearing that they don't apply the same standard elsewhere in the world seems to confirm my suspicions. I’ve found the whole Dove “Campaign for real beauty” thing kind of disingenuous from the start. Hearing that they don’t apply the same standard elsewhere in the world seems to confirm my suspicions.

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