excelsiorlef
Member
Lets stop pretending that colorism is not also informed by centuries of White supremacy and colonialsm being exchanged throughout the globe.
Winner
Lets stop pretending that colorism is not also informed by centuries of White supremacy and colonialsm being exchanged throughout the globe.
I guess in the states it's the peasants who don't get any sun because they don't have any leisure time. Rich people want to look like whatever the poor people don't.I can't speak for other asian countries, but in China it is not. Dark skin = tanned = peasant working in the fields = low class. Pale = stayed inside = rich. If you see an Chinese woman with a large umbrella, large floppy hat and covered in long sleeves on a sunny day, now you know why. It's classism, not racism.
https://www.vagabondjourney.com/white-skin-a-chinese-obession/
It's the wording. The ad is straight up telling you your dark skin isn't up to standards.
This thread is kind of reminding me of an article I read about female genital mutilation (female circumcision) across Africa, where US activists went there to try and stop the practice with the assumption women would want to liberate themselves from patriarchal tradition, only to arrive and realize it was the female elders who kept the tradition in place, and that the extent of the procedure and reason for doing so varied pretty greatly from place to place. The activists had essentially come to these African villages with a very westernized sense of male/female relations only to find that their sensibilities don't necessarily line up neatly when applied to completely different cultures. Nivea is fulfilling a demand here, not creating one. I personally think people should appreciate their natural skin tone, but I suppose this isn't much different to folks in Nigeria than the desire to be tan is for white people in the US- it likely isn't viewed from a perspective of racial superiority, just like white people don't think of tanning in those terms. White people in the US think being tan is better than not being tan, but not in terms that can be applied to race or ethnicity.
Interesting point. I would love to hear from someone in the region to provide some insight into the matter. Is it an aesthetic thing or is it a "white is right" thing?
I agree, just pointing out that trying to apply a US perspective to non-US issues can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and make finding solutions harder. No African tribe is going to stop FGM because some white westerners who don't even understand the rationale behind it show up and tell them it's wrong. This is off topic, though. The point is to understand the issue from its native perspective rather than applying our foreign perspective onto it.
You are rich, so you can go on holiday far away under the sun-> you look darker.I guess in the states it's the peasants who don't get any sun because they don't have any leisure time. Rich people want to look like whatever the poor people don't.
I guess in the states it's the peasants who don't get any sun because they don't have any leisure time. Rich people want to look like whatever the poor people don't.
The American/western equivalent would probably be something like having calloused, grease/oil stained hands and cracked nails = trades = working class = low class.I guess in the states it's the peasants who don't get any sun because they don't have any leisure time. Rich people want to look like whatever the poor people don't.
Ive heard that whitening soap is super popular in south East Asian countries. Wonder if thats true.
Isn't it more of a class thing in Africa and India, the peasants are out in the sun getting dark and wrinkled.
I can't speak for other asian countries, but in China it is not. Dark skin = tanned = peasant working in the fields = low class[. Pale = stayed inside = rich/B].
Those product are super cancerous though.I mean, it just describes what the product does, and it's a product a lot of people want. It's kind of tricky
I guess in the states it's the peasants who don't get any sun because they don't have any leisure time. Rich people want to look like whatever the poor people don't.
GAF is Super USA centric.I suppose people don't travel all that much and don't know how super widespread those whitening creams are in some parts of the world. I'm all for calling out Nivea on their bullshit, but don't act like they invented this. I'm pretty sure that most large skin care product companies are in that game. Couldn't find a sunblocker without whitening effect in Asia
#revealyourglow ?????
Nope. Soul Glo forever.
#revealyoureriqlasalle
I genuinely wonder if this shit is just some "no such thing as bad press" scheme to get more eyes on their ads.You'd think that these companies would learn
Guess not
I genuinely wonder if this shit is just some "no such thing as bad press" scheme to get more eyes on their ads.
I wouldn't put it passed them.
Those product are super cancerous though.
Its one thing to avoid sun like its radioactive.
Its another thing to fuck up your skins to be like on the magazine.
This thread is kind of reminding me of an article I read about female genital mutilation (female circumcision) across Africa, where US activists went there to try and stop the practice with the assumption women would want to liberate themselves from patriarchal tradition, only to arrive and realize it was the female elders who kept the tradition in place, and that the extent of the procedure and reason for doing so varied pretty greatly from place to place. The activists had essentially come to these African villages with a very westernized sense of male/female relations only to find that their sensibilities don't necessarily line up neatly when applied to completely different cultures. Nivea is fulfilling a demand here, not creating one. I personally think people should appreciate their natural skin tone, but I suppose this isn't much different to folks in Nigeria than the desire to be tan is for white people in the US- it likely isn't viewed from a perspective of racial superiority, just like white people don't think of tanning in those terms. White people in the US think being tan is better than not being tan, but not in terms that can be applied to race or ethnicity.
GAF is Super USA centric.
More likely those things sell in their target markets and few people care there, so those companies don't give a damn if there's outrage from americans living half the world away. I mean, it would be silly to base local advertising campaign on sensibilities of people from completely different country. Normally we wouldn't even known about this king of marketing. It's just that Internet has made information more global
I assume the purpose of the tweet is to spread awareness in the West, since these products have been around for a while (example from India, 2009), the people in Nigeria have surely seen these creams and ads before, it's nothing new to themThe tweet in the OP is from a Nigerian woman.
The tweet in the OP is from a Nigerian woman.
Do they have the kind of marketing and language as in these "natural fairness" ads?Don't want to sound ignorant. But aren't there also nivea products that give you a fake tan, so make you look darker?
Do they have the kind of marketing and language as in these "natural fairness" ads?
I have a bright white skin and many tell me I should tan my skin. RACISTS!!!11
I thought skin lightening products were actually oddly popular in locations where people have naturally darker skin. I remember hearing they're popular in parts of India, Africa, South East Asia.
Isn't it more of a class thing in Africa and India, the peasants are out in the sun getting dark and wrinkled.
I can't speak for other asian countries, but in China it is not. Dark skin = tanned = peasant working in the fields = low class. Pale = stayed inside = rich. If you see an Chinese woman with a large umbrella, large floppy hat and covered in long sleeves on a sunny day, now you know why. It's classism, not racism.
So no, then.I'm not quite sure how you mean that.
Do you mind elaborating or explaining?
Here are some ads I found if you want to make comparisons:
Edit: oh and this one. I don't know if it's real, and if it is, it seems very satirical/tongue-in-cheek/whatever.
So no, then.