Skin-color and attraction: Nigerian pop star uses skin-whitening bleaching cream to

[Deleted]

I find it to be something approaching impossible for someone to believe that black skin is automatically unattractive, but for this to carry absolutely zero racially tied baggage. Wouldn't it be easier for someone to just say, "hey, this is kind of racist, but it is what it is" than to insist up and down there's no way it could be kind of racist?

You're very heavily downplaying the cultural aspect. As a northern European, to me a black skin colour is just clearly visible proof that someone is from a completely different culture and thus we don't share interests. Skin colour isn't the decisive factor, it's just a symptom.

[Spectral]

You're very heavily downplaying the cultural aspect. As a northern European, to me a black skin colour is just clearly visible proof that someone is from a completely different culture and thus we don't share interests. Skin colour isn't the decisive factor, it's just a symptom.

My bad, this doesn't sound racist at all. Wait, check that, you've made my point for me.

[Xanjori]

You're very heavily downplaying the cultural aspect. As a northern European, to me a black skin colour is just clearly visible proof that someone is from a completely different culture and thus we don't share interests. Skin colour isn't the decisive factor, it's just a symptom.

That's a ridiculous stance, you don't think there are people of all different colours that reside in Europe and share a similar culture? What an ignorant statement.

[Themius]

Remind me to not take you seriously in the future. When someone can sit there and claim that "never" means "usually" and it's obvious, I have to conclude that this individual is simply incapable of admitting being wrong, ever.

Then I will have to just assume you're robotic and don't care for the flexibility of the English language and will ignore the fact that the word never is very very very often used to mean rarely and not usually, but sure let's pretend this isn't the case.

[Themerlin]

... turn "white" and ends up causing a controversy as a result.


http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/01/...elling-stores/

I think the self-hatred present within doing something like this is insane. It's 2014, why do people still care about their skin color to the point of using carcinogenic skin-whitening creams? To paraphrase the famous philosopher J. Cole, don't alter the genome God already put his paintbrush on.


edit: don't disappoint me with this poll

edit2: damn

Have you ever lived in Nigeria?

She is merely trying to stand out in a crowd, Michael did it....

What black females are experiencing all over Africa, and to some extent in the world, is that Black Males are having a fascination with white females. She is merely exploiting this trend to her benefit.

I see nothing wrong with it.

[Deleted]

if a black woman only finds white men physically attractive is she racist?

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

People shouldn't be throwing the racist card around like that, its a fact, finding a good looking white person is easier than finding a good looking black person, WAY easier. White people are better looking FACT, not racism. I'm not even white i'm latino, my dad is white, mom is mixed like me...

[Deleted]

I find it to be something approaching impossible for someone to believe that black skin is automatically unattractive, but for this to carry absolutely zero racially tied baggage. Wouldn't it be easier for someone to just say, "hey, this is kind of racist, but it is what it is" than to insist up and down there's no way it could be kind of racist?

I won't speak for what anyone else in this thread may or may not have implied, but I really don't get the fuss.

I'd like to think I'm not racist. I try not to judge or treat worse anyone because of their race alone. As far as I see it, the race is (or should be) irrelevant in this discussion. Attraction, of course, is subjective per definition. Not going to bother with people who try to tell others what it's okay or not to be attracted to. I might know that I am sexually unattracted by a certain skin color. I'm going to treat that person the same as I would a different person that I found sexually unattractive [to a similar degree] for a reason other than skin color. Race is not a factor, and skin color is a feature like any other. This is how I see it, and I would think, most others.

Think about it. Imagine a person of a certain race, possessing typical traits of their race. Let's say I sexually appreciate all of their traits, including skin color, but I ["choose" to] find them sexually unattractive because of their race. (which really is kind of an arbitrary trait in this regard) That's what racism would mean.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

The question is "why" though...

many people lighten simply because they feel dark skin is ugly but why... probably has something to do with media image of what beauty is... and that's never dark skin.

Why do people get tattoos or shave their head or get piercings?

- - - Updated - - -

Racist.

Anyway, I'd agree she looked better before. At the end of the day her features are "black" as it were, she was plenty good looking enough. If Nigeria's media is being bombasted with what the Western world thinks is "pretty" maybe they need to get their own media doing something to help combat that.

I think she looks fine either way except for the lips (either way). God I hate huge lips. Maybe it's just the way she posed for the pictures or something.

[Kalyyn]

It's okay for white people to do tanning for darker skin, right? So isn't it discrimination to say that black people are not allowed to lighten their skin?

[Nillah]

She's gorgeous as a woman of color.

White people are trying to look dark, dark people are trying to look white. I don't get it, people need to learn to be happy with what they have and not what everyone else has.

[Themius]

It's okay for white people to do tanning for darker skin, right? So isn't it discrimination to say that black people are not allowed to lighten their skin?

If a woman is tanning to permanently change her color to dark... like way dark, not just a little tan, then yes that is also a problem..

[Themerlin]

It's okay for white people to do tanning for darker skin, right? So isn't it discrimination to say that black people are not allowed to lighten their skin?

Yes it is.

Black women use braids that sometimes cost 1000's of dollars, only to have the appearance of straight hair. Is that wrong? It is their fascination with white culture, but in this point it has been appropriated to become their own.

I do not remember any avert offense to Michael Jackson bleaching his skin, it mostly had to do with his addiction to plastic surgery.

[Collegeguy]

What's wrong with a black person turning themselves a little white?

[Willias]

This poll sucks. I want to answer "it depends". Some people look better with darker skin, some better with light.

[DEATHETERNAL]

It's 2014, why do people still care about their skin color to the point of using carcinogenic skin-whitening creams?

1: Money
2: More Money
3: ALL THE MONEY

I really don't think its self hate and as much as the above in the pop star's case.

In other people’s cases, I don't think being incredibly vain is the same as self hating. I doubt the average Nigerian (or whatever other group that uses stuff like this anywhere near the 77% that is stated in the article) who uses stuff like this hates their own race or body or self on any level as much as they simply want to look what they think of as "better". Less of an "I hate myself and must be different than that which I am now" attitude and more of an "I will look better at any cost no matter what I look like" attitude. Even after they change one thing, they will always find other things they want to change to “improve” themselves. That level of vanity is never satisfied. The same applies for those who go through loads of cosmetic plastic surgery. They don't hate themselves; they just are willing to continually go to any lengths to satisfy their own vanity.

[Kalyyn]

If a woman is tanning to permanently change her color to dark... like way dark, not just a little tan, then yes that is also a problem..

See but I've known white girls who kept their skin so dark that you'd never guess they were originally white, and nobody says a word about it. But when somebody does the opposite, everyone gets all in a huff.

[Fayth]

She was fine before in my eyes. Also some people should get out of their sheds already. Things like this happen all around the world.

[Dispraise]

This poll sucks. I want to answer "it depends". Some people look better with darker skin, some better with light.

In both those cases, the answer is "yes"

[Deleted]

Even after they change one thing, they will always find other things they want to change to “improve” themselves. That level of vanity is never satisfied. The same applies for those who go through loads of cosmetic plastic surgery. They don't hate themselves; they just are willing to continually go to any lengths to satisfy their own vanity.

Damn those rich people who manage to do that to their own bodies IRL, in the sense what we do to our characters in WoW.

The irony. Also, i don't believe it stops at Vanity - As it concludes to other benefits as well. Albeit the category itself is vanity.