Do ladies need to change their complexion just to fit in?

[QUANTUM LEAP]

Lately, I have noticed that a lot of the sisters have gone through some strange metamorphisms allegedly due to the new trend in the media TV/Magazines and the abundance of major makeup inventions that have truly change a truly black beauty to a very lighter shade of complexion. Now I have always been wondering why this happens when truly as Somalis, we got some of the loveliest skins and complexions in the world.

 

Simple questions that have been gnawing at me are.

 

why is there a need for these? Do you ladies need to look lighter just to conform/fit in to the white culture?

 

Literally observations rather than criticism.....

[NGONGE]

It’s simple really. The grass is always greener on the other side. The skinny man wants to have big muscles, the big man wants to be light and skinny, the fat man wants to lose weight and the thin man wants to have a big belly. The dark woman wants to have lighter skin and the woman with the lighter skin wants to be as dark as night. The bicycle riders want to drive cars and the car drivers want better cars. The hot dog seller wants to open a kebab shop and the kebab shop owner is tired from standing still. The doctor wants to be a patient and have someone else look after him and the patient wants to be a doctor so he’ll know what’s wrong with him! The dog wants to be a cat so he can sleep inside and the cat wants to be a dog so it’s let outside. The star wants to be a spectator and the spectator wants to be a star. The moon wants to come out during the day and the sun wouldn’t mind having a couple of late nights. The mouse wants to be a lion and the lion is tired of the responsibility of being king of the jungle. The chicken wants to be a peacock and the peacock wants more attention. Humpty dumpty wants to sit on the wall but humpty dumpty knows that he’ll fall. Cinderella wants to be a princess instead of a cleaner and the prince wants to marry a cleaner instead of a princess. Mirror, mirror on the wall, why do girls visit malls? Some questions have no answers, man.

 

Why do kids like to sit on the front seat?

[QUANTUM LEAP]

Common bro ....Arent we going off topic here. Perhaps you can try again and answer the real question instead of going ramroading us into some philosophical mambo jumbo. I suppose we all do have different perspectives about life but then again, there are always a solutions to problems and I believe everything has an answer of some sort regardless of whether its right or wrong. All your need is back up your opinions with facts and you there. Try again and lets see what you come up with.

[Baashi]

QL,

You asked Why! Because there are folks whose job is to hatch a secret plan that will enable them to sell products. They are smart and they understand how human brains work. They have the dawg! That’s the only thing they do and they do it very well. Marketing is evolving business and is getting better everyday. If you think about it, we are exposed to advertisement one way or another. Sxb everyday we are constantly reminded what body image is “in†and which one is “outâ€; what dresses is fashionable and which one is outdated. Beauty myth is propagated in movies, in TV commercials, in magazines, in billboards, etc. Why you suppose there are teenagers who stick their fingers down their throats? Why you suppose there are poor students who want to borrow money to go shopping even though they are in dept? I guess waa ku dheeraadey but that is why people wanna use chemicals to bleach their skin so they can be beautiful. They are told what self-image they should have! Just a thought!

[Kruella]

Why is there a need for these?

To some people, it's a matter of aspiring to look like the ideal image, to look "civilized" (apparently you gotta be a whitey to be civilized), and portray a certain stature of wealth. The lighter you look the more well-off people think you are. E.g mulatos in New orleans were more accepted in the white society. When we translate this Michael Jackson Obsession to somali women and men (men are increasingly using skin bleach mind you)we find that they're not different than the slave mentality analogy. Slaves who imitate their masters by forgetting their language and culture, adopting the dominant lifestyle and mentality. In truth, some would say they are coerced to conform, because they think they can't get any attention without "beautifying" themselves. Others want to be distinguished among the crowd and want to look like they just stepped out of a magazine. Who gets more magazine coverage Beyonce or Serena williams?

Do you ladies need to look lighter just to conform/fit in to the white culture?

Those who conform are subjugating themselves to the whims of society and they mostly do it by choice because they want to fit in. How else can you fit if you look different? Therefore it's not a question of needing to fit in but WANTING to fit in. A case in note, in somali culture people value the light skinned women, saying to the non-lizard look-alike, can't she afford to beautify herself? She looks like she spends her days working outside.

 

So there you have it, complexion transformation is just another evidence of the strong pull of societal ideals.

 

Salamz

[QUANTUM LEAP]

Insecurity and lack of confidence are obviously the weaknesses that Ads are targeting. Bashi and Kruella thanks for your avid responses. I’m of the opinion that from Apartheid days in S. Africa where they used the “Pencil Testâ€. A pencil was passed through ones hair and if it got stuck one was declared black hence sent to the townships, Somalia where the lighter coloured tall gals where the toast of the towns/villages to the west where most of Ads feature cute tall and pretty fair ladies doing what they do most on the catwalk have mainly contributed to these growing aspects of most women changing their images, shapes and ofcouse shades for better careers and pretty much successful relationships. I sometimes think of it as the “Doll human†there to be admired and looked at rather than the true human. Advertisers are simply fulfilling (and fuelling) a latent need (insecurity) among the great mass of mostly coloured consumers. Now in most Matrimonial sections too in newspapers you will see that most Ads solicit girls with fair complexion. What happened to the confident black beauty lately?

[NGONGE]

lol@QL

 

Didn’t mean to spoil your topic, saaxib. Was just in a ranting mood I suppose.

 

As for the questions you asked. Shall I be honest or shall I go on about black beauty and try to appease people?

 

People go for lighter complexions because white is considered a more beautiful colour than black. There are dozens of “good†things associated with “light†and hundreds of bad things associated with “blackâ€. This is not a Western thing or a result of apartheid. In places like India and Pakistan people judge a girl’s caste by the colour of her skin. The lighter the colour the higher the caste. In the West people sing the praises of blondes! In Somalia (even though we don’t like to admit it) people would use the lightness of a girl’s skin as a factor when describing her beauty.

 

I’m not trying to put black people down here but it seems that the lightness of the skin, the length of the eyelashes and the straightness of the hair measure beauty! The marketing men and the various magazines only highlighted and gave prominence to a situation that already existed. All this does not only apply to women either, it also applies to men. I’m not sure if younger girls these days ask for the same thing but in my days I remember them all wanting to marry “nin dheer oo casâ€. He usually was a doctor too.

 

The quest for beauty did not start with the first ever edition of Vogue.

[OG_Girl]

Because Satan is only Black...lol

 

Seriouslly every thing bad we say is black, even some one is bad we call he/she have Black heart other one who is good and forgives we say he/she have white heart and not so bad lie is called white lie! So every bad thing associate with black.That is why people want to be lighter or be brown than black.

We should change our language so black wont sound some thing horouble every one running from it.

 

Just look these words : black mailling, black markets...black guy is Abd or slave..lol the last one was just joke

 

Salam

[Valenteenah.]

^ LoL @ you!

[BORN_BRANIAC]

Originally posted by OG_Girl:

Just look these words : black mailling, black markets...black guy is Abd or slave..lol the last one was just joke

Salam

LMAO

[Johhny B.]

It takes time n courage to get OVER the COLOR thing.

beein the ONLY black boi has taught me 1 fact of LIFE .IT IS ALL IN YA HEAD. it gave me the best of da chicks as well as it costed me few points in Math n physics, nat to mention the " ALWAYS him " attitude adults give ya.

it made me feel the poor boi from HAFRICA when freinds n fellas were talkin about da latest Kelvin stuff , best of all it gave me the status of satanly hated yet feared fella.

 

NGONGE is probably half ARAB so lemme give ya this dark boi´s prespective.

dnt get itchy back when ppl( whites n ARABS n preferably some blacks like me) say things like "black sunday" .remember they prefer black suits to beige :cool: black marcedes to Gray VOLVO :cool: black coffe to to cafe au lait.

in most cultures black is simply associated with the ULTIMATE POWER, DEATH is black, SATAN is black, think of the black wholes in our galaxies. :cool: , now havin said all that i still think Mr AMADU from GAMBIA is UGLY

[StarGazer]

Maybe QL you have the advantage of observing our ever changing community...but I don't! I honestly didn't know its a growing phenomena. I remember back in the motherland when some family members used borboro (baby powder) to look lighter, am guessing the new generation are resorting to products like MAC powders that emphasize the "natural" look.....aaah maybe am wrong.

 

*misses big metropolitan cities, observing somalis on subways & parks....those were the days*

[Jaabir]

I dont know what those girls were thinking when they bleach themselves like that.. i mean they know sooner or later their dark complexion will surface back up with some ugly scars and yet they bleach themselves up!!!.. besides..its too damn obvious…... i mean u cant have light skin and a VERY dark lips, elbows and ears!!!

 

Originally posted by OG_Girl:

Because Satan is only Black...lol

 

Seriouslly every thing bad we say is black, even some one is bad we call he/she have Black heart other one who is good and forgives we say he/she have white heart and not so bad lie is called white lie! So every bad thing associate with black.That is why people want to be lighter or be brown than black.

We should change our language so black wont sound some thing horouble every one running from it.

 

Just look these words : black mailling, black markets...black guy is Abd or slave..lol the last one was just joke

 

Salam

amazing logic..

[Salma]

I think some girls follow the new trends or fashions with all the negatives and positivies they have. Whatever is the fashion line they would go for it without thinking of the consequences or bad effects.

For instance, earlier the big size of the woman was important for her beauty, if she is chubby or fat means she is healthy and pretty, but nowadays because all the models are tall & slim, many girls kill themselves and go for horrible diets just to fit in.

 

The same apply on the skin color, the white woman means pretty and attractive as Somalis said (Casaan qurux kama qatana) :confused: as if being white or casan means u are the pretties woman on the earth. I think its not a matter of being in a white culture or anything, because this happens in all cultures, we have it even in Somalia as (Buufis).

 

OG, nobody knows what is the Satan's color, but thats what the Westerns spread :The Good White man and the Bad black man.

 

Believe me if the trend is "Be Short" some ladies and girls with no brain would cut their legs or squeeze themselves. IF the the trend is to have one Eye, the would remove the other eye with surgery. They have no problemooo at all.

 

Its just the trend/vogue whateva