Skin Deep Prejudice

In one of the recent debate shows on NDTV - ‘We the people’ – I encountered this never ending debate, which has now probably become the favorite past time for most channels when there is nothing exciting happening around, about the ethicality of having advertisements and products targeted towards changing the complexion of skin. Especially when ‘Fair and Lovely’ is the most selling brand ever, anywhere in the world, and now with the advent of such products that target Indian men as well. As inevitable as it is, these shows, not the first of their kinds, would have the secularists fighting for the social equity of skin color. More often than not the seculars would have women with darker complexion and who have been fairly successful in life and a few men clamoring for the Bishop’s seat in a society where they see everything as morally backward or deeply prejudiced. One of the most prolific players for the secular team has been Deepal Shaw, who is nothing more than a nondescript actress in the bylanes of Bollywood. The likes of Deepal in these shows would be kept to up the morality quotient, and are generally meant to play the Goddesses who got successful even without having a fair skin tone, how much of the society acted evilly just because they have a darker shade and hence in the subtler context question the society’s fabric. And then how can such shows not have the Brhamins - ad-men who create such ads – the toast of such shows – meant for unabashed bashing by the left wing secularists, holders of the right to colour based equity, better still if the host manages to engage the Mohammed himself, the Alyque Padamsis or Prhalad Kakkars.
Generally, the grounds on which such shows stand is why should we project dark as unsuccessful and create this make belief notion of a correlation between fair and successful. Also, the projection of a certain kind where a dark woman applies a certain element to become fair presented as having racial undertones.
Another dimension that these debates tend to present is that dark skinned people are generally not the ones who could be taken to the guy’s mom for marriage; rather she’s the one who could be the best bet for manhood’s sinister inclinations.
I have squarely failed to understand the logic behind these shows in the very first place. What’s the objective of a show which adds nothing to the human intellect, and instead only creates heartburn for the less privileged whenever someone on such shows presents a candid viewpoint. The pertinent question meanwhile remains unhindered and unanswered.

I will try to rake in my few cents to try and reach a logical solution to this unending debate. Lest I am judged as a racist of a certain degree, I am only being candid. I personally would prefer someone who has a fairer skin tone, and am sure most of us do else we won’t be having such debates in the first place. My liking for a fair skin doesn’t, however, turn into a dislike for the darker shades after all. The focal point is why should there be a preference for fair skin. Before I delve any further we should first try and understand the human instinct behind the clamor for being fair.

One argument that I would like to bring forth is, how many of us don’t apply any kind of a cream? It’s difficult to find a single person from the species of Venus, and these days the ones from Mars who don’t use such creams are rather termed as ‘Retro-sexuals’. In-fact the hostesses who host such shows apply loads of makeup themselves. That remains the biggest irony according to me. The point that I am trying to drive home is that applying a cream not only takes care of the skin, but also brings a certain element of radiance to it and that is something every living creature likes. A fair skinned person looks brighter to our eyes and every living being likes brightness which probably can be envisaged from the fact that the best of the students in a class are often termed as bright. That’s how the human race has been engineered.

Fair also resembles the successful and the developed. Take for instance the entire developed world which is fair. In fact white is also the symbol of peace and black representing the devilry. Let’s draw instances from India itself. The progeny of the rich and well-bred are generally fair, even though the parents may themselves be a few shades darker. The reasons for the offspring being comparatively fair is mainly because of the right kind of care for the mother during her pregnancy days, the mother wouldn’t have had to go through the troubles of a typical Indian household, considering she would have servants, would have been well fed during the pre-natal days, which ultimately reflects in the overall health of the baby. This typically would drill down to our urge to look brighter ( if not fairer) since that reflects how well bred we have been.

Another important aspect that I would like to present here, and my final point, is that men search for the best possible mating partner. That reflects in his impulse for the blondes who are nothing but the fairest of all species. Hence, when women try to look fairer, they in turn are able attract the attention of the males and in the process aid themselves with the best possible mate.

My final argument would be that, women tend to fend themselves by saying that for men, it’s ‘Tall Dark and Handsome’, then why not the same for women. My answer to that would be..dark refers to the colour of the eyes and hair and not the skin. Hence, that fact is rather misrepresented and misemployed.