From the topic, it is evident that we are going to talk about the elephant in the room/society. Why should we not talk about it, right? We live in a society where we are more scared of a racist world rather than a pandemic. The color prejudice has been around for centuries but now it is becoming suicidal. That’s not at all ‘fair’.
Complexion Cause Complex
India is a country where one can find people of all shades and color complexion; from wheatish to fair. It is sad to see that a country where the majority of people are dark-skinned but they obsess with fair skin tone. The main reason is the TV commercials! Beauty creams like “fair and lovely” which is changed to “glow and lovely” made people think that white is prettier than black. This complexion war has now led to a complex in the minds of people. Making someone feel uncomfortable in their own skin, imagine! How cruel is that.
Also Read: Mental Health During Coronavirus Pandemic
Change Of Name Is Also A Change Of Era?
Till the time, the name has not changed the world certainly couldn’t stop criticizing. But as soon as the name changed to Glow and Lovely, all we hear is “a change in name is not a change of era”. Hoomans be like that sometimes, no doubt. A little change is still a change. The only way to end racism is to consistently identify it and describe it and then finally dismantle it.
Message By Unilever
“We recognize that the use of words ‘fair’, ‘white’, and ‘light’ suggests a singular idea of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this.”
The Misunderstanding
The common misunderstanding is that ‘white’ is considered superior to ‘black’. Let me clear this for once and for all.
No color is above any color. Period. Black is as beautiful as White. Some people get de tanned just to look a little less white. In countries like Africa, the darker the shade, the more beautiful they are considered. There is no argument of being superior if there would have never existed this misunderstanding in the parallel universe.
Deformation Not Transformation
We often see how people get a complete makeover. Instagram videos are filled with transformation videos. But have you ever seen anyone changing to a darker pigment? No. These small things lead to racism. A person’s personal preference is one thing but transforming an individual is completely another thing. Skin lightening is not the sole reserve of the modern cosmetic industry.India’s traditional Ayurveda medical system teaches that pregnant women can improve their fetuses complexion by drinking saffron milk,eating oranges and coconut pieces. I am sorry..what year is this ?! We have endless examples, here’s another one out of thousands. The mindset is so normalized that many people accept fairness treatment as a standard part of wedding preparations. The problem is just in the mindset, no where else. So it’s high time to first identify the problem.
How to argue with racist? You don’t! Never waste your time or energy on them.