To me this is sad! I am brown skinned and I love my complexion, I think black is beautiful... BUT I think it all starts from the home.. my mom always told me and my brother and sisters this growing up.....so it was never a question in my mind!
To me this is sad! I am brown skinned and I love my complexion, I think black is beautiful... BUT I think it all starts from the home.. my mom always told me and my brother and sisters this growing up.....so it was never a question in my mind!
I was floored about the woman whose mom bleached her skin and in turn bleaches her sons' skin! Now her kids are conditioned to think they have to be light in order to be treated better. Unreal.
That is so sad. But in a way i dont see skin bleaching being any different than using relaxers to change the texture of your hair or wearing weaves all the time. Either way its denying a part of your self. I do think the lengths that they would go through for lighter skin is something that needs to be to be addressed. My heart is breaking for the one that said she believes God is punishing her trying to make her love herself the way she is.
I watched this show when it aired. It didn't sit too well with me though. Maybe I was channel flipping, but did Tyra also make the fact known that it's not just blacks that bleach? Just to name a couple off the top of my head, Indians and Chinese do this also.
At any rate, I think the story would have been more detailed had she not just featured black women. Eurocentric beauty ideals affects more than just us.
Thanks for posting this. It is something that a lot of people need to see. Society has definitely helped create this problem, but I definitely believe that hip hop culture has helped sustain it. You don't have to look far to see that light-skinned and latina women are favored over darker-skinned women in music videos, in advertising, etc. Look at the media attention that Beyonce and Rihanna garner worlwide and yes, it because they are international stars, but their skin color probably gave them that access in the first place. Most recently, the love interest in both Will Smith movies "Hitch" and "Hancock" were latina women. Why couldn't they cast a black woman? It is enough to drive dark-skinned black women insane. So, I do feel their pain in this video. But, you must move past it..go to therapy and do what you have to do. Find some beautiful dark-skinned role-models, they do exist..Gabrielle Union, Kenya Moore, Lauryn Hill, Nia Long, etc. To be fair, there is a flip side to this color complex. There are light-skinned women who also have issues with their skin color. In the end, you have to find your own beauty and self-worth.
I watched this and probably would have been the other lady in the crowd weeping. This degree of self-hatred is frightening.
I am dark-skinned and I actually would not mind being darker. My daughter is caramel and wants to be darker. My colour has never been an issue, as I get attention from Black men, white men as well as Asian and Mediterranean men. I am 42 years old and still beating them off with a stick.
I do not think that it has to do with colour, more to do with self-esteem. I felt very sad for my sisters up on stage who felt that bleaching their skins would alleviate the insecurities they felt internally. If only self love were a tablet....
This made me cry. When I was a child I remember a classmate said I needed some bleach. I was devastated. Instead of bleaching my skin, I started to use makeup at an early age and started modeling to show them that I was not ugly. But I remember black men either telling me to my face that they'd prefer a "yellow woman" or they'd want to go out with me as a pro-black statement. I've had good friends who were light skinned and I remember one woman saying she gets so sick of black men yelling at her - FROM THE BACK. She's like, they don't even know what I look like. They don't know what I sound like, nothing. They just see a light skinned arm and long hair from the back and they're convinced they want me. She hates it. There's definitely an issue here, but I thank God that I never actually considered my skin to be wrong. I considered society wrong in it's attitude. I wish peace and self love for these sad women on the show. My heart breaks for them. They're in so much pain.
I think these women are a product of our society. There aren't very many darker skinned models in entertainment, government, etc. And honestly there are more lighter skinned blacks in those areas. Its really sad. Its sad that someone would think they had to change something about themselves to be accepted by others. This delves deep into their mental state as well. I know it must be difficult for them but I really believe if they knew their truth worth (ultimatley in Christ) they would be better able to handle what our society throws their way. They would know they were created for a purpose much greater than themselves and life is too short to focus on the temporary (or the non-essentials).
As a black woman with albinism, I think it's sad that we as a race do not embrace our various shades. I look to my "Sistas", I look at your beautiful brown skin, and I envy YOU. I see your beauty, I see in all your shades, from light to chocolate! Funny ow lite is supposedly better...but I have been teased, shunned, and ridiculed for being too light, for being albino, lol. WOW.
Honestly I am so shocked by this I cannot cry. I am hurting by watching this ignorant woman proudly showing her form of deep seeded hatred. It started with her mother. And what is strongly encouraged at home takes "root." I am so glad my mother who was a fifties mom btw never spoke negatively about our hair,skin color or weight. I realize how blessed we were. I started perming because I thought I'd be treated better. You will true to form come back to your roots. And I am wearing my hair in it's naturl state again. This woman is truly oblivious to her true essence. Now her sons are growing up with this same self-hatred.
This is so sad.........My daughter has eszema and one of the doctors in her doctors office wanted to give me a prescription for her skin, and his words were "this cream is very strong it will get rid of the top layer of her skin" and at that point, I looked at him like he had lost his everlasting MIND. So I went old school on him, ripped the prescriptions and whent pure Vaseline & olive oil.
I don't play like that, my son is a darker tone, and his complection gets much darker in the summer of course, and he used to get very upset when people mentioned his color, and I told him no matter what...or how dark his skin got his skin is beautiful and not to think any other way. The next time someone mentions how dark his skin is his reply better be "Thank you" and to keep it moving!!!
wow! i didnt kno that bleaching happened all over the world!!
ReplyDeleteTo me this is sad! I am brown skinned and I love my complexion, I think black is beautiful... BUT I think it all starts from the home.. my mom always told me and my brother and sisters this growing up.....so it was never a question in my mind!
ReplyDeleteTo me this is sad! I am brown skinned and I love my complexion, I think black is beautiful... BUT I think it all starts from the home.. my mom always told me and my brother and sisters this growing up.....so it was never a question in my mind!
ReplyDeleteI was floored about the woman whose mom bleached her skin and in turn bleaches her sons' skin! Now her kids are conditioned to think they have to be light in order to be treated better. Unreal.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. But in a way i dont see skin bleaching being any different than using relaxers to change the texture of your hair or wearing weaves all the time. Either way its denying a part of your self. I do think the lengths that they would go through for lighter skin is something that needs to be to be addressed. My heart is breaking for the one that said she believes God is punishing her trying to make her love herself the way she is.
ReplyDeleteI watched this show when it aired. It didn't sit too well with me though. Maybe I was channel flipping, but did Tyra also make the fact known that it's not just blacks that bleach? Just to name a couple off the top of my head, Indians and Chinese do this also.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I think the story would have been more detailed had she not just featured black women. Eurocentric beauty ideals affects more than just us.
Thanks for posting this. It is something that a lot of people need to see. Society has definitely helped create this problem, but I definitely believe that hip hop culture has helped sustain it. You don't have to look far to see that light-skinned and latina women are favored over darker-skinned women in music videos, in advertising, etc. Look at the media attention that Beyonce and Rihanna garner worlwide and yes, it because they are international stars, but their skin color probably gave them that access in the first place. Most recently, the love interest in both Will Smith movies "Hitch" and "Hancock" were latina women. Why couldn't they cast a black woman? It is enough to drive dark-skinned black women insane. So, I do feel their pain in this video. But, you must move past it..go to therapy and do what you have to do. Find some beautiful dark-skinned role-models, they do exist..Gabrielle Union, Kenya Moore, Lauryn Hill, Nia Long, etc. To be fair, there is a flip side to this color complex. There are light-skinned women who also have issues with their skin color. In the end, you have to find your own beauty and self-worth.
ReplyDeleteI watched this and probably would have been the other lady in the crowd weeping. This degree of self-hatred is frightening.
ReplyDeleteI am dark-skinned and I actually would not mind being darker. My daughter is caramel and wants to be darker. My colour has never been an issue, as I get attention from Black men, white men as well as Asian and Mediterranean men. I am 42 years old and still beating them off with a stick.
I do not think that it has to do with colour, more to do with self-esteem. I felt very sad for my sisters up on stage who felt that bleaching their skins would alleviate the insecurities they felt internally. If only self love were a tablet....
This made me cry. When I was a child I remember a classmate said I needed some bleach. I was devastated. Instead of bleaching my skin, I started to use makeup at an early age and started modeling to show them that I was not ugly. But I remember black men either telling me to my face that they'd prefer a "yellow woman" or they'd want to go out with me as a pro-black statement. I've had good friends who were light skinned and I remember one woman saying she gets so sick of black men yelling at her - FROM THE BACK. She's like, they don't even know what I look like. They don't know what I sound like, nothing. They just see a light skinned arm and long hair from the back and they're convinced they want me. She hates it. There's definitely an issue here, but I thank God that I never actually considered my skin to be wrong. I considered society wrong in it's attitude. I wish peace and self love for these sad women on the show. My heart breaks for them. They're in so much pain.
ReplyDeleteI think these women are a product of our society. There aren't very many darker skinned models in entertainment, government, etc. And honestly there are more lighter skinned blacks in those areas. Its really sad. Its sad that someone would think they had to change something about themselves to be accepted by others. This delves deep into their mental state as well. I know it must be difficult for them but I really believe if they knew their truth worth (ultimatley in Christ) they would be better able to handle what our society throws their way. They would know they were created for a purpose much greater than themselves and life is too short to focus on the temporary (or the non-essentials).
ReplyDeleteAs a black woman with albinism, I think it's sad that we as a race do not embrace our various shades. I look to my "Sistas", I look at your beautiful brown skin, and I envy YOU. I see your beauty, I see in all your shades, from light to chocolate! Funny ow lite is supposedly better...but I have been teased, shunned, and ridiculed for being too light, for being albino, lol. WOW.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I am so shocked by this I cannot cry. I am hurting by watching this ignorant woman proudly showing her form of deep seeded hatred. It started with her mother. And what is strongly encouraged at home takes "root." I am so glad my mother who was a fifties mom btw never spoke negatively about our hair,skin color or weight. I realize how blessed we were. I started perming because I thought I'd be treated better. You will true to form come back to your roots. And I am wearing my hair in it's naturl state again. This woman is truly oblivious to her true essence. Now her sons are growing up with this same self-hatred.
ReplyDeleteDISTURBING! Yet very sad and true. Wake up people!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad.........My daughter has eszema and one of the doctors in her doctors office wanted to give me a prescription for her skin, and his words were "this cream is very strong it will get rid of the top layer of her skin" and at that point, I looked at him like he had lost his everlasting MIND. So I went old school on him, ripped the prescriptions and whent pure Vaseline & olive oil.
ReplyDeleteI don't play like that, my son is a darker tone, and his complection gets much darker in the summer of course, and he used to get very upset when people mentioned his color, and I told him no matter what...or how dark his skin got his skin is beautiful and not to think any other way. The next time someone mentions how dark his skin is his reply better be "Thank you" and to keep it moving!!!