The Great White Hype. So one of my coworkers made a comment to me this week about looking tanner than before. And I think he meant it as a compliment, but on the inside, I was just like -_-'. I know it's probably cuz I've been playing flag football and spending more time out in the sun than I have in years, but part of me couldn't help but feel irritated that my skin was getting darker.
Yea, I dunno, I guess I've just always liked sporting that pasty white look. I'm not even entirely sure why. I often jokingly cite the concept of 美白 [beauty white] in Asian culture, (though it's mainly applicable to women,) where it's considered attractive to look as fair-skinned as possible. And Asians take it pretty seriously- using sun umbrellas to prevent tans, and marketing all these whitening cosmetics, etc.
And I've heard several theories about why we do this. I've heard it argued that it stems partially from a culture-wide white-person envy (I disagree: white geisha makeup predated Asian cultural subjugation by Europeans, no?). "White people are better than us, so this is us trying to be white"? pssshhh, gimme a break. Though I'm sure it has its perks, I'm preeeeetty sure I have no strong desire to be white.
Personally, (for me at least,) I think it stems more out of a desire to appear aristocratic. A true aristocrat would never have worked a day in the hot sun, and hence would never develop a tan. That's where the term "blue blood" comes from for (European) nobles/rich folk: their skin was pale enough that you could see the blue-greenish veins showing through the skin. And granted, I don't much care for the veiny look either, I would much prefer it to being dark-skinned. Dark skin is the sign of the lower class that's been out working the fields all day, hahaha.
Yea, I like maintaining the illusion of never having done a hard day's physical labor in my life, hahaha. I guess along those lines, that's also part of the reason why I wear gloves when weightlifting- cuz I hate having callouses on my hands. God forbid I get the hands of the working class, HAH!
But yea, I think it's interesting to contrast the notion of "paleness = beauty" that's prevalent in Asia with the rising popularity of the golden skinned tan in Western culture. I dunno, I guess it's always a case of the grass being greener on the other side, of wanting to be that which you naturally are not. Personally, I think it's just indicative of the human condition, in which we'll never be fully happy with what we've got.
Yea, I dunno, I guess I've just always liked sporting that pasty white look. I'm not even entirely sure why. I often jokingly cite the concept of 美白 [beauty white] in Asian culture, (though it's mainly applicable to women,) where it's considered attractive to look as fair-skinned as possible. And Asians take it pretty seriously- using sun umbrellas to prevent tans, and marketing all these whitening cosmetics, etc.
And I've heard several theories about why we do this. I've heard it argued that it stems partially from a culture-wide white-person envy (I disagree: white geisha makeup predated Asian cultural subjugation by Europeans, no?). "White people are better than us, so this is us trying to be white"? pssshhh, gimme a break. Though I'm sure it has its perks, I'm preeeeetty sure I have no strong desire to be white.
Personally, (for me at least,) I think it stems more out of a desire to appear aristocratic. A true aristocrat would never have worked a day in the hot sun, and hence would never develop a tan. That's where the term "blue blood" comes from for (European) nobles/rich folk: their skin was pale enough that you could see the blue-greenish veins showing through the skin. And granted, I don't much care for the veiny look either, I would much prefer it to being dark-skinned. Dark skin is the sign of the lower class that's been out working the fields all day, hahaha.
Yea, I like maintaining the illusion of never having done a hard day's physical labor in my life, hahaha. I guess along those lines, that's also part of the reason why I wear gloves when weightlifting- cuz I hate having callouses on my hands. God forbid I get the hands of the working class, HAH!
But yea, I think it's interesting to contrast the notion of "paleness = beauty" that's prevalent in Asia with the rising popularity of the golden skinned tan in Western culture. I dunno, I guess it's always a case of the grass being greener on the other side, of wanting to be that which you naturally are not. Personally, I think it's just indicative of the human condition, in which we'll never be fully happy with what we've got.
posted by Dear Daniel at 1:00 PM
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