What is with our Indian mindset that ‘fair’ people are automatically considered ‘good looking’? Why this obsession with fair skin?! I have never understood this!
I know of so many girls/boys who are praised for their ‘beauty’ ONLY because of their skin colour (I say that because they utterly lack other features!). Just the same, I know some people, who are truly beautiful, but are not considered so simply because they have dark skin!
Why is someone with a ‘milky-white’ or ‘wheatish’ complexion considered to be a better human being than someone who is dusky or dark (worse!!)?
Why is a fair-skinned person rated higher on the matrimonial scale than a dark-skinned person??!!!
Westerners go all our to get a ‘tan’ and we layer ourselves with skin-lightening creams!
On my last trip to Chennai, a nice elderly gentleman mentioned that he was trying to find a groom for his daughter. His exact words were ‘She is very fair and good-looking, like your relative xyz’. I was amazed at his simplicity, naivete and crudeness all rolled into one. I don’t blame him. That is simply, a part of our culture! We are ignorant enough to assume that someone who is fair is indeed more beautiful than someone who is dark!!
I wished him well. And also wished his daughter had more to her than just fair skin! Like perhaps some inconsequential things like confidence, education, capability, etc.
I met someone the other day, who said something at the opposite end of the spectrum, but that was, in essence the same! This acquaintance casually mentioned a distant cousin who was an extremely intelligent and wonderful person, but was unable to find a bride because he was ‘extremely dark’. Well, what can I say! Had this been the ‘2000 pounds’ scene from ZNMD, I would have just laughed! But this is real.
We just seem to be obsessed with skin colour! Something makes us believe that being fair is an achievement in itself!! There is some underlying factor that makes us proud of our light (read: ‘superior’) skin-colour? I would really like to know what it is.
Is this ‘fair skin’ purely an Indian obsession? Or is this rampant world-wide?
So this blog has been SO neglected that we don’t get even spam comments any more 😦 In case anybody’s still reading, then I’m sorry for having gone away for so long. But I’m back now! With the perfect excuse of a post. Wordless Wednesday (No offence, WW). Only this is quite a wordy Wednesday.
Anyway. Here’s a picture for you. I had two people in mind when I clicked this, 1 – Crazy Cracking Saks and 2, Aaroo. Don’t ask me why! Just like that.
Neither car nor bike is mine, but this gorgeous shot of fallen autumn leaves is!
And while those of you in India are suffering from an overdose of Ra.One.osis, and while those living outside India are eagerly waiting to show their ‘patriotism’ by buying first-day-first-show tickets to the same movie, let me quickly take the chance to wish our very own Rag.One a very happy birthday! Happy day Brat-of-Blogworld!!! May the Gods bless you with a Kareena Kapoor this year 😉