Comments on: Brown Girl On An Island

By: sumit sohoni

sumit sohoni — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:23:34 +0000

I’ve been a victim of buying stuff fearing dark skin but i guess that’s how we are as a society…no point blaming ppl outside…i guess the day i become comfortable with color of my skin and not rely on a fairness cream to give me that confidence i guess ppl around me will automatically get the point…n btw u better get that introduction reworded…no job or profession is boring…its jst that at some point of time we want to move on with life n do things our way…:)

By: aarthi

aarthi — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:15:38 +0000

Hi Rani,

Thanks for reading, yea that is an important debate we must have as Indians, definitely. Advertisers, should, as a matter or principle, not tie ‘fair’ skin with success, matrimony or any life aspiration. If there is such a huge demand for these products and we MUST have them, they could be marketed as grooming products, instead of meddling with social perceptions or reinforcing prejudice.

By: aarthi

aarthi — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:12:14 +0000

Hi Rani,

Thanks for reading, yea that is an important internal debate to have, definitely.

By: rani

rani — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:45:15 +0000

Putting aside the attitudes of lighter-skinned westerners for a minute, what concerns me most is the pressure and the pain caused on darker skinned Indians by the value we put on lighter skin in India. When an intelligent and wealthy role-model like Shah Rukh Khan promotes creams that promises to miraculously lighten your skin in days that will help us succeed in life -, what message are we giving out to our youngsters.

By: aarthi

aarthi — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:01:15 +0000

Sorry my words in the brackets went missing…

Hi Dianne, I agree with you that as women, we can never be too (Insert choice quality) for the world.

But, I also learnt about ‘collective’ self-esteem on the trip… which is what I wanted to share

By: aarthi

aarthi — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:59:36 +0000

Hi Dianne, I agree with you that as women, we can never be too for the world.

But, I also learnt about ‘collective’ self-esteem on the trip… which is what I wanted to share

By: Dianne

Dianne — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:31:54 +0000

Self esteem is so linked to looks in this silly old world. One can never be too white or too brown depending on your location in the world. The real issue is what are we doing to make the world a better place for our kids and grandchildren to inherit? I come from a mixed heritage and am white in the winter, brown in the summer (if I ignore the risk of skin cancer), fat when I am in NZ and skinny when I am in India. The issue for me is that women are still judged according to their weight or colour!