1. Yearning For Lightness Transnational Circuits in the Marketing and Consumption of Skin Lighteners

2. Racism is Still a Thing in Society  Specifically, darker races suffer discrimination  We can obviously do various social programs to improve the situation  But what if there is a greater problem  That, sociologically/psychologically, people see that black = bad?

3. Racism, Worldwide  This is a greater issue than something happening just in America, or China, or Mexico, or wherever else  This is a worldwide problem  And there are people, companies, that control part of this, worldwide  These companies are mostly Western and white

4. Racism  Is there something racist about using makeup?  Or sunscreen?  Or, skin whiteners?

5. Culturally, we all see evidence  Of people saying that white is better than dark.  Take a look at celebrities…

11. Colorism  “Social hierarchy based on the gradation of skin tone within and between racial groups”  Privileging of lighter skin and discrimination against those with darker skin remains a problem  Lighter tones indicate affluence, higher social standing, ideologies of beauty

12. Symbolic Capital  First of all, let’s talk about this idea of “capital”  Economic Capital, Social Capital, Symbolic Capital  Light skin is seen as symbolic capital

13. Skin Whiteners as Cosmetics  Cosmetics are lucrative business aimed towards women of all ethnicities classes etc.  Conceptualization of whiteness as the normative ideal of beauty has led to the rise of skin lighteners in a transnational market  HUGE growth of market as society’s modernize, Western culture spreads

14. Skin Whiteners as Cosmetics  Long been practiced throughout the world  However, as Western influence spreads  And Western companies become more powerful  There has been an explosion in use of skin whiteners

15. Marketing Explosion  If more and more people are using skin whiteners…  Aren’t more and more people spreading the idea that white is good, dark is bad?  Does this mean that using skin whiteners causes more discrimination of dark races?

16. Marketing Explosion  One major problem  These markets are exploding worldwide  But there is no worldwide regulation on skin products  And many of these contain harmful chemicals

17. REASONS  Result of color consciousness due to European colonialism  Ideology of White supremacy  Association of blackness with primitiveness and dirt

18. Reasons  Used as a means to gain mobility  To feel beautiful, modern, younger  Internalization of white is right by people of color, especially women  Pressure from media

19. Dangers  Two popular ingredients in unregulated markets  Mercury  Dangers of Mercury should be obvious  Neurological and kidney damage  Hydroquinone  Exposure to sunlight inflames skin damage  Can result in “ochronosis”  Prolonged use results in severe health problems

21. Skin Lightening/Global Capital  Common practice in many parts of the world – women have their own treatments and purchased products from experts  Incorporated into transnational flows  Internet has become huge

22. STUDY  Use internet forums to see how people are talking about skin whitening throughout the world

23. Groups Examined  Africa/Africa Diaspora  African American  India and Indian Diaspora  Southeast Asia: Philippines  Japan/China/Korea  Latin America: Mexico  Middle aged/Older White Women in North America

24. Africa  Ideology of white supremacy brought by European colonists include the association with primitiveness, lack of civilization, unrestrained sexuality  African conception of female beauty favored women with light brown skin  Majority of women in South Africa who use are successful and educated

25. African American  Legacy of slavery, the idea that mullattos were more pure  Considered more intelligent and better suited to indoor work  Mulatto were known as Elite African Americans  Had their own clubs fraternities societies  Saw themselves as better than blacks  As early as 1850 African American women used powders, skin bleachers  Paper Bag Test

26. India  Light skinned > Higher caste  Paler Hues: Position, Wealth  Darker: Toiled outdoors in the sun  Viewed English as higher culture

27. The Philippines  History of colonial dependency (Spain and US)  Western ideology and culture  Interest/Fascination with Western Consumer Culture  Japanese and Korean represent ideal Asian beauty

28. Japan/China/Korea  Japanese idolized ivory skin that is like a boiled egg  Historical interests in white skin  Korean/Japanese are ideal  Osaka, Japan, 1996: 97.4% use some sort of whitening makeup

29. Mexico/Latin America  Skin tone major marker of status, despite ideology of racial democracy  Lightness signifies purity and beauty  Darkness signifies contamination and ugliness  Highly color conscious (Brazil)

30. Marketing  Pretty racist marketing  There’s a beauty contest that Ponds (a company specializing in whitening creams) hosts  “Be as beautiful as you can be”  “Judging by photos of past winners, being as beautiful as you can be means being as light as you can be”

31. Marketing  We might say, fine, they advertise but people already wanted to be white, so these companies aren’t unethical  However, they actually create a need to be white

32. Marketing  They portray dark skin as a painful and depressing experience  Before becoming white, dark skinned women are shown as unhappy, suffering from low self esteem, ignored by men, and denigrated by their parents

33. Marketing  Dark skin therefore is created – socially, via marketing – as a burden and handicap  That must be overcome by using the product  And bringing profit to the multinational corporation

34. Divergence in Marketing Styles  “Science” marketing to educated countries  Portray dark skin as a disease that they can cure  “Natural” marketing directed to others  Describe products as plant extracts  Dark skin is a veil that needs to be wiped clean by nature

35. Divergence in Marketing Styles  All products  Dark skin is associated with pain, rejection, and limited options  Achieving light skin is seen as necessary to being youthful, attractive, modern, and affluent

36. Conclusion  Internalization of white is right values by people of color  Especially women  We could encourage dark is beautiful  Whiteness is dislodged as dominant standard  But there’s still extremely powerful multinational corporations who have corporate interest in saying “white is beautiful”, they profit from it  Take original culture and reify racism

37. Cycle of Corporate Colorism  Corporations say dark is bad, white is good  People pay money to those corporations for those products  Corporations have more money for marketing  Can spread into other countries and reach more consumers  More and more people believe dark is bad, white is good

38.  The author’s view is that the USA and Western (white) corporate culture is to blame for increasing the problem of racism.

39. Race as a Problem  Given the issues the world has with racism, is this marketing and business ethical?  Why are these products aimed at women  Is this all the media’s fault?