Originally posted by return_to_hadesPreference is but natural. We all have our personal preferences on appearances. Every person has their own definition of beauty. No two people will be attracted to or find the same person/thing beautiful.
Exactly, everyone has their own prefernce. Then why all the complaints about people preferring fair over dark.
The problem arises when personal preference becomes a cause for judgmental and prejudicial treatment. A preference for fair skin should not mean that dark skinned people feel inferior or that there is something flawed with them. There definitely is something wrong when someone is made to feel uncomfortable in their own skin.
Who is making them feel inferior?? It's not like anyone is giving them less privileges or rights because of their colour, so it's not an apartheid system. It is they who're making themselves feel inferior by costantly cribbing about why people prefer fair. Why can't they just accept it as a fact that it's other people's business what they want to prefer??
This perhaps is an exceptional situation, but it does occur. One of my classmates in school was really dark. Her mother would constantly make comments that she is so dark that it will be difficult to get her married, she has to do extra well in housework and school to impress suitors. She would complain that she does not apply fairness cream regularly.
Yeah, that is wrong to remind her daughter all the time about her colour. However, if she wants her daughter to apply fairness cream then she's just being practical and not trying to put down her daughter.
Many peoples preference for fairness has grown into a superficial preference. People with dark skin are being marketed the message that they ought to make their skin lighter. If you make your skin fairer, you will be more beautiful, The attitude should be if you are fair, you are fair, if you are dark you are dark.
That's a personal perspective. Most people feel that fairer people look more beautiful compared to darker people. The markting people are just conveying that message. The ad agency doesn't have anything personal against darker skin tone and maybe many of those guys and gals are dark themselves. It's just that the research shows that people feel fairer skin tone makes one more beautiful and that is what the ad will reflect. They don't do anything that contradicts the research.
Similarly make up and clothing are meant to accentuate your natural features. Excessive make up to doll up and change facial features or clothing that portrays a personality or style that is not you, takes you away from being yourself.
View fairness as just that then. It makes your features more prominent (except for the eyes maybe). So, if someone wants to be fair, s/he is just trying to accentuate his/her natural features.
However, I agree ultimately it is a matter of free will. People should be able to date/marry/socialize based on their preferences not what someone else thinks they ought to. People are completely equipped to make their own personal decision in that regards.
That's my whole point... so obviously I'll agree with this part. 
My basic point is they cross the line when they create a whole culture where skin tone is not a matter of personal preference, but a matter of superior beauty.
Who created it?? The literatures and currently the movies. Even they are the personal opinions that are getting expressed and somtimes it is about what the public will like more. If I think that fair people are more beautiful what is wrong in that. And if a majority of the people thinks like me and that becomes a culture in your opinion, even then what is wrong in it. After everything is said and done, it still remains a personal choice.
Do we ask the same questions if someone or a group of people or a whole nation sees dark skin as superior beauty??
rogna
It's so sad how some peopel view beauty as the outer features of a person. Beauty of personality and character are more important.
