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Post by ThatGirlLooksTasty on Jun 8, 2003 0:09:33 GMT -5
Quit tip-toeing around the race issue like a bunch of politically correct wimps.
Light skin is a sign of racial superiority (Western Europeans and East Asians) vs. dark skin (Africans, Australian aboriginals) and various gradients of color in between. In economics, it's called the North-South divide. Countries in the Northern temperate zones have all attained higher levels of economic, social and technological development than Southern tropic countries. I don't think I really need to illustrate this fact with examples.
The percieved beauty in light-skin is simply evolutionary instinct. Just as animals in nature want to breed with partners of equal or superior genetics, humans also follow the same guidelines. The light-skin is simply an indication of the individual's genetic superiority. We basically are attracted to those with light-skin because we are simply following our evolutionary instinct to breed with the those with the best genes.
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Post by jewbird on Jun 8, 2003 0:43:43 GMT -5
Light-skinned people tend to be rich people (scholars) who spend their time indoors vs. the poor people (peasants) who spend all their time in the sun.
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Post by hamstar on Jun 8, 2003 5:42:46 GMT -5
I disagree with this logic... light skin is more an indication of higher social and economic (socioeconomic) level if anything (not genetic quality). So if light skin = money and passing on genes into the future then it is an adaptive trait. In Latin America there is the saying, "the lighter the skin the richer the family" etc.. Your "light skin is genetically superior" is questionable. Light skin isnt genetically superior, hell, if it was why would white people be constand targets of skin cancer and wrinkles..? Light skin is socially superior, esp, in our white-washed european colonialized states. Of course white skin does have real genetic benefits. For ex
humans synthesize Vitamin D using sunlight believe it or not and with white skin or lack of pigmentation this is easier to obtain. Many Black people are short on vitamin D because of their excess of melanin blocking off sunlight.
In terms of evolution, if white skin permits future generations of offspring to continue to pass on their genes better than having darker skin, then it is adaptive. Of course according to the NATURALISTIC FALLACY, it is wrong to justify things by quoting on evolutionary terms...
also you said you mentioned "instinct." People dont mate according to instinct....they mate according to other things...like personality...and such. Humans have egos and because of it we do not mate on instinct. But then again I question this too...because when I was in grade 1 I was only attracted to white girls and was disgusted by black ones (could this be instinct?)...Your whole argument is making me question myself...good job, thatgirlookstasty..
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Post by Whoseyourdaddy on Jun 8, 2003 21:45:48 GMT -5
I think ive seen a simlar topic.
I said it before, i think it has to do with the fact that light skin is more rare there.
Also, i live in a mostly non-asian country, where a tanned skin caucasion is very sexy. But, when it comes to Asians, i prefer them to be more light skin, it just looks more attractive on asian people.
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Post by kleindeutchland1 on Jul 16, 2004 8:54:22 GMT -5
For a topic that has alot of potential, this thread can be seen as being unexplored. I hope by refering to it others can have another opportunity to consider the opinions raised. In time after collecting my thoughts from a not so weary head I will try to make a worthwhile contribution.
Anticipating the views of others
Kleindeutchland1
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Post by love on Jul 16, 2004 17:53:38 GMT -5
one of my korean friend said to me
" you are so lucky that your skin is white"
I said
"why"?
she says
"because it looks beautiful and it looks cleaner"!.
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Post by Compradore on Jul 16, 2004 19:35:26 GMT -5
Sam is right. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't light skin popular in Asian countries prior to widespread exposure to races of lighter skin? And if we are following our evolutionary instinct to be attracted to light-skin, why is tanning/darker skin popular among caucasians? White people HATE being pasty and find it disgusting.. According to your theory the pasty dough-boys living in their parent's basement are superior to the rest of us.  |
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Post by The Ministry of Cynicism on Jul 16, 2004 20:18:23 GMT -5
Although it's a little off-topic (or off-continent, kinda links to Sam's point though) it is interesting to note the desirability of light vs tan skin in Europe over the last couple of centuries. Prior to the industrial revolution it was the rich who would spend the majority of their time indoors and the poor who would spend the majority of their time outdoors in the fields. So during this time light skin as oppose to tanned skin became symbolic of affluence and henceforth was desirable. When the industrial revolution came along with its consequential urbanisation it was the poor who became stuck working indoors all day in factories and it was the rich who could find the time to spend time outdoors and consequentially get a tan. So it became more desirable to have tanned skin as oppose to light. I just find it amusing how it was reversed.
Anyway, I'd have to disagree with the whole genetic theory. Dark skin...wait light evolved from dark skin so I'll og from there. Light skin is merely a favourable adaptation to living in a climate of less sunlight. It contains less melanin so it can synthesise more vitamin D from sunlight.
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Post by love on Jul 16, 2004 21:26:13 GMT -5
Sam is right. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't light skin popular in Asian countries prior to widespread exposure to races of lighter skin? And if we are following our evolutionary instinct to be attracted to light-skin, why is tanning/darker skin popular among caucasians? White people HATE being pasty and find it disgusting.. According to your theory the pasty dough-boys living in their parent's basement are superior to the rest of us. Actually fair skin obession has always been a desirable trait for many centuries, not just in asian countries, but also in western countries; that is; before the industrial age "white" people too desired white porcelian skin, as they would use an umbrella when under the sun, powder their faces white. As I am repeating myself a tan complexion was seen as a person of lower class, such as a peasant, labourer etc. But now that lifestyle has changed, much of the view point is the opposite, but of course not everyone agrees. Even in hollywood "certain" celebrities would like to keep their fair complexion. The desire for fair skin is nothing new. |
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Post by Compradore on Jul 16, 2004 22:56:30 GMT -5
Um Hello I'm not sure what you're trying to say...traditionally tanned people were seen as labourers/peasants. The theory is that it is ingrained in various cultures that darker skin is inferior.
Second, I'm not talking about centuries ago when I say caucasians like tans. I'm talking about the present. The whole point of me saying this was to refute the idea that it's human instinct to be attracted to lighter skin. Actually it could be in which case Western culture has deviated from such instincts. Anyway, are you just arguing with me for the sake of arguing?
To sum up what I'm trying to say:
skin colour doesn't mean jack, capeesh?
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Post by love on Jul 17, 2004 2:14:12 GMT -5
Um Hello I'm not sure what you're trying to say...traditionally tanned people were seen as labourers/peasants. The theory is that it is ingrained in various cultures that darker skin is inferior. Second, I'm not talking about centuries ago when I say caucasians like tans. I'm talking about the present. The whole point of me saying this was to refute the idea that it's human instinct to be attracted to lighter skin. Actually it could be in which case Western culture has deviated from such instincts. Anyway, are you just arguing with me for the sake of arguing? To sum up what I'm trying to say: skin colour doesn't mean jack, capeesh? mmm sorry to confuse you with my text, yes i'm trying to say that tan skin was a trait of labourers, in viewing this tan/darker skin viewed as more inferior to lighter skin. I was just making a point that in alot of cultures about fair skin theory is pretty much the same and that even caucasians once viewed fair skin as superior. |
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Post by jenming on Jul 17, 2004 3:56:35 GMT -5
It seems that it really comes down to this : People like what isn't common or easy. If most everybody is pasty, tanned skin looks novel and exotic and people think it's attractive. and Vice versa.
Also, people tend to like signs of beauty that take work and/or time. like makeup. Or ornate hairdos. Or a well-toned, athletic body. All of these signs indicate that a person has the time/wealth to achieve this trait. And if it makes them stick out from the crowd, it's attractive to people.
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Jimi
Junior Member
1/2 Chinese+1/2 English = 1 Australian Born Eurasian :)
Posts: 143
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Post by Jimi on Jul 17, 2004 4:21:12 GMT -5
It seems that it really comes down to this : People like what isn't common or easy. If most everybody is pasty, tanned skin looks novel and exotic and people think it's attractive. and Vice versa. Also, people tend to like signs of beauty that take work and/or time. like makeup. Or ornate hairdos. Or a well-toned, athletic body. All of these signs indicate that a person has the time/wealth to achieve this trait. And if it makes them stick out from the crowd, it's attractive to people. Well it takes time/effort to eat lots and become extremely overweight right? So that should like.. make you attractive and stick out in a crowd? haha  no wonder i have no luck. Oh wells.. cocktail party tonight. I'm bringing gold caramel mudcake mmMMMm ;D Interesting topic. |
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Post by TeeHee on Jul 17, 2004 9:13:16 GMT -5
I will add that kids can be particularly cruel. As a baby/pre-school years and presently, I was/am fair-complexioned..however, the in-between years were rather rough on me, as I was quite dark-skinned from spending countless hours in the sun during summer camp and tanned very easily. So I was constantly singled out and tormented by practically all the kids and even some of the older people, called names such as "mỹ ðen"(viet for african american), blackie, "the ugly blacknamese girl with funny teeth" etc...even though they themselves were pretty tan, I was even darker. So for years after that, I didn't go to summer camp anymore and avoided tanning/sun like the plague. Although I'm not dark anymore and braces have fixed the funny teeth, kids usually tend to take these kinds of matters to heart more easily than adults would, so one can imagine how much psychological damage all this can do onto a little child, as even to this day..even though I don't think much on those days anymore, I suppose it's still in my subconscious, as I still get nightmares every now and then about those years and have developed this sort of complex from it.
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Post by Tricky on Jul 17, 2004 10:40:07 GMT -5
names such as "mỹ ðen"(viet for african american), blackie, "the ugly blacknamese girl with funny teeth" etc...even though they themselves were pretty tan, *hugs* kids dont know any better. ive said stuff like that i didnt really think of it at the time but i feel guilty yeah. btw teehee you are really beautiful. My my have you blossomed lol  This shows how ingrained this belief is in asians. Many years ago didnt women in japan use white face paint. This kinda contrasted with the blackening of the teeth. White face black teeth. eugh. |
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no wonder i have no luck.
