Black or White

     

Well  no one can “beat it” like MJ. He said it all, he said it already. Why are Tamilians ( not all, some are sane!)  obsessed with this color? It is a national flaw, but here in this state it flourishes more openly and in lightning speed. It is kinda scary to know even older people who are supposed to give their pearls of wisdom are drawn to this color craze like a moth to a flame.  Proof ? Read matrimonial columns, mark the words “fair complexion”  with a highlighter you will end up knowing how bad the situation is. Watch a few Tamil movies and see the color of the heroines…it is almost universally known fact that the hero, however average looking he may be, falls for the most whitest of actors available in the field. That is one of the main qualifications for a Tamil heroine…acting skills – not mandatory, Dialogue delivery – uh-huh, any skills at all – why, Fair complexion – Heroine! It is in the papers, on tv, in the movies, it is everywhere.

I grew up in a  place where being “white” is considered to be a real asset. And worse being “black” is considered unattractive and even ugly. My sisters, older and younger have fair complexion like my mom so every time we met some dimwit women on road (mom’s acquaintance or distant relatives)  I was asked “heeeee! Ni mattum ena karupa iruka? Heeee!” (How come you are dark? I hope the English translation still retains the stupidity of the tamil version!)  Then realizing they had hurt me they would say “heeeeee! Like your dad huh? Heeeeee”

So that’s how it was for me…low self- esteem watered by many. At home it was different, but I was young and stupid I listened to what the world was telling me.  My entire teen age was killed because of the thought that I was ugly. I may sound slutty but I must thank the boys who were after me at that period, It was actually them who gave me confidence.May be they had low standards may be they wanted any girl and not just “white” ones, but still they boosted my self confidence. “Thank you boys (probably men now)…wherever you are!” 

It happened to other girls too. When I was a freshman in college  one of my friends scared the beep out of us one day…she was all red, not because of blushing or being real mad at someone . When asked she said she had applied lemon juice on her face thinking she could become “white!”  And I know another girl who spent a fortune on this particular fairness cream, which she applied devotionally twice everyday. (Good it didn’t work for me then or I would have been an ardent fan of that product too at that time) There was another girl in my class whose face resembled a frog (not that frogs are ugly) but she walked with her head high because she was “whiter than the snow!” She was rude and most times said dumb things but girls liked her and hung out with her…ok may be this one girl is from my imagination but you know the type exists and you can’t deny that.

After college things changed a bit, I began to realize work and the way we behave are far more important than just looks. And now I’m in my thirties (early thirties, mind it!) I still beautify me with a little lip color and may be one or two more cosmetics, but I don’t give a damn about what others think of my complexion, however dark or uneven it may be.

But it scares me when I see an ocean of “fairness creams” displayed on the shelves of almost all the stores. Don’t get me wrong I’m not against all beauty products,  a scrub which gently exfoliates the dead cells on face or a kajal or an eyeliner are harmless according to me because they just add beauty to you. The  fairness creams on the other hand tells you that you are “black” and that only it can turn you into a pretty “white” girl. And it is not just that simple, it is not just one or two or three popular fairness creams there is a whole army of them ready to attack you –  Complete Fairness, Instant  Fairness, Flawless  Fairness ….it goes on, even the makers of this thing don’t know the end of this list.

Pretty is how healthy your skin is not how white it is.  Let us laugh at the people who think “black” is not pretty.

So Woman! Be as “black” as you can be!