Asian skin culture
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the issue predates colonialism. Europeans aren't actually responsible for every bad thing on this planet
Boss Mog
Member
Exactly. The ideas that some people have on NeoGAF are so out of touch with reality and history and yet they constantly try to insert them even in threads where they aren't relevant.
titiklabingapat
Member
Yup. But I live in the USA do I bask and let my tanned skin glow. My sister is the opposite though and she still acts like the sun is her enemy even thought she lives in California too.
Uchigatana
Member
Yep, while I was on vacation at the Philippines with my mom last January, and I saw a bunch of skin whitening products on the billboards throughout the SLEX and NLEX expressways. Also, it doesn't help that one of my titas kept insisting to stay inside so I don't get dark. -_-
Boss Mog
Member
The sun does age skin so a lot of women avoid it for that reason and not really because of skin tone. What's ironic is while a lot of women in Asia stay out of the sun to prevent it from aging their skin, they will smoke a ton of cigarettes which is probably just as harmful to skin if not worse.
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
Boss★Moogle;202471985 said:
and what you EAT n DRINK lol
seriously, unless you're in direct sun light 10 hours a day, the sun is actually good for the skin and body.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
Even the so-called progressive white people apparently can't stand the idea that other humans can do things without their input.
That is a completely separate thing from this.
Asian skin culture might eventually end up this way in a few decades similarly to how the West went through this process but we'll just have to wait and see. Direct cultural comparisons are inherently kind of silly.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Indeed.
However, it's certainly not a universal concept and darker/tan skin is preferable to many. There have also been various "fashion trends" amongst certain segments where skin tanning is considered more attractive.
I absolutely hated seeing billboards and whole offices dedicated to skin whitening while visiting abroad Asia.....which is ironic since a month later I told my friend to buy a whole load of skin whitening soap and lotion for me.
I'm dark enough as it is, but my arms and legs did not match the rest of my body while in Asia, and I was surprised that they were as dark as the mahogany wooden table. I'm just trying to even things out now--I've been using it for months and my legs are finally matching my face's skin tone. I like how brown I am though. I find it silly that people want to be more prone to UV damage when the sun creeps up on their skin when they least suspect it especially in Southeast Asia where heat can be a real killer.
I'm dark enough as it is, but my arms and legs did not match the rest of my body while in Asia, and I was surprised that they were as dark as the mahogany wooden table. I'm just trying to even things out now--I've been using it for months and my legs are finally matching my face's skin tone. I like how brown I am though. I find it silly that people want to be more prone to UV damage when the sun creeps up on their skin when they least suspect it especially in Southeast Asia where heat can be a real killer.
inked_illusion
Member
The same thing can be said about "Pure" vs. "Mixed" ethnicities in asia. The closer you are to a mix (ex. Filipino and another ethnicity) the higher chances at succeeding economically and socially.
I'm pure Filipino and it sucks that almost everyone desires for whiter skin and mixed ethnicity to get better at life but that's the nature of the game.
I'm pure Filipino and it sucks that almost everyone desires for whiter skin and mixed ethnicity to get better at life but that's the nature of the game.
As much as I despise white supremacy, Asians valuing white skin tones goes far back, way before there was contact between the "east" and "west". It's okay, people can develop their own social norms without having to rely on white people to do it for them.
I can only speak for my own family, but we avoid strong sun whenever possible so that we minimize exposure to UV damage. Then again, my mom and I are super pale and it's almost impossible for us to get a tan without burning.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
This shit again...Western Beauty ideals
The whole world doesn't revolve around white people guys.
I mentioned it earlier but the Ganguro fashion style died down at the start of the millennium. And even then, it was always a niche subculture.
choco-fish
Member
My fiancee is from Hong Kong but grew up in the west, she hates getting a tan, always wants to be as white as possible, I always make a joke of it and never asked her why, all she tells me is she doesn't want to be dark skinned. I just take the piss out of her for it, she doesn't know much about her cultural background as she grew up in the UK, I never thought much of it till now though.
disappeared
Banned
Damn.
Boss Mog
Member
I don't really get this comment. Violet_0 was responding to people blaming whites and "white supremacy" for Asians' desires to have light skin. It's pretty likely that the people that made those comments aren't white. Or are you implying that they are self-hating whites?
I think this might start to change a little with the current young generation. Cycling, running, and triathlons are starting to pick up in popularity among the upper middle class, especially with women. It shows you are well off enough to have free time and you take care of yourself. While a lot of the 35+ year old women in these events still cover up most of their skin the younger ones don't. I've seen former Taiwanese co-workers posting pictures of their tan lines to show off how much time they spend training.
I work in the outdoor sports industry so my view is from that perspective but I see more industry employees, their spouses, and just larger crowds in general at events in Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan.
I work in the outdoor sports industry so my view is from that perspective but I see more industry employees, their spouses, and just larger crowds in general at events in Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan.
TickleMeElbow
Member
Yeah that's true. Although ganguro isn't really a thing anymore, some people still tan out of preference. What's funny about people attributing Asia's fondness of lighter skin to western beauty standands is that in Japan at least, those who tan on purpose tend to do it because they're influenced by the West lol. Like, I'm pretty sure laying outside and in tanning beds for the sole purpose of tanning was introduced to Japan by the US.
Shadowheart
Member
What about those horrible deep-fried-looking dark/red looking women I see in japan? I thought it was a teenage fad or something, but I keep seeing it every now and then...
Here in Mexico we have that but also goes with features, there is a range in which we are all equal, be too dark and have indian features and welp, words like "indio" or "oaxaca" will be thrown to you as an insult, and if you are blond or have light colored eyes (simply being pale skinned won't cut it) and it will be assumed you are rich, we even have an insult for people who are blond but poor.
To add to the whole features thing, you can have pale skinned and if you ever make a comment or someone being too dark someone will most certainly tell you "You must be german!" since obviously all germans look like Ivan Drago.
To add to the whole features thing, you can have pale skinned and if you ever make a comment or someone being too dark someone will most certainly tell you "You must be german!" since obviously all germans look like Ivan Drago.
PreFire
Member
Here in NYC chinatown (I live in SoHo), I've seen Asians with umbrellas out in the sun every single day.. as far as I can remember. It's usually older folks though, and mostly women (in fact I can't remember one guy doing it) -- I had no idea why to be honest, didn't want to assume either.
Ever since the whole SARS breakout all those years ago, I still see Asian people wearing surgical masks in public today. Wtf is that about?
Ever since the whole SARS breakout all those years ago, I still see Asian people wearing surgical masks in public today. Wtf is that about?
People (wrongly) think that the masks can filter out bad stuff in the air. It's a pseudo-science superstition thing.
Haha. Ok this is pretty funny. Not wanting to assume anything about umbrellas but making an assumption about surgical masks. It's all good though.
The point of the surgical masks is wearing it as a common courtesy when they are sick or if it's a season where more people are sick. So prevention from others germs or preventing your own germs from reaching others. If you are a girl and want to put without dealing with make up? Perfect for that too. Nobody will question you.
Edit: oh and Haly is correct about that too.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
I was responding in agreement with Violet_0. What I meant was that even the concern that white supremacy is responsible for this culture is itself sort of ignorant and maybe even racially insensitive too, because it is essentially perpetuating the idea that white people are responsible for everything.Boss★Moogle;202478867 said:
And "self-hating" white people don't exist. Whenever you see white people criticizing things white people have done or do, it is to their benefit, as it reinforces the idea that not only do white people have implicit control over other ethnic groups, but in the context of "saving" them from our apparent negative influence some control is justifiable. Look how people in this thread project white Western ideas of beauty onto other cultures without a hint of irony because they see themselves as fighting against "white supremacy". In the United States it is particularly endemic, with many liberal white people conceptualizing minority groups and cultures entirely in the context of how it relates to or has been "appropriated" by white people.
But I think this is veering too far from the thread's original topic so I won't say anything else directly about it.
I thought it's because they're sick and being courteous so they don't spread their germs when coughing. So you're saying it doesn't make a difference?
I've only seen people wear mask when they are sick. I'm pretty sure they do a good job of reducing droplets sprayed when coughing, sneezing, and talking.
This always cracks me up, so many western people just assume it is for purely selfish reasons. I think it's a very interesting cultural difference.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
I've only ever heard that sick people do this to avoid spreading disease to other people. If you want a real superstition, try Korean fan death.
TickleMeElbow
Member
When I lived in Japan most people wore then when they were sick. I think it's to prevent yourself from coughing or sneezing on people. For example when I got sick and went to the school nurse, she made me wear one lol.
I would say the amount of people wearing it because they think it helps manage air pollution outnumbers the amount of people wearing it because they're sick. Example, Shanghai: https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AM-BB444_WEICOL_P_20131212133808.jpg
Outside of Asia the ratio changes, but I've seen these masks as a kid (in Shanghai) before the perpetual smog really hit and I never mentally associated it with courtesy of the sick, but with personal hygiene.
EDIT: Wow okay, I'm getting quoted a lot. "Filtering air pollution" isn't the only reason Asian countries have these masks, but it is one of the factors, and more relevant now than before, because of China's present pollution problems. Keep in mind the two motivations are not mutually exclusive. If you're sick you're more careful about your health, including substance intake, and this applies the air you breath or so conventional Chinese wisdom goes, but the efficacy of these masks is scientifically tenuous.
Lived my whole life in Pakistan and can vouch for this. I'm dark skinned (brown) and always was taunted for it when in school. Even had my mother suggesting multiple times that she wished I was light skinned.
The market is littered with products which blatantly advertise being dark skinned as bad and white skin better. Its embarrassing and fucking infuriating.
All this is even worse if you're a girl. You're treated as an inferior everywhere. Not that being a woman isn't bad enough in that country. I'm really glad I got out of there when I did.
The market is littered with products which blatantly advertise being dark skinned as bad and white skin better. Its embarrassing and fucking infuriating.
All this is even worse if you're a girl. You're treated as an inferior everywhere. Not that being a woman isn't bad enough in that country. I'm really glad I got out of there when I did.
DeployThatPizza
Member
I can confirm this. I'm Asian, and whenever I go to China, everyone I meet always marvels at my light skin. Compared to people in China, I'm pretty light-skinned. In China, having white skin is equal to beauty and being pure.
rokkerkory
Member
Generally western cultures like a nice tanned skin while eastern cultures like them light
DontBeThatGuy
Member
"beauty standards". Sounds like a bunch of narrow-minded nonsense to me.
When I was still in the Phils. It was ingrained that having whiter skin is considered better. Not really because of white people. Maybe we see light skinned people succeed in life. Superstition that fairer skin means good luck. It's just is.
Thank goodness it's not like that here in Sydney. Though I still prefer to be under a tree when we go to the beach.
Thank goodness it's not like that here in Sydney. Though I still prefer to be under a tree when we go to the beach.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
I don't get this
Apparently it's part of white supremacy, too!
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