Mass media is incredibly persuasive in our society and it consumes our everyday lives due to its constant and availability. It is arguably the most powerful source of information in this day and age as it bombards our society with images of good versus bad, desirable versus undesirable and what is acceptable versus unacceptable. These types of conversation are evident and distressing in the media’s deep-seated racial bias in its portrayal of darker skin tone.
In this next section of the essay, I will be discussing the effects of white-washing in the beauty industry and how it has personally affected me and the people around me.
If you have ever gotten a glimpse at a cosmetic aisle, you would probably notice how incredibly pale everything seems to be. Foundation or face makeup is one item that many of these brands refuse to produce or more specifically failed to. Most product lines seem to include skin tones that cater to a more fair complexion but when it reaches the darker end of the spectrum, it conveniently ends.
I have been the receiver to this act whereas sometimes it’s difficult for me to purchase face makeup that matches perfectly to my complexion.
Even though my skin tone is not as dark as the women that are currently facing with this problem, there are only a few brands that I can actually purchase from where I don’t end up looking grey, pale or sick. In terms of the people around me, I have friends that don’t use makeup because brands don’t have colours that are suitable for them.
This is an unfair treatment against tanned skin women as they are constantly being reminded on an everyday basis that society values and prefer women with lighter skin. Because of this act, it enforces the beliefs that dark skin women are in fact unattractive.
The Stereotype’s Influence in Present Day Lifestyle
The use of dark-skinned women as an unattractive lady has become a growing pattern in Malaysian advertisements ranging back from the year 2010 until now. A clear example of this would be the Watson’s Malaysia 2018 advertisement. The ‘Legenda Cun Raya’ advertisement had portrayed an unattractive lady and her face was covered with black paint. This advertisement received a lot of backlash from the public as they deemed the video to be racist, insensitive and tasteless. To think that this doesn’t have a negative effect on women who identify as tanned skin is ridiculous. Brands are subconsciously grooming the public into perceiving darker skin tone as unappealing and it also enforces the beliefs that men value fair women more than dark skin.
However, with that being said, certain local brands are moving one step closer to including more diversity in terms of skin colour in their advertisements. An example of this would be a local clothing brand called Whimsigirl. Whimsigirl started their first campaign by celebrating the everyday women. Women that don’t fit the mould that was deemed by society and although this does not tackle the problem at hand, it is still paving a way for other brands to continue, follow and strive into inclusivity. Other than that, a small local makeup brand called Beautyra has also made strides in including more diversity in their advertisements which sparked an online discussion within the public about changing the attitude and mindset that coloured people deserve to feel included and appreciated in the beauty industry.
The lack of diversity and representation in the cosmetics industry can lead to negative psychological impact on minorities, especially when they don’t see themselves being represented. We as a society should not wait for brands to include more diversity in their advertisements instead we should be demanding that they do more than just put a women of colour in their advertisements. We should create an environment where women of colour feel welcomed and equal because inclusivity should be an expectation and not a luxury.
Remember! This is just a sample.
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