The equation's changed or has it?

Whatever happened to tall, dark and handsome?

I am dusky woman (yes, the picture is misleading) and a proud one at that. But I grew up in a culture where dusky women used (and still do) turmeric and honey pastes and Fair and Lovely creams to lighten their skins. Now there are professional beauty treatments available as well, aptly titled, Skin-Lightening Treatments.

I grew up in a culture where boys liked light skinned women. I don't know if it was a myth, but I remember feeling insecure because of my skin color. Especially when I entered junior college (11th and 12th grade)

I grew up in a culture where the Marriage Classified ad's in newspapers still say, "Looking for a slim fair-skinned girl...." And where my mother often rebuked me for playing in the sun too much lest I become darker. With good intentions ofcourse.

No jokes. Most dusky Indian women grew up with a complex that being fair equates to being more attractive, more successful, and secures a good catch for marriage. This has definitely changed over the last few years with dusky Bollywood actresses and dusky models ruling the Indian glamor world. The changing social climate has also lent the women a sophisticated confidence which has effectively cured most of us of our skin-color related insecurities.

But when Emani Industries annoucned, Fair and Handsome. I was stumped. Fair and Handsome sounds like the younger brother of Fair and Lovely, but it's just a brilliant advertising move because Fair and Lovely, the fairness cream is owned by Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL). Emani's fairness cream for women is called, Naturally Light.

India is a huge market for fairness creams. Fair and Lovely was first and the only patented fairness cream in India when it was introduced in 1976! This cream alone is claimed to be a larger brand than the other seven skin-cream brands put together. Fair and Lovely is marketed in 30 countries!

The other fairness creams are, Revlons Fair and Glow, Godrej Consumer Product's FairGlow, CavinCare's Fairever and Chik Fairee, Emami's Naturally Fair and Gold and Turmeric, and other creams under Lakme and Aviance brands. Fair and Lovely holds 53% of the fairness market.

Emami has definitely scored a point by using similar nomenclature as HLL's Fair and Lovely. Not that it matters, how different can skin creams be? But Fair and Handsome will certainly gain more brand value from its "fake" association with India's number one fairness cream brand.

The advertisement for Fair and Handsome is also, not surprsingly, very predictive. Has this become a sure-shot ad formula for men's beauty products?

The advert for the male cream shows a dark-skinned college boy relegated to the back seat and ignored by the girls until he uses the product. Soon enough, his complexion lightens and girls flock to him like moths to a flame…

I don't know if men share the same concerns and insecurities about skin-color. But this report indicates that the Fair and Handsome has been receieved well by Indian men. The article expands that men are not afraid to admit that they want to have a light skin.

I have no doubts or qualms about men using beauty products but sometimes, I think advertising takes a little too far when it begins to exploit these inbred insecurities about skin-color. As another blogger puts it, "it won't be long before we see self-depricating ads about how a man got left behind in life because he was not fair or was too dark and how by using this Rs 30 tube of ointment (which could be moisturiser for all I know), he can catch up and indeed leave the rest behind."

I guess it is cool, in a way. Men have every right to demand a skin-lightening cream if they need it. But I feel very strongly about this issue, or maybe the way it is advertised. Is there a way to advertise a skin-lightening cream by not making any MAN or WOMAN feel like he/she's a loser if he/she's not fair?
Frankly, that's how these ads made me feel when I was a teenager.

An advertisement where a guy attracts a girl because he smells good, is fine. No girl in her right mind is going to coddle with a stinky guy. But this particular method of marketing this product, makes me feel uncomfortable.

I invite discussion on this. I want to hear what you think, regardless of your sex.

Comments

[Aranyi]

Thanks for reminding me abt this issue! I feel squeamish everytime I see the ad! The teaser hoardings served to stop men from using products like fair and lovely by asking that if they don't use nail polish etc, why do they use a women's fairness cream. That was pretty low. its not like SKIN is different! The guy looks sorta south indian... it's like its targeted at a particular market. Its like we're ashamed of who we are as a race! Just cos the North indians are lighter and bollywood is full of them doesnt necessarily mean they're more beautiful! Everyone's just right the way they're born... its genes and its evolution. When man interferes with nature bad things happen - its a proven fact.

[TF]

Hey there -- interesting analysis. I wrote about this on my blog, from a slightly different perspective, at http://posteverything.blogspot.com/2005/11/funny-being-white-in-india-usually.html. Fairness cream, such an interesting phenomenon.

[Pranay Manocha]

Yup, agree completely. The way advertisements go is not fair. Fair and Handsome is just one example - look at the sexist nature of most adverts for household goods - they show poor woman washing clothes for whole house and new washing machine makes her serve the whole house better.

Ah, there are a million examples, none of which would stand 'free and fair' practices which much of the rest of the world follows.

[Shivam Vij]

'Fair and Handsome' as the younger brother of 'Fair and Lovely'? Younger brother? Or eligible bachelor? Buy one Fair and Lovely and get a Fair and Handsome free!!!

[Jinal Shah]

Shivam Vij - Eligible bachelor dooes sounds better...I shudder at the thought of those offers.

Pranay - You think that will change in the near future? You think more women will object to such ads?

TF - Thanks for the link!

Aranyi - "its genes and its evolution.." maybe we can start an anti-fairness cream ads propaganda and have billboards across India proclaim that beautiful one-liner you wrote.

[Nirav]

Speaking for myself, I dont think skin colour mattered much and I think most guys are okay as long as they are not pitch dark. However, other stuff like how we smell and the clothes we wear is important

[Aranyi]

http://aranyi.blogspot.com/2005/11/colonised-colouring.html

[shibudada]

isnt it the greener on the other side syndrome?

White americans strut at the beach as much as possible (and tanning salons still(!) are profitable). And I as a north-indian in america too feel darker/tanner is better (for me) and attractive (on others). Most likely I wouldnt feel the same if i were living in india.

on the other hand, ive seen on more than one occasion my african-americans friends choosing to avoid the sun despite their pride in their color.

Skin color i believe is much less of an issue for men as it is for women. And, according to traditional (outdated) gender roles, women are attractors and men are pursuers; and females who attract more (fairer) will land the better mate. since these gender roles still linger in the general population, women will be expected to continue to dominate the fair-cream market share while men look for non-greasy moisturizer (which may just claim to lighten them in the process).

[Inder]

I guess I am kinda late commenting on this issue but could not resisit putting my 2 cents in this issue. I am a male in his late 30s, and have "fair" skin according to Indian standards. Growing up in India,I never felt that I was considered any better than "wheatish-medium" skinned friends.I even married a "dusky" skinned girl. Being said that, I have to agree with you 100% as to what's up w/fair skinned girls/guys....but then here in the States, everybody is obsessed with anti-wrinkle creams/potions/lotions to slow down the wrinkle process. My pint being, each culture has some obsessions and we, Indians tend to follow fair skin route.
Thanks for the nice article. I have no idea how I stumbled upon your blog as I am an Old Spice type guy:)

[TruthGuy]

Personally I don't agree with the creams but moreover the way it is advertised.

I am a Guju living in the U.k. I'm fair skinned to the point that people say I don't actually look Indian. When you live in the west you see things from a different perspective. I realised one day though that there are so many tanning creams and tanning sprays, beds being advertised - and what exactly is the difference? NONE. The only difference is in the west it will be marketed more subtly :"You don't have to wait till summer to have beautiful skin"
vs. an Indian advert which would equate fairness with autmoatic success both in your career and romantic lives.

THe fundamental difference behind it is none. If someone is pasty or ghostly white over here that is considered unattractive. If someone is brown here that is very attractive.
IN the east however it's exact opposite. The makeup some Indian and quite a lot of Oriental women wear to lighten the skin is amazing. Over there ghost white skin is considered beeautiful - probably because there aren't many people who naturally have it. Just as there are very few people with naturally tanned/brown skin in the west.

Anyway Indians should be proud of their skin colour. I certainly am.

[purvikamdar]

I am dark skinned and short with curly hair. I have certainly had bad luck in finding a good man for marriage compared to taller, fairer women. Indian men who are successful surgeons and doctors do not want to marry me.

[Sheena]

Personally, I think that the darker skin colouring of the man on the "fair and handsome" packaging is more attractive.

[nim]

this a fact which will remain for many years that only fair indian women are considered beautiful ,even by parents.dusky women should get educated more and be self dependant