Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 11 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 23 years, 8 months ago by
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This is a really excellent observation. As a white person, it made me think about the difference between skin color and skin ‘color.’ Skin color being the actual aesthetic qualities of one’s skin, and skin ‘color’ being the politics of one’s race. To my eye, people with that sort of milk chocolate brown, ‘Oprah Winfrey’ color are really a pleasing skin color. There was a writer once who offended people’s sensibilities by referring to Martin Luther King as being the color of a fine cigar. (The same writer once referred to Herbert Hoover as the color of a puffed marshmallow.) People chastised him for the ‘cigar’ reference, but he said he was just trying to find a good descriptive adjective. My Northern European genetics gave me a peach-colored skin, which is fine for absorbing vitamin A from sunlight in low light latitudes but actually rather dull from an artist’s standpoint. I believe when Caucasians try to tan they are risking skin cancer to simply locate a better looking color. However, when people refer to black skin in the social setting, they are hauling in all the history, politics and social placement issues. So yes, we are probably jealous of the actual color of black skin, but not jealous of the politics it brings.
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Name : Steve27845, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 39, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Executive, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,Why are some white people so prejudiced and racist against people of color, yet burn themselves all the time in an effort to get darker? It doesn’t make sense. What is the logic? Is it that this hatred is really a result of jealousy?
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Name : Karen, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 27, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I agree with just about everything in Steve’s response. To expand somewhat, it is not just race that is a basis for these feelings. Look at the hostile feelings between groups in Serbia, Ireland, etc. I even saw a question on the Y? Forum regarding how Hispanics from outside the United States can sometimes put American (U.S.) Hispanics in the ‘other’ group and discriminate against them. Robert Wright describes the basis for a lot of this in his book The Moral Animal. It is a tendency that we all have to some degree, and that we have to recognize and often struggle to overcome.
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Name : Lazarus, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 41, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Sales, Education level : 4 Years of College,Kevin, black people can tan, and we can tan faster and more safely than whites, as can most people of color. More melanin = easier tan. And tanning is never healthy. Why do whites subscribe to the myth that if you ‘build up’ a tan, you won’t burn, or you get a better tan? It’s always dangerous. I’m brown-skinned, and I’ve been very badly sunburned before. Believe me, you won’t look healthy when you’re covered with wrinkles by the time you’re 40.
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Name : Lorraine, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,I don’t think it is a result of jealousy. It is merely done for cosmetic reasons. For instance, I could say the same thing about racist blacks who straighten their hair. It seems to me that you are over-analyzing and making something an issue that wasn’t one in the first place.
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Name : L-James, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 21, City : Chester, State : SC, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I, too, have wondered why, and it goes much further than just tanning of the skin. Blacks were made fun of in cartoons and comic strips because of our full (big) lips. Now, whites are having collagen injected in their lips for fullness. I have seen whites with dredlocks, corn rows and braids in their hair. Our urban culture, i.e., style of dress, dance, and speech is being copied. Strange.
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Name : Lisa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 38, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Professional, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,As a white male who tans on a regular basis, it really is just a matter of looking better and healthier. I wouldn’t assume that every white person who tans has some kind of jealousy or prejudice against black people. Using that kind of logic, maybe black people are jealous of white people because they can tan. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I can see how black people might not understand tanning, but in today’s society, most whites and blacks work indoors, as opposed to outdoors. As a result, we white people tend to not receive any benefits from the sun that might not be apparent to blacks. Remember, the sun spits out huge amounts of ultraviolet rays that can be harmful to people who have not built up a healthy tan. Therefore, if we are to spend ample amounts of time in the sun, we must prepare as well. Besides, it looks good, too.
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Name : Kevin, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Birmingham, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Graphic Designer, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,You pose a good question. As for the logic of tanning, it was Hollywood that gave us that look. Up until this century, to have pale skin was a sign of wealth. It meant that you didn’t have to work in the fields or outdoors in the markets; that you had enough money to spend your time indoors. Some people were so pale that you could see the blue veins under the skin of their wrists, and that’s where the term ‘blue blood’ came from. But then Hollywood stars started coming back from their vacations tanned. And soon movies were scattered with these tanned bodies and it became hip to be tanned. And this ‘fad’ has yet to fall out of style. As for it being envy: Honestly, I don’t think so. I’m Puerto Rican but have Irish coloring, i.e. I’m pale, and I’ve never felt jealous of some of my darker cousins. However, this may be different for other people.
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Name : Mekki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Irish/Puerto Rican, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Virginia Beach, State : VA, Country : United States,I’ve noticed that many prejudiced African-American people drive Mercedes Benzes. Does this mean they hate white Germans because they are actually of jealous them? I’ve also noticed that many prejudiced African-American people straighten their hair. Does this mean they are jealous of white people with naturally straight hair? A third observation is that many African-American people wear clothes designed by Ralph Lauren, a white man. Is this further evidence of their jealousy of whites?
I would suggest that whites tan to look healthier or more attractive. Some people tan to help improve acne or other skin conditions. Turning every little issue that crosses one’s mind into an issue of black and white only promotes hate and is ultimately destructive.
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Name : Angela, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 25, City : Farmington Hills, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I have heard this rationalization for years. Using your logic, one would be forced to ask why so many black people relax their hair to make it straighter, more ‘white.’ I think the answer is that some people think that having a tan looks nice, and some people like to have straight hair. Bringing race into such a thing is unnecessary and often hostile.
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Name : Charlotte32288, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 31, City : Charlotte, State : NC, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I don’t really understand your anology. I think white people do look better with a tan. What I don’t like is when some compare their tans to my natual skin color. The reason black people get their hair straightened is because sometimes our hair is difficult to handle, not because we want to have ‘white’ hair. Also, it dosen’t make sence to me, regarding getting a tan since it could cause skin cancer for both groups.
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Name : Kim-Best, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 34, City : Raleigh, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : house wife, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,Karen is a fool. Most whites tan only on vacation and the difference in tanned skin and not tanned skin is only a few shades. If it truly made our skin black you would be living on the coast and we would still be in the inner cities. You black girls are the ones who buy white girl hair in a bag so who is really jealous.
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Name : Mara22329, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : Austin, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : grad. student, Social class : Upper middle class,
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