Behold, the latest godsend bestowed upon Sri Lankan women.
"an innovative new day spa focusing on luxuriously indulgent skin whitening rituals to pamper guests from head to toe."
"the latest money making scheme by Spa Ceylon, feeding on the insecurities of South Asian women left behind by our gracious colonisers.
Too dark, too fugly? All that melanine bothering you? Can't find a husband because your skin is just too damn brown? Spa Ceylon is here for you. Luxuriate in comfort while our staff pours chemicals all over you and increases your self worth, one tiny bottle of bullshit at a time.
Oh and look at all these lovely people supporting the cause. All these brown, brown Sri Lankans, decked out in white glamour, hating their skin and so, so glad that Spa Ceylon is here to save them from the brown curse.
That comment, right there, is why every single thing about this endeavour is wrong. Spa Ceylon should be ashamed, to their very core, about not just supporting this whole whitening nonsense that is the bane of every South Asian woman, but dedicating a whole segment of their business to it. But I suppose principles and human decency go out the window when money walks in the door.
I am disappointed. Disappointed by our people who support and promote this farce; disappointed that there are faces I know in those two albums; disappointed that I know our well-to-do ladies will flock to this establishment; disappointed at the message it sends our young girls: that you are not beautiful in your own skin, that your dark skin is something that needs "fixing".
As a feminist, nothing hurts me more than seeing greedy capitalists feeding off women's insecurities, created by other greedy capitalists. I hope people boycott Spa Ceylon for this. As if taking our traditional herbal medicines and making a mockery of them wasn't enough, they now make a mockery of our women and men as well.
This is a sad day.
9 comments:
Forgive my English. I see what your point is my friend, but there is one unfortunate thing you did from unobserved writing that just does not see "The other side" effects.
Your post not only condemns the company which provides the service yet also these people.
Do not point to people with insecurities. They are not weaker simply because they need to look different, or desires things differently. Simply speaking if skin whitening is an issue, so should hair coloring, hair straightening, blow-drying, perms, manicuring, pedicures, choosing to wear different clothes daily, choosing to wear different clothes than other women, being particular about the appearance of women’s shoes, choosing what saree to pick for a function, makeup. etc.
Basically everything a woman does for her appearance to change at any moment. There will always be women & men all want to look different. And I am sure you can't single yourself out as someone who has not cared for appearance. They will always exist. These people are no less than any other.
Who are you to stand so high and look down upon people as if you have never had the need or a desire to look different at any point in life? I think this post was very patronizing towards people who chose to look a little different. If you're so much against women’s mentalities being degraded by such menial attitudes you should stand against all spas, salons, dress makers, wedding dress designers, and hair stylists.
You actually gave a sense of care for those "women" you look at and speak for in kindness using harshness towards a single company. If you care more write positive articles which may help the women you are so concerned for to have the need to get up and go about their day without worrying about the clothes they chose to wear, the makeup they put on, the shoes they pick.. You get the idea.
You did not create an article that empowers women. You created a bunch of other women to think they are superior, to get together and snicker at other women who reach out for this fairness services. Not a decent thing to do. If you think support is necessary, then support to this mentality is given by actual giving support not by pointing these ladies out and signaling them as different. No different to racism and profiling.
It reminds me of women who sit and watch accessories of other women passing by and stating how they are fakes from Thailand. Yes they exist; I hope no one is naive to believe otherwise.
Frankly speaking, I'd rather shut down fast-food outlets, tobacco companies, alcohol suppliers, rather than get pissed off about a skin whitening product that causes perhaps less harm than things that cause kidney, liver, lung and heart issues.
It does not matter if you are a feminist or chauvanist, lesbian or gay,socialist or capitalist to realize that Rehan Fernando's views are ingnorant and colonial. But then, during a recent visit, I saw the educated Colombo crowd immitate many more things colonial and Western. I find the naked brown skin much more attractive. But that's just me.
Russ.C.
I'm sad that we are defined by our complexion.
This is the stupidest thing I have read this year.
i like you.
Do not misunderstand my comment. I feel the comment made by Rehan F'do is either a reflection of pure ignorance or a side effect of commenting while being stoned.
The reason I commented is because this post is spreading like wildfire. I personally do not like setting people lower apart just because personal likings may differ.
Anything that is personal must be left as personal. Else, there is no difference between marketing white skin and marketing brown skin.
It's the ignorance that makes us not wonder if there are fair skin people on the other side looking down on other fair skin people who want to be tanned?
I think they too are wrong to pick the "Love yourself for the way you look" campaign and patronize people who disagree. It creates more confusion among youth, simply because it leads to back talking.
Who is to say or chose for another? They would be doing the same as companies marketing the "Look different than yourself" campaign.
People in their own right have a choice. It is of their own. No one has the right to argue against and also point fingers against.
There will always be differences. Accept it, stop hating over it & instigating groups. It's high time the segregation of groups by personal opinion for justification came to an end.
Billions of people on the internet & I thought evolution of thoughts would have progressed by now. Sadly not, it's apparently a joke just like the joke about creating the works of Shakeshpere.
@ P. Kumar: I wanted to respond to you in a thoughtful manner but now you are just rambling and wasting my time, so I'll just say this: white skin is just one in an array of insecurities our culture and capitalism has created in us. Hair straightening is not as harmful as, for example, anorexia and bulimia. I fight my battles where and as I can. What I've highlighted in this post is an issue which particularly angers me because I have seen the effect it has on young girls, having been one myself.
If I sound condescending towards the people I've mentioned here, it is because I mean to be. I have no patience for those who slavishly follow trends and whatever is new and hip at the cost of the self-respect of the women and girls in our culture. The lightness/darkness of one's skin, if you are to believe the advertisements (and many do), affects a host of things including marriage and career. The idea perpetuated by WHITE translates to extremes like harmful bleaching for those who cannot afford the luxury of whatever "ayurvedic" rubbish they market.
So no, I have no sympathy for the insecurities of those who promote things like this. We all have insecurities, but at some point we grow up and learn to question them: is my insecurity worth my time, money and self respect? Is it something worth passing on to my sister/daughter/grand daughter who will no doubt learn by watching what I do? I've asked myself this question many times and the answer is most often No.
But this is just my opinion. You are free to have your own.
i totally agree with the very 1st comment.. anyways educated folks will and should know that nothing can lighten or WHITEN our natural skin color. We can only try and maintain it.. and skin lightening isnt necessarily a bad thing in the sense - why do you want to do it? Well you got yourself sun tanned, got a scar that doesnt seem to fade.. badly maintained feet that needs some care or over using of detergents that has darken hands? There are many things people worry about these days.. sometimes its not about becoming WHITE.. its about maintaining the color and skin condition.
Its how you interpret things and any smart person would know - there is nothing that can whiten you really. And these products CLAIM to be free from mercury and bleach is something that people might need.
Also many people talk big talk - but then they still seem to go get their faces bleached, facials done, pedicures done bla bla bla.. as the article above uses the word "FIXING" We do fix many things from head to toe.. this is just ONE type of fixing.. we still seem to do loads of others and find no fault in any. Why is this such a big deal? Because of the word WHITE? hehe oh its just a word really..
Cleopatra sitting in a tub of milk and honey to lighten body skin is spoken of as secrets of nature.. while the same stuff in bottles and tubs and labeled 'WHITE' seems to bring in so much controversy.
Anyways im not someone whose for skin lightening at all.. but i really dont seem to find a problem with it. As long as its not harmful as they claim.. its all fine and a part of self grooming.
hey, we like to be fair and fairer. we like to keep our healthy skin but with some white effect. its like western people like get tanned, we like to be whitened
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