Mishigan said:
Skin Bleaching - The act of making ones skin Lighter through the use of Chemicals.
Simply put, this is one of the saddest aspects of Caribbean & African Culture. There is no greater expression of self loathing/hatred & inferiority that I can think of. Our complexions are one of our most visible features and to attempt alter it to appear "lighter" is borderline insane when you really think about it. Of course we all know that this a direct effect of Colonialism & the white controlled media. But it is continued by our own ignorance on many levels. Firstly the harmful effects of putting these harsh chemicals on your skin... There is a reason why they have hazardous chemical label warnings on them. There's no rational reason for anyone putting themselves through that kind of torture and exposing themselves to the dangers that come with it. Its almost as if you ask someone to take a shower in acid. Who in their right mind would do that?! So we know that there is some sort of mental dysfunction that goes along with this Bleaching Phenomenon. We also have to look at how society views this. Aside from the bleachers themselves, no one else finds this attractive. And when you really consider it... How could we? White face, Dark Hairline? White Arm, Dark Fingers & Knuckles? Very few people have the money to do the Total Bleach job that was achieved by the late great Micheal Jackson (Vitiligo mi rass) and so we see these pitch patch people walking around boastfully exposing their insanity. Only at night though... Caz we know Bleacha 'fraid a Sun.
With all this said, the most damaging effect that bleaching has is on the children. Children who see their parents & stars who they look up to bleach begin to hate their own complexion, which is a very big part of our identities. At one point it seemed like the days of the "clear" skin fascination that my mother told me about were done. As a dark skinned woman she recalls the pressures of being ridiculed and overlooked due to her dark complexion, but she never bleached and thankfully so. It showed her strength and pride in what God gave her naturally, which of course is transferred to everyone she meets and her children. The opposite is true for the Bleacher. Bleaching only shows the pride you have in looking like your oppressors... And it confuses our children who should feel nothing but prideful about their dark complexions. Bleaching is a slap in the face of every Black leader that has died for our freedoms as Blacks worldwide, from Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King.
I commend Kiprich on his latest song Cyaah Get Brown. Historically there has always been a conflict on the Bleaching topic in music. In the late 80's & early 90's there were many references to the use of Nadinola & Ambi, 2 creams that were used to "smooth" & "even" out complexions. But in reality, its bleaching cream. And we always had the counteractions. But it seems that now, along with everything else, its gone to the extreme... Endorsing the use of Cake Soap to wash your face... When Cake Soap is used to wash clothes... The ting gone too far. I applaud Kiprich for dealing directly the matter which is always a risk when you are challenging the hottest artist at the time. I hope that people listen to the Lyrics of the song and it inspires them to think before they follow this trend.
As for the Bleachers themselves, I truly feel sorry for them. Not only because of their duppy like appearance that makes them look like they are sick & ridiculous, but because of the way they see themselves. Their inferior self perception has literally driven them to the point of disfiguring themselves to feel attractive. And the most alarming thing about this is the people they are trying to look like want to look like US. They sit in the sun for hours to "tan" themselves to be darker. Their idea for attractive men is "tall dark & handsome" They go crazy over their Women with our features, Big Lips (Angelina Jolie) and not to mention the shapes of the Kardashian women, and they will pay to have themselves altered to look like us. It seems like nobody really loves themselves.
For the Bleachers I really suggest some sort of counseling... And for anyone who's wondering about bleaching... I recommend you read a book by Toni Morrisson, "The Bluest Eye" before you order your Cake Soap.
Love Yourself!!!
RRRRRRR
Simply put, this is one of the saddest aspects of Caribbean & African Culture. There is no greater expression of self loathing/hatred & inferiority that I can think of. Our complexions are one of our most visible features and to attempt alter it to appear "lighter" is borderline insane when you really think about it. Of course we all know that this a direct effect of Colonialism & the white controlled media. But it is continued by our own ignorance on many levels. Firstly the harmful effects of putting these harsh chemicals on your skin... There is a reason why they have hazardous chemical label warnings on them. There's no rational reason for anyone putting themselves through that kind of torture and exposing themselves to the dangers that come with it. Its almost as if you ask someone to take a shower in acid. Who in their right mind would do that?! So we know that there is some sort of mental dysfunction that goes along with this Bleaching Phenomenon. We also have to look at how society views this. Aside from the bleachers themselves, no one else finds this attractive. And when you really consider it... How could we? White face, Dark Hairline? White Arm, Dark Fingers & Knuckles? Very few people have the money to do the Total Bleach job that was achieved by the late great Micheal Jackson (Vitiligo mi rass) and so we see these pitch patch people walking around boastfully exposing their insanity. Only at night though... Caz we know Bleacha 'fraid a Sun.
With all this said, the most damaging effect that bleaching has is on the children. Children who see their parents & stars who they look up to bleach begin to hate their own complexion, which is a very big part of our identities. At one point it seemed like the days of the "clear" skin fascination that my mother told me about were done. As a dark skinned woman she recalls the pressures of being ridiculed and overlooked due to her dark complexion, but she never bleached and thankfully so. It showed her strength and pride in what God gave her naturally, which of course is transferred to everyone she meets and her children. The opposite is true for the Bleacher. Bleaching only shows the pride you have in looking like your oppressors... And it confuses our children who should feel nothing but prideful about their dark complexions. Bleaching is a slap in the face of every Black leader that has died for our freedoms as Blacks worldwide, from Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King.
I commend Kiprich on his latest song Cyaah Get Brown. Historically there has always been a conflict on the Bleaching topic in music. In the late 80's & early 90's there were many references to the use of Nadinola & Ambi, 2 creams that were used to "smooth" & "even" out complexions. But in reality, its bleaching cream. And we always had the counteractions. But it seems that now, along with everything else, its gone to the extreme... Endorsing the use of Cake Soap to wash your face... When Cake Soap is used to wash clothes... The ting gone too far. I applaud Kiprich for dealing directly the matter which is always a risk when you are challenging the hottest artist at the time. I hope that people listen to the Lyrics of the song and it inspires them to think before they follow this trend.
As for the Bleachers themselves, I truly feel sorry for them. Not only because of their duppy like appearance that makes them look like they are sick & ridiculous, but because of the way they see themselves. Their inferior self perception has literally driven them to the point of disfiguring themselves to feel attractive. And the most alarming thing about this is the people they are trying to look like want to look like US. They sit in the sun for hours to "tan" themselves to be darker. Their idea for attractive men is "tall dark & handsome" They go crazy over their Women with our features, Big Lips (Angelina Jolie) and not to mention the shapes of the Kardashian women, and they will pay to have themselves altered to look like us. It seems like nobody really loves themselves.
For the Bleachers I really suggest some sort of counseling... And for anyone who's wondering about bleaching... I recommend you read a book by Toni Morrisson, "The Bluest Eye" before you order your Cake Soap.
Love Yourself!!!
RRRRRRR
Hotlipps said:
Everyone bleaches right? At least that is how it seems. It’s almost as if bleachers aren’t afraid to admit that they in fact bleach their skin. The reasons vary, from actual lightening, to “toning”. Some bleach from head to toe, and others, only certain areas of their face or body. People have even gotten kudos, for their bleaching technique (di bleach reach) lol. We have artistes like Vybz Kartel, and Lisa Hype who openly bleach, and have incorporated bleaching into their music. . And don’t get it twisted; bleaching definitely isn’t limited to Jamaicans. Africans are notorious for bleaching as well other ethnicities. Some may say to each their own, but many find bleaching to be a form of self-hatred. How else would you classify someone who lightens their skin, usually in an unattractive and disfiguring manner? Many of these products contain harmful agents which put users at risk for skin damage, and potential ailments.
Jamaica like many other Caribbean and African nations having been colonized by Europeans, as well as inhabited by people of other ethnicities (Asian, Middle Eastern etc) unfortunately has resulted in a mentality that “lighter, is better” and that non-black features are the standard of beauty. Many believe that it will result in more opportunities as well. So when did bleaching of the skin start? I am sure people have been bleaching for centuries, maybe decades. I remember artistes openly talking about bleaching products in the 1990s. Buju Banton told women to ensure that they were “Battyrider” ready by using Nadinola, a popular bleaching agent in Jamaica. Buju Banton had one of his most popular hits ever “Browning” which spoke of his love for the lighter complexioned woman. He quickly followed up the hit with “Love Black Woman”. But, it was obvious that the damage was done. Women at the time were bleaching, as Nardo Ranks put it in “Dem a Bleach”, to look like a browning. Despite being berated in songs such as these and “Monkeys Out” by Lexxus where women who bleached were compared to monkeys, people continue to do so without hesitation. Is the desire to be lighter so strong, that one would risk health problems, and ridicule to do so? I will admit, there are some people who bleach well, if I can say so, without sounding ignorant. But the truth is, those people are FEW and far in between. Most people who bleach look ridiculous. They look unnatural; their features look out of place with their newly acquired lighter skin. Many bleach some areas, and not others, so they end up having 4 different skin tones, or as Frisco kid so eloquently put it on the track “Big Speech” dem fava bun peach lol. Whatever the reason, I wish most of the bleachers would realize you look 1000 times better in your natural state. It is truly sad, because I wonder what they see in the mirror. Because most of us looking at you think you look a mess, and are laughing at you. Not only are you harming yourself physically, but you are teaching your children that they should not be proud of the beautiful skin color God blessed them with. I really don’t see it getting better anytime soon, because now men are bleaching too. Vybz Kartel publicly attributed his lighter and “cooler” complexion to the use of cake soap, which is ridiculous. As we know, once Kartel says something the people run with it. Cake soap has been selling out at an alarming rate across Jamaica, resulting in Kiprich’s counteraction “Caan get brown”. Although it is satirical, it does speak volumes, about how gullible people can be, and how desperate they have become to attain lighter skin. Maybe I should invest in bleaching products or cake soap, since it it obvious this is something that is here to stay. ‘Til next time, Smooches from Hotlipps.
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