Color Struck

Very well produced piece. Check out this pod: http://current.com/items/90942192_through-stills-of-life-the-annenberg-space-for...

You can wear skirts and shorts with your bare legs showing and not worry about your pasty, ugly, white legs.

Also, black skin doesn't wrinkle as much as white skin and therefore ages more slowly.

Does it never occur to black women that maybe white women envy their skin?

It's fucked up. But it happens not only in the US, but all over the world. Many Arabs, for example, have forgotten THEIR Black roots; In India, they've been trying to lighten up for years. In Asia, there is anti-black bias among Asians, though many of them AND other peoples around the world have been "hit w/a bit of the tarbrush". WHY does everybody want to run away from Black??? And why the hell did the Afro ever go out???

Wow! We just look for reasons to hate don't we!

Loved the piece and find it quite interesting. Being a white female I find it interesting that among white people, we always seem to be trying to get darker. We pay to lay in suntan beds and darken our skin or use make-up to darken our skin. I think it is interesting that among whites the whiter the skin tone the less desirable. Being very white seems to be seen as looking sickly.
I think the bigger picture here is the need in every segment of our culture to have someone to look down on or think less of, for whatever reason we can come up with. I also agree with one of the people that was interviewed that the media plays a large role in this situation.
Very good piece, very necessary discussion.

Very interesting video.

I never gave the possibility of this kind of thing much thought.

I suppose that may be due at least in part to the fact that for white women there's such a huge push to be darker, to have that "perfect tan," and here I am teased on a regular basis for how "sickly" I look for being my natural color. Ha! ;) It didn't occur to me that some people might want to be lighter when being lighter is something that just makes people tease me about my coloring when they see me in shorts. :S

I guess to me white-is-white, black-is-black, brown-is-brown, olive-is-olive, gold-is-gold, etc. But variations in those general colors are just that: variations.

And variations, subtleties-- these are the things that add beauty and value to the original canvas, no? How boring we would all look if we were all one color, or if all brown people the same shade of brown, all gold people the same shade of gold... *yawn*

I want to see a more vibrant picture than that! I want to see colors! Lots and lots of beautiful colors! :D

Some people will never be satisfied until everyone is like them. And THEN they won't be satisfied because they won't be as "special" and "unique" as they thought they were before everyone started to match them!

People like that make my brain tired...

You know what's weird? For white women the darker your skin is the more attractive and exotic you are perceived to be. Pasty white females (and males) are considered less attractive than olive or darker skinned whites. Never thought about that much till just now.

To All Sisters...

Stand Strong, Know GOD, Know Yourself, Love infinitely and Heal The World.

I thank you. I thank you. I thank you.

The Black Womb-Man is the mother of humanity and the total embodiment of True Love. There is more soul and truthful human experience in the index finger of an Original Womb-Man (that knows, lives and expresses herself as that) than any other woman on the planet.
Indeed, people are people, men are men and women are women however there is a factor that distinguishes the Original Womb-Man from any and all others. It manifests from a state of consciousness and has emanated throughout antiquity. Its in her hips when she walks, her speech when she talks and most evident in the pure love for her children and husband.... Salvation is found in her bosom.

If you don't know, you are missing out!!!!

Damn! That's the first time I've heard of the Brown paper bag test. However, the ideas behind it are not new to me. This 'light skin, dark skin, thing is prevalent in the Caribbean (Jamaica) where my parents are from. With a variety of colors in my family I have been told by my grandfather (who had a white father) that he was allowed to take his light skinned son to the old man's house but not the darker ones. This, of course, has permeated into the attitudes and behavior of family members to this day. I like this pod because it brings the subject into the open.

why do black women always straighten there hair, that should be illegal.

Great pod, and all of this is true. I always thought is as weird when some black kids at school didnt like me just because I was light skinned or because I was mixed. Most of my friends are either white or asian.

a very thought-provoking and honest pod.

Loved it!

I think skin colour reallys dosen't matter, I do think only in America it happens & the only woman I ended up listening to is the one with the short hair style, all those other women that spoke about the "white culture stuff" they ended up being a part of anyway, with their perms and lipstick, made no sence to me, I don't & will never get how people say one thing then do another, dosen't make sence, that's it for me ~Bless~ "+ woman with the short hair looked better anyway" that's just me though.-----0o0o but she seemed a little angry, I think she should just talk, so people don't assume she's just another angry black woman because of an issue so trivial.

i agree with you salsabrownie5.
I think if people are wakin gup with a grudge, or prejudice.. they should just go back to sleep.
we don't need people like that in the world.--
there ar so many problems in the world..
they need to solve things like global warming .. instead of creating superficial problems like racism.
---
it wasn't a black person that invented the car that is currently a leading cause of GLOBAL WARMING.
-- and it was not black people that invented gasoline which is the cause of war and global warming.
--- i just think that people who think that the color of a person's skin is a problem.. well then.. they are just really stupid.. and they should not be aloud to earn more than a dollar an hour.
*~* because the fact of the matter is,, they shoul dnot even be able to make a dollar an hour if they are racist.. because.. racism is illegal,,and they belon gin jail.
*~* if they are going to make the laws,, they should enforce them also.

Her reason's when I was a child made no sense to me at the time and seemed radical and unfair to me as a kid wanting a simple toy,but I see now that it makes all the sense in the world.This is my mom's justification:first off things like that corrupt and are implanted in the minds of a growing girl and put false superficial images of a body,second it's a waste of money and giving money to a company that corrupts and doesn't want change,(we didn't have the money at the time to spend on such necessary items),I wouldn't want it for my whole life,and last because it doesn't embrace all women of all shapes and sizes and colors until about the mid eighties or so.(plus my mom was a hippie,and yet another example of how it is women who make great thinking,accepting, ground breaking minds.)In the modeling world right now,I've been noticing how very exotic looking girls are the rage.That can either be considered a plus,or a discriminatory scenario,but that's just that business,and unfortunately I think it's always going to be that way.By way,I mean the certain looks of people they want,and the requisites of height,age and weight.The brown paper bag test made me outraged that advisor's of colleges would allow for that to happen,and why if a sorority or fraternity wanted something that humiliating and wanted exploitation of some one just to be apart of it, why people would go to those things in the first place,why any support in any way was given to them.But that is the past and grudges need to be dropped.And peace found. As being adopted into a Jewish household I could say "oh I hate all Germans!"But that would be such an ignorant thing to say or imply being that it's Nazis that I would have such feeling's towards,not the people of a nation,it's important to learn to grudges at some point and to move on and find resolutions.It is individuals that break stereotypes and positively influence others. I am not disagreeing with this video in any way what so ever,I completely agree with everyone stating their case.I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this, and help girls across the nation in my generation change their perception of things and complete this revolution that has seemed to have broken off into many denominations,and that has been going on for centuries.Boundaries need to be broken and so does the perception of beauty.

I think that for the ladies in the film its true to there world. But where I'm from its not as harsh. I see more black guys with darkskinededed women then with liteskinededed women. Now why is that. I'm from D.C. Chilling in SS right now. And as a black man the dark skinned sistas round here are sexy beautiful. They get a lot of attention. But I have also noticed some thing else different between the two. If I'm not mistaken there are more dark skinned mothers, girlfriends, and wifes then not. Hmmmmm. I need to investigate this more.

hey. honestly.. to that lady..
if you feel discriminated against..
that sucks..
you know..
-- i just said what i said..
becasue i could.
--
but i really don't know ..
someone said to me recently..
-- women teach their children values.
--
so..
blame the moms.
haha
it was a gurl that said it.
*~*
i know.. i know..
but really.
-- if anyone is a jerk cause of your skin color,,
you don't need to hang out with them.
-- as a white person..
i am aloud to hang out with any other white person..
but when i meet a total racist.. -- i leave.
i tell them i don't think they are kewl, or right or anything,, and i leave.
--
you don't like them,,and neither do I.
-- it is just that -- what i said before was more based on colors.. that i study,, as an artist.
people say BLACK lacks light.
but paint..-- black paint.. the color yellow can be added.. lots of yellow and a little black,, and mix it. It makes GREEN.
we all know.. yellow and blue make GREEN.
so in essence.. I prove the color BLACK does not even exist !!!
it is a lack of light.. therefore.. it is NOT tangible.
-- so.. BLACK PEOPLE...
that would make you INVISIBLE.
--- don't get upset cause others are too stupid to realize this.
and it is a FACT.
Most black people are brown.. and brown is beautiful.. and all white people will agree.. -- ever hear of the song... BROWN EYED GURL.
?????
all white people love that song.
cause she has BROWN eyes.. not blue or green or anything in between.
over and out.

Ok this really struck me,and I can tell the woman sharing their feelings were completely heart felt.I am 16 years old and white from a reform Jewish household,living in New Rochelle,New York.New Rochelle is the suburbs outside New York New York,and my class just went on a field trip to learn a sense of place of New Rochelle and to learn about our highly diverse community that has always been accepting and open to many of all races.Even back to the early 1800's their has been diversity.This stood out as important to me,as close bordering cities and towns were not,and didn't let African Americans,Irish,Latins,and many discriminated against cultures even own land.But why are people in general judgmental and tend to wrongly stereotype?There are many possibilities,but it's hard to pin point one.Me myself,have friends of all religions,race,sexuality,color,size,political views,etc.I'm lucky to be going to such a large diverse school,it teaches everyone harmony and tolerance,of outcasts and people who are generally ostracized in other places,it allows for a more open world in the future and it allows for this kind of positive thinking to spread and flourish,unfortunately not every where's like that.We need to get to the bottom if this,and find a solution and spread positive thoughts around the world.So I think the problem here is women.Women have always been judgmental and insecure with themselves and their bodies, and this and that.This needs to stop,women need to start looking at all their great qualities,stop judging one another and stop being jealous and catty and melodramatic,all women out their know just what I mean.Women define beauty,we are the ones that essentially teach our children good morals,woman are the ones in which the definition of beauty is aimed and which the media chooses to brain wash with fashion generalizations and looks and false icons that destroy womens connection to one another regardless of color.I find it funny how very pale women are aiming for a golden sun kissed tan,and women with very rich dark skin are craving lighter skin.Why can't we just be happy with ourselves?People to notice your appearance first,its just human nature,but why the skin and its color?Because it is the largest and in my opinion most intriguing body part,think about it,it really is,it has the most variety, and it is the most precious, it allows for the sensation of touch, and no one has the same exact skin tone,ever,I mean all skin is different see every woman has curves,legs,a face, skin is the one you can most differentiate with,even if you think you can differentiate with a certain stand-outish characteristic they have, you notice skin first.As for men.Boys will be boys,and a famous quote is "Rigor of beauty is the quest.But how will you find beauty when it is locked in the mind past all remonstrance." -William Carlos, now I'm not quite sure what that he was trying to portray in that quote,and what he meant by it for himself,but I thought it was a brilliant quote that took me awhile to comprehend.But I think its trying to say real beauty is hard to find,real beauty that is shining from within with pure untouched,unaltered confidence and grace,the kind that breaks a certain stereotype the kind that is not sexual but sensual,the kind that the one who holds that beauty had to look hard and go through a lot to find it.You know you are beautiful inside and out,and if a guy just doesn't see it, he's obviously blinded by his own influenced brain thats looking for the wrong things,the false portrayals of beauty,and that is a typical thing to say,but it's true.And my mother,when I was a kid refused to buy me Barbie Dolls.

i dunno.. why is everyone so damn crazy.
mellow ...
everyone must mellow out.
stop hating things.
-- like.. do you know that all wars are created by people.
and that there are always societies that live in peace with no war, and they never join a war. like. in the USA.. we are at war,, but many of us will never participate.
-- so.. does the world have to wait till all the war makers are dead before we get to live in a peaceful paradise?
-- like i always thought they created insane assylums for a reason.
shouldn't all the people on the planet that have war-like notions automatically be put in an insane assylum. cause we can get along just fine,, if not better with no wars,, and never having to worry about being drafted,, or send your kids to war to die.. cause some guy you never met said so.
some guy that can't even score higher on a test than you.
and you are just going to trust those people.. even though you have caught them in many lies before.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
i know insane assylums exist.. - so,, if they were doing their jobs,, no wars would exist.
you think about that for a while..
-- cause if you can make such a huge issue out of colorism,, i bet you can make all these people go to insane assylums .

so,, if you are trying to say colorism is real.. then i think everyone needs to learn their colors. cause white people are not white,, and black people are not black.
if you don't believe me.. take a white piece of paper,, and put it next to a "WHITE" persons face.. and ask yourself why these two colors don't match. THen,, do the same thing with a black piece of construction paper,, and put it next to a "Black" persons face. You see.. i got you all on that one. -- ------------------------------- -- scenario two::: go to a place where there is a giant parking lot -- and go to the front of the lot,, now.. give a stranger the key to the car.. and tell them they have to find it in 5minutes and drive it back to you. like a game show.-- it can be run by a third party.. if the person who owns the car describestheir car to the stranger and the stranger finds the car, and drives it up there in 5 minutes,, then the 3rd party gives both those peopel 5 grand.-- so you will get honesty. Now.. i will be willing to say that over 95% ofthe people that discribe their car will use a color. -- becauseit makes sence. it has nothing to do with being racist towards the car. you use a color, the make and model and year of the car.-- like when you describe a person... you give age, gender, hair color.. no one complains when they use hair color in the description of a person,, just skin color. if colorism is a law.. then all the blond people will sue, and what about me. i have brown hair.. so.. think about that.
it is not colorism that is the problem,, -- i mean,, some situations,, maybe people feel that way.. maybe some people are just looking for a fight.
in any event.. if a person is the best.. then who can argue that? and that deals with skill level,, not skin color.
Mike Jordan, Tiger Woods... to be blatently obvious.
anyway..
as an artist,, i just thought colorism was a little crazy.. and what about the authors.. they are not aloud to write a book with a character that is African American/// black. I mean think about it,, black people went so far as to have their names changed. that is powerful... they call you african americans.. i would not be complaining about a lack of power. it is like saying,, you can't call women .. well you can no longer say they are females.
and you can't call me a male anymore. becasue it is an accurate description of who and part of what i am.
-- i don't understand it.. i am naive i guess.. but being black doesn't make you ugly.. love the skin your in.
you know.. like,, i just don't get it. why do you think white people always go to the beach? to get a tan,, so the color of their skin will be DARK. are you starting to catch my drift? even white people think dark skin is beautiful.

this is going o take a minute tostraighten out,, bare with me..
I think racism is terrible.. but I think colorism is ridiculous.
-- let me lay some logic down for you. I am an artist.. and fisherman, among other things..-- and i came up with a couple scenarios.---
If I gave you three of my CDs to listen to.. 3 different types of elctronic music--no words,, just sound styles... and One was in a RED case on a red disk,, the second on a blue disk in a blue case,, and the third in a green case on a green disk. THen i asked you to listen to all 3.. then asked which one was your favorite.
-- I can pretty much garuntee that over 90% of the people are going to describe the one they like best by first saying the color of the CD and case... then by trying to describe the types of sounds. I am a visual artist as well as a music maker. And when people discribe something by explaining the color --- that is not an insult, it is an observation. When people try to make factual observations illegal.. it just seems slightly insane. Now,, I will be the first to back you up when it comes to a racist issue. I am not trying to be an ass. I am simply saying.. i think you have gone a little far. From an outsiders point of view. I get upset when people make me fill out a form,, and I have to say that i am WHITE. -- As painter,, i can honestly say that when i have don a self portrait,, i have never used the white tube of paint to paint my skin color. it is more tan,, and sometimes green or blues are in there depending on the light.-- but never white. and when i paint black people.. I have never used the tube of black paint. again,, purple, blue.. with a more typical brown... to achieve realism. but never ever black.--

I personally Love Mixed skinned women,But im just 1 man with that 1 choice,but Really every woman has a degree of individual beauty and every man has a different preferrance of what beauty is in there own eye's,As so do women...But really when it all boil's down to it Men are Horndog's and would hump(or at least dry hump)on anything if they can,so it really doesnt matter in the end...For men that is...HHMMM..I wonder if majority of women feel that same way about men...

Hm, I'd like to hear from the brothers...anybody ever been color struck?

So true & even today in ads on american tvs show a light skinned black female with a darker skinned black male. Its quite sad to see the becoming a norm.

I thought that was a great informational piece. I sort of had a surface knowledge of the brown paper bag test, but it was really interesting to hear the discussion of these issues throughout the pod.

It might have been interesting to get a male perspective on the issue, too. But, overall, I thought it was really great.

Wow, I thought we were over this madness Do you remember school daze. Great piece.