Written by: Sabine
Edited by: Wong Yi Shon
Within all types of media, whether social media, films, or TV shows, there appears to be a preference for presenting brighter skin colors. Also known as colorism, this phenomenon is defined as a form of racism or prejudice that stems from negative stereotypes against those with darker complexions. This discrimination emphasizes a preference for lighter skin colors and Eurocentric features. In modern society, media companies are one of the biggest contributors to the rise of this harmful phenomenon as they continue to under-represent darker-skinned individuals. This plays a vital role in shaping societal perceptions, which continue the trend of reinforcing unrealistic beauty standards and negative stereotypes.
Mainstream media often portrays those with lighter skin tones as ideal, while ostracizing individuals with darker skin complexions. This type of representation proposes the notion of lighter skin being the beauty standard, leading to internalized self-esteem issues among those with darker tones. Aside from this, there is also a lack of representation of diversity amongst skin tones. When society sees that darker-skinned individuals are underrepresented or play stereotypical roles in media, it reinforces the notion that they are undervalued. These portrayals in the media also suggest harmful stereotypes that are linked to skin color. Lighter-skinned individuals are often shown in a positive light while darker-skinned people are shown in a more negative light. When society consumes this, people end up blurring the line between media and reality. What is showcased in the media may be mistaken to be the norm. This contributes to the continued discrimination and marginalization of dark-skinned individuals.
For students at APU, colorism continues to be an important issue that needs to be addressed. Hammada Ghazi Kusumayudha, a first-year student, believes that the media enforces colorism through its advertisements of various skin-whitening products. He states,
“Colorism is prevalent in the media with the rise of whitening products and other skincare products that are targeted to those with lighter skin.”. He explains further saying,
“Colorism is a phenomenon that is passed down to the younger generation and is being passed on from toxic media to even families that are pushing colorism. This is making people buy whitening products that are scientifically tested to be very harmful and dangerous.”
An example of this harmful notion being advertised is the company Glutamax and its controversial campaign, #YourFairAdvantage.
The campaign insinuates that having a white complexion brings advantages to society.
Pamela Gode, another first-year student, also believes that this phenomenon is highly prevalent in today’s society. She explains,
“Colorism is prevalent in the way in which individuals believe the more you are lighter, the better chance of success you get. This is portrayed through music, pop culture, and many more.” Pamela believes that this is harmful to people, especially to the youth, stating,
“It makes young people believe that having lighter skin is better which causes them to damage their skin or be subjected to bullying because they do not have that skin tone or complexion.”
In the context of music and pop culture, the prejudice and discrimination against darker skin tones are reflected in K-pop. In South Korea, adhering to Korean society’s beauty standards has become necessary to be considered attractive. Entertainment companies have promoted darker-skinned idols to be“sexy” or “exotic.” This is a contrast to lighter-skinned idols, who are viewed as “innocent” or “pure.” Fansites also play a huge role in K-pop culture. These fansites promote groups and their albums through uploading pictures of these idols. These pictures, however, are almost always heavily edited to make idols seem paler to adhere to Korean beauty standards.
At present colorism continues to be prominent in mainstream media. This is highly damaging to one’s psychological health and perception of themselves. As a result, these imbalances in mainstream media only serve to hurt society. Equal inclusion of all people will contribute to the idea that diverse beauty truly exists worldwide.
References:
Moore, K. (2023, July 13). The Media’s Influence: Breaking Free from Narrow Beauty Standards. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/medias-influence-breaking-free-from-narrow-beauty-standards-moore
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