Why would you want to be white? (Updated)
Mat is white and black.
Our column this week on InterAksyon.com is about the optical shop and skin whitening product ads that have been decried as racist.
2.3. The ad repeats false notions about social mobility and upper class attitudes, but these are notions that the general Filipino public clings to. This is what they imagine being upper class/rich is like.
2.3.1. In effect the ad is highlighting—haha—a truth that no one dares point out. The truth is: Everyone’s a social climber.
2.3.2. People social-climb in their own way. Some people clamor to get into society magazines. Some people get into debt to buy a Birkin. And some people use skin-whitening products.
2.3.3. Maybe this isn’t about race. Maybe this is about class. If there’s a subject more incendiary than race, it’s class.
Why would you want to be white? on InterAksyon.com. Thanks to Noel, Ricky and Mike for the talking points.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
July 4th, 2012 at 09:16
note that in Twitter — those I saw decrying the ad as racist was proud that they are moreno/morena and think of themselves as “sosyal” / rich
July 4th, 2012 at 20:05
if i were to be born again as a woman, i would choose to be pinay again. di kasi ako nagagandahan sa mga babaeng puti. mukha kasi silang ladyboys para sa kin.
but if i were to be born again as a man, i would choose to be white. because white men rule the world. obserbasyon ko lang.
July 4th, 2012 at 22:22
not in manila so haven’t seen those ads. as for the skin-whitening ads you mentioned, oh my god, ang babaw.
sometimes the political correctness in north america is bordering on silly but the philippines could sure use some of it.
July 6th, 2012 at 10:21
I am chinese (pure blood) so i am yellow?
I have been exchange studying here in UP for 2 years now and I noticed that most Filipina or even Filipino are very white. You know that they use white cream to get their white because their elbows are dark color.
I live in Makati and I sometime wonder if I am in Korea or Japan when I see Filipina very white.
Your president sister Kris on TV I hear say she is proud to be Filipina but she not proud of her skin color because she many product on TV ads for white cream.