# I'm Pale and Proud **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857 "2002-12-15T06:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Azure\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@Azure\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azure_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/1 "2002-12-15T06:06:02Z")
Yeah, that’s right. I’m pale. I use the lightest shade of foundation. I cannot tan. But I refuse to be ashamed of this. I won’t get skin cancer from trying to get bronzed, for one thing. Plus, tan as beautiful is a passing fad. Pale was popular for at least hundreds of years - to the point where women poisoned themselves with lead to achieve the effect! My fellow pale people, we must join together! Who’s with me? ---
**Author:** ![Skerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Skerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skerri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/2 "2002-12-15T06:11:19Z")
I’m so pale I glow in the dark. Well, not on my face, because I’ve gotten too many sunburns going out to check the mail, walk the dog, etc. Feh. And they said “light colored surfaces reflect light”. Ptooey on that. I think I must have some weird sunburn attracting skin. I’m not ashamed of it, either. I want to say something snarky, like “power to the pigmentally-challenged!” but that just sounds kind of supremacist. So, I’ll just sit here in this dark corner and glow like a nuclear-holocaust kid. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/3 "2002-12-15T06:19:47Z")
I’m with you. I’m pale with dark hair. Which makes me look even more pale. Or I’m a ghost. It’s hard to tell. ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/4 "2002-12-15T06:22:27Z")
I’m not pale. Everyone else is just overly dark. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/5 "2002-12-15T06:36:55Z")
When my freckles all join up, then I’ll have the bestest tan. Today I look like neapolitan ice-cream…'cos I went to the local swimming pool this morning and got a tad singed. Pink and white with chocolate splotches am I! But tomorrow I’ll be back to predominantly white again. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/6 "2002-12-15T06:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Azure Eternity \* > \*\* > My fellow pale people, we must join together! Who’s with me? \*\* I’m in! Or at least, I’m in if you promise we’ll never meet at the beach. ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/7 "2002-12-15T06:45:48Z")
I’m pale, too. Red hair, blue-green eyes. These do not a dark complexion make–I’m mostly freckled along the areas that get the most direct sunlight. I look somewhat human along the back of my neck, the face and the upper parts of my lower arms, but elsewhere–white. Pale is pretty sexy on the right people. It just makes me look fatter. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/8 "2002-12-15T08:32:29Z")
Hell, I could out-pale any of you chumps whilst you were naked on the blacktop. I’m practically self-illuminating. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/9 "2002-12-15T08:41:26Z")
Most of me is pale. My face and arms can get a bit brown, but that soon fades once winter returns. One of my nicknames at school was “Snow White”. Unfortunately, the “fairest of 'em all”, and not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/10 "2002-12-15T10:10:45Z")
I’m so pale that the Goths wish they were as pale as I am. I _AM_ the living dead, vampyre. And I am a brunette, I have brown hair and yet my hair _wants_ to go red so badly that it will fade black dye from blue/black to auburn :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/11 "2002-12-15T13:11:45Z")
I’m very pale. I’m pale enough that if I get a zit, it glows from the distance like the the morning star, only red. A friend tells me whenever we meet that I’m still “pale as butt-cheeks”. And I too, have dark hair. I’m ok with that. Heck, I’ve been this way all my life, so why should it bother me now? ---
**Author:** ![Slainte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/12 "2002-12-15T13:34:30Z")
My Almay foundation is actually called **Pale 01**. 🙂 I don’t bother trying to tan - I burn (no matter what sunscreen I use) and then go right back to pale. No tan for me though hopefully also no skin cancer. I’ve embraced my paleness and I’m glad to see you all doing the same. ---
**Author:** ![pluralgravity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pluralgravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluralgravity)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/13 "2002-12-15T13:52:11Z")
I dont like Billy Connely, but he had a good line on this. ‘Actually my skin colour is pale blue. I have to spend two days on the beach before I turn white.’ ---
**Author:** ![Wisest\_Novel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wisest_novel/32/13329_2.png) [@Wisest\_Novel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisest_Novel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/14 "2002-12-15T13:53:03Z")
My ex-wife belongs to the Proudly Pale Club, too. I used to joke that she needed to apply sunscreen before walking in front of the microwave. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/15 "2002-12-15T14:11:00Z")
Please don’t fret, I think pale is sexy, the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen was 5’ nothing, 100 lbs., alabaster skin, (bright) red hair, green eyes and covered with freckles, I was in love/lust from the second Ilaid eyes on her so don’t be down, pale women are to be treasured (email photo’s to un…). unclviny ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/16 "2002-12-15T15:18:26Z")
The most beautiful woman I ever saw was tall, and as white as paper, dancing in a royal blue ball gown and she had long auburn hair, shading to blazing red elegantly coiffed. She looked like a vision, ethereal, waltzing in the arms of and even taller but next to her tuxedoed man. I’m white enough that the lightest shade of foundation looks like an attempt at an artificial tan. I have dark brown hair, nearly black at times. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/17 "2002-12-15T17:17:25Z")
I’m pale too. But I’ve always had a Morticia Addams aesthetic, so I quite like being able to glow in black light. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheTailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@TheTailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTailor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/18 "2002-12-15T17:23:49Z")
I’m pretty pale, but on girls, it’s one of the most attractive things I think. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/19 "2002-12-15T17:55:37Z")
I’m with you! I’ve always referred to myself as ‘the whitest white boy’. It’s been, what, about 100 years since being pale was the preference of fashion, so I figure the pendulum is about ready to swing back in our direction and we’ll be everyone’s envy. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to allow me to stop my annual visits to the dermatologist for his burn and whittle sessions. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857/20 "2002-12-15T18:01:00Z")
I’m pale. Once we went to Bermuda for a week. When I returned to work, someone said “Where have you been - were you out sick?” It is what it is. I am glad I never ever have to spend any time thinking about that thing known to others as a ‘tan’. I have never had one in my life. I know women that spend hours on their tans. I read instead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-pale-and-proud/142857.md?page=2)