I’ve very thick, dark brown, curly hair down to the middle of my back dry, top of my butt wet (I’m Irish and Sicilian, and definitely get my hair from the Sicilian side). I can’t get any sort of comb or brush through it dry, I have to comb it in the shower, while loaded down with conditioner. I have to use a bit of Frizz-Ease (extra strength, no less), hair gel and lots of it, because if I don’t, I’d have an over foot-long afro, and look like a Q-Tip with feet. With gel in it, it’s very thick corkscrew curls.
And yet people tell me daily how beautiful my hair is. People literally have stop me on the street to tell me how beautiful it is.
So if I don’t straighten it, or color it in anyway (hell, I don’t even own a blow-dryer, I air-dry my hair), am I selling out my whiteness (although I’ve been told many times in my life that Sicilans are the “black people of Italy”, whatever the fuck THAT’S supposed to mean) by trying to look black? Or am I conforming properly to whiteness by using hair gel and Extra-Strength Frizz-Ease so I don’t look like the aforementioned Q-Tip?
I don’t think you’re racist, but I think this line of thinking is exactly what istara is talking about.
I was watching a Dateline-esque show once and the topic was about people who don’t like their ethnic features. They interviewed a black woman who had intentionally married a white man so that her children would be, in her eyes, pretty. Um, so basically what’s she telling “purer” black folk is that we’re ugly if we don’t have white blood in us. That is ignorant. But unfortunately, many black people have bought into this myth.
It’s a backhanded insult masquerading as a compliment. I’ve heard it uttered before by well-meaning white people…including the part about biracials looking better than whites. But somehow I always get the feeling they are just tacking on that last part to make their statement seem less racist. I guess it’s because I don’t think that there are too many white people intentionally marrying darker-skinned people so that their children will be prettier, while I know the reverse has always happened.
Hydrocortisone:
Besides a few relaxer burns to the scalp (ouch!) and a few hours lost in the beauty salon once a month, what are these consequences of which you speak?
I really doubt you care that much about standards of beauty or black women, based on your lack of intelligent responses to what I and other posters have said. I have a hard to taking you seriously (this is a nicer way of saying what I really want to say but is unfortunately verboten).
I’m as white as a fish-belly. While I don’t want to rule out marrying a man who’s also as white as a fishbelly (you never know who you’re going to fall in love with), in my childbearing fantasies, my children aren’t fishbelly white - they are sort of a cafe-o-lait color, partially because my SO is a lovely golden brown.
I think this cafe-o-lait color is a good thing because not only would these hypothetical children not have to worry so much about sun burns, and being called a “road map” because their skin is so transparent you can see their veins, I personally think it’s more attractive than my unfortunate fishbelly whiteness.
Obviously, I am not all white people, but I can’t imagine that I’m the only person who prefers the look of a more pigmented skin.
Again, just to clarify - I have nothing against those who are fishbelly white - I could marry such a man and we could swap sunscreen tips. It’s just my personal preference is to more color.
Originally posted by CanvasShoes
There is a standard of beauty in America. It includes, but is not limited to, clear skin, attractive features, and extreme thinness.
(bolding mine)
Please note my statement said ‘America’ I did not comment on “world standards” for beauty, nor do I pretend to know what’s popular in culture’s I have no way of viewing or being familiar with.
I’d like to get my eyes widened, and I’m as wasp and white as can be. From what I’ve read in psychological studies and in psy 101 type classes, the ‘wide eye’ appeal is that it’s reminiscent of a baby’s “look” and this is what makes it attractive to others in adults too.
This is something widely done in America?
I’m a blonde, and I recently had my hair dyed dark, and went hunting for dark brown contact lenses, so??? Women are always messing with their looks, this is a woman thing, we’re constantly thinking the grass is greener, and being bombarded with "you’re not good enough’ messages from the media. This is not something exclusive to ethnic women.
People from all races get nose jobs, usually to make them smaller, so?
There are a billion people in India trying to lighten their skin? cite please? Also, again, please note that in my post I was referring to American standards, I made absolutely NO pretense to have any knowledge of standards of beauty in other countries and/or cultures.
Wrong, crimping irons are still popular, they even advertise a little ‘twisty’ type one so that girls can get tiny cornrow like minitwists. When I was young and cute, a two part braid was one of my fave hairstyles, one I got from one of my black girlfriends, I would have to crimp my hair to make it work, since straight, slick blond hair won’t stay in a two part (as opposed to three part) pigtail without it.
How is this an ethnic pursuit only? Lots of white women want larger eyes.
You mean like Halle Berry? She’s mixed race alright, but IIRC, none of them are white. And there are plenty of popular and gorgeous “pure” black actresses.
Says who? Miss Universe usually isn’t white. In fact, the last several years she’s been ethnic. I can’t remember a Miss Universe that was white.
This happened in America? IIRC that’s not legal. But then IANAL.
My theory is that it’s Hollywood* setting these standards. The whole world sees white people doing everything from fighting aliens in space, braving the rough seas, attacking underground monsters, and getting into all sorts of adorable, wacky situations that most people never experience. And they make it all look so fun and exciting! The world is, then, obsessed with whites; looking white, socializing with whites, marrying whites, so that they can get closer to lives they see on screen and in the magazines (all those cool, sexy fashion photos!). I used to think I was superior because I didn’t seem to be affected in the same way, until I realized that I’m obsessed with foreigners because I mostly watch foreign movies.
*Hollywood = the entire mainstream U.S. media
Since you’re the self proclaimed old bitty of the board it should interest you that the threads you cited are probably a few months old.
Since then I’ve had fun discussions with many of the people who had at it with me. I don’t hold any grudges, nor am I on some mission to rid the board of people like you.
If you were a little more thorough, you’d have found those threads. I usually post pretty neutral opinions and/or small inoffensive jokes. Sometimes I even tender a plumbing tip.
You’re the only one who takes issue with what I’ve said.
It is my opinion that if people cross a certain line, no matter how slight, there are those of you who pounce. Each post adding nothing but a repeat of the previous one.
I am of the opinion that it’s fine to say something a little outrageous because sometimes genuine talk opens up. There are people in this very topic who ignored all the negetavities and posted about hair.
I think presuming what other peoples motives are is a poor charachteristic to take on and seems to become habitual.
Well, I agree with pizzabrat somewhat, regarding the hollywood standards in America, but I need my ignorance fought here. Isn’t the white race a minority regarding worldwide population?
I could have sworn that I’ve read that other races make up much more of the world’s population.
Is it possible that this “desire to be white” is really just that some see the coolness factor as pizzabrat describes above and simply copy it the same way we all copy what we feel is cool? (for instance guys copying the 'gangsta" look going on nowadays)?
I guess, but that doesn’t really matter since whites are an overwhelming majority in who people see on screen. If you didn’t know, Hollywood rules the world’s entertainment industry. Their movies fill the marqees and video shelves of every country; everyone watches them. So the entire world, not just the U.S., is intimately familiar with the exciting adventures of whites and favorably contrast them with their own boring, backwards “traditional” lives.
** Angel Heart ** I used Luster’s LITE pink oil moisturizer. It does wonders, however I just discovered John Frieda’s RELAX Frizz-Ease line, and I found that his stuff is the best thing in the world.
I tell ya, if only my hair would just lay flat! Time for another perm! But of course, not because I want comb-able, easy to wrap/curl/just have-at-all hair, but because I want to look white.
:rolleyes:
Jenny*
Do you have supporting documentation for this statement? I have read of other countries’ entertainment industries, and they’re certainly not bereft of their own talent and their own “Hollywoods”.
Please provide a cite proving that our’s is the “overwhelming majority”. While I agree that our productions are seen in many other countries, I think that your assumption that they’re “all that” is an example of the “ugly american” arrogance and unearned sense of superiority.
What? This has got to be your attempt at a “whoosh”. How insulting and arrogant can you get? You can’t be serious.
Do you have supporting documentation for this statement? I have read of other countries’ entertainment industries, and they’re certainly not bereft of their own talent and their own “Hollywoods”.
Please provide a cite proving that ours is the “overwhelming majority”. While I agree that our productions are seen in many other countries, I think that your assumption that they’re “all that” is an example of the “ugly american” arrogance and unearned sense of superiority.
What? This has got to be your attempt at a “whoosh”. How insulting and arrogant can you get? You can’t be serious.
I’m not exactly sure how to cite it but here’s a chart of the biggest movies in the world; all the movies are familiar to our U.S. eyes. And here are a few internet DVD stores: Korean, Japanese, French, Italian, Brittish. Yes, they have their own industries, but our stuff shows up consistently among them.
People modify their looks because they want to be more beautiful. We can speculate all we want as to why people find one type of hair or skin color or whatnot more beautiful than the next, but the fact is, it’s irrelevant to the OP. People don’t go to beauty salons to straighten their hair or lighten their skin because it’s considered more caucasian. They do it because they prefer straight hair or a lighter skin tone.
Wow changing my user name around and calling me an “old bitty”, how terribly clever of you. You must be so proud of yourself. As we are not really supposed to do that- I will have to settle for calling you “Shit for Brains”.
Your attempts at Revision History are not sticking. Acting like a horses ass in a couple of threads, then posting plumbing tips and inane platter in others do not offset each other.
Lets get to the heart of your continued line of bullshit:
"It is my opinion that if people cross a certain line, no matter how slight, there are those of you who pounce. Each post adding nothing but a repeat of the previous one.
I am of the opinion that it’s fine to say something a little outrageous because sometimes genuine talk opens up. There are people in this very topic who ignored all the negetavities and posted about hair."
As I said above- bullshit. You have been carrying your whiny little grudge since you got roasted for being a moron. Your shallow self-serving attempts to shift the blame and responsibility from yourself for acting like a moron and being called on it, to the evil conspiracy against the “little outrageous” posts of you and your fellow morons. By the way "I am of the opinion that it’s fine to say something a little outrageous because sometimes genuine talk opens up. " There is another phrase for that sort of posting behavior.
For fun, lets check the hypocrite score:
(a) “Each post adding nothing but a repeat of the previous one.” Amusing, but please see your last two posts.
(b) “I think presuming what other peoples motives are is a poor charachteristic to take on and seems to become habitual.” and yet with a straight face you posted:
(i) It is my opinion that if people cross a certain line, no matter how slight, there are those of you who pounce.
(ii) I don’t hold any grudges, nor am I on some mission to rid the board of people like you.
So you can presume as to the motives of the posters in this thread and others, but no one else can? You seem to state that I am some sort of grudge against you or that there is “people like me”. I guess calling out your absurd attempts at victimhood over your checkered posting history make me a “certain type” about which you are free to assume all you wish?
If you are going to propose a standard, trying observing it yourself first.
You and Hydrocortisone, didn’t get roasted because of some crazy liberal conspiracy, or a system-wide Board defect oppressing your intentionally “outragous” posts. You got roasted because you acted like a moron. The links were provided to keep you from claiming it didn’t happen.
You are not the first “well-cooked” poster to flit about the Pit decrying the evils of all who dwell there for calling them out for their stupidity. Each time it happens, someone will expose them. This time is was me. Next time it will be someone else. That’s what happens in a Board dedicated to fighting ignorance. Get used to it.
No, I almost never get involved when people get “roasted”, as you put it.
Also, there’s a difference between commenting on a pile-up (what I wrote) and assuming the motives behind my posts (what you OPENLY did).
I am not trying to tell you what your thought processes are or why you post what you do. See the difference? You are telling me why I’m posting. That’s childish. How can you possibly know why I post what I do?
And, you have no idea if I’m posting with a straight face or not. In fact, I’m smirking right now. Again, I think it’s ignorant to make presumtions on things you just cannot know.
Okay, so Hollyweird movies sell well. I fail to see how this translates as “ruling the worlds entertainment industry” OR how you can make the huge leap of illogic and state…:
Unless that was a sarcastic whoosh, (in which case accept my apology), that’s an unsupported opinion, NOT a fact. You have no way of knowing what the “entire world” thinks of the lives of whites as compared to their own lives when they view these movies.
And to assume that the “entire world” is so naive and unsophisticated as to accept the movies as accurate depictions of life in America is really insulting. We are NOT the be all and end all of what is a desireable life/look/culture etc.
I know that a few cultures (20/20 or Turning Point, one of those newzine type shows had a segment on this), use our entertainment industry and its products as further proof of what out of control sick, sex obsessed pigs Americans are.
And to get back on topic, I seriously doubt that hairstyles figure into their thinking (as in 'oh, If I get hair like Jennifer, my life will be perfect") anymore than it does ours.
Do you really think that the rest of the “entire world” is so childilke, naive and without a mind of its own that it’s just ready to accept that all things American are the “best” or most exciting?
Captain Playground takes one last self-delusional attempt hoping anyone is still buying your crap (if they ever did). Here is a hint Shit For Brains, they aren’t.
What you were trying for and what you ended up with seem quite clear- better luck next time, or maybe try a more gullible board.
As to whatever creepy thing you are doing while posting, I really don’t care- and certainly don’t want to know. But based on this thread, I sadly have a pretty good idea.
Have fun stomping off with your football to go pout at home, we certainly will miss your valuable input on the nature of most of the Posters to this thread.
Oh, for God’s sake, would you two just shut up, or at least go do this boring-ass bullshit somewhere else? I’m tired of wading through your crap to try to read the thread. If you want to debate someone’s motives, or discuss why idiots get blasted, start your own fucking thread!