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Have you ever been on Facebook, looked at your profile picture and thought to yourself, "I sure wish I had lighter skin?" I know, we all have. Well, now there's an app for that.
Vaseline has introduced a skin-lightening application for Facebook in India, enabling users to make their skin whiter in their profile pictures, which is rumored to be the result of India's official policy: white is right and black, get back!
The software was designed to promote Vaseline's skin-lightening creams for men, a huge and fast-growing market driven by a cultural preference for fairer skin.
The widget promises to "transform your face on Facebook with Vaseline Men!" English translation: Look whiter on Facebook! Get more chics!
The disturbing campaign is fronted by Bollywood actor Shahid Kapur, who is depicted with his face divided in to dark and fair halves (depicted above).
Apparently in Vaseline's Magic White Facebook World, Wesley Snipes can magically become Al B. Sure, and Michael Jordan can morph into Terrence Howard. It's pure awesomeness!
Pankaj Parihar, from the global advertising firm Omnicom, which designed the campaign, told the AFP, "The response has been pretty phenomenal."
In 2005, Indian cosmetics giant Emani launched the first skin-whitening cream for men, called "Fair and Handsome," 27 years after the first cream for women. Since then, major brands like Garnier, L'Oreal and Nivea have gotten in to the skin-lightening market.
Somewhere Sammy Sosa (pictured below) is holding a jar of Nadinola and crying tears of joy.
In 2009, a poll of nearly 12,000 people by online dating site Shaadi.com revealed that skin tone was considered the most important criteria when choosing a partner in three northern Indian states.
And you thought black folks were f*cked up.
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Comments: (21)
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By: E. Shani on 7/13/2010 5:58PM
It is so sad that this kind of self-hatred is so prevalent in India and that Vaseline has chosen to exploit it. Vaseline has officially lost me as a customer. It is unfortunate that people with dark skin spend so much time trying to get lighter while people with light skin spend the same amount of time trying to get darker. Lightening your skin will not make you more beautiful. It will just make you look weird, like Sammy Sosa. If you believe in God, then have a little faith that he knows what he is doing and stop trying to fix things that are not broken. Ten years from now we will be reading about a rise in skin cancer in India because people have lightened away all their protective pigment. Real smart.
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By: val on 7/13/2010 9:00PM
BillSchrier, why do white folks want to be black. Why do you all spend millions a year on tanning products to be darker. I believe its a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It appears that neither race it happy. Everyone has faults with his or her appearance from time to time. I am just saying white men are threaten by the size of a black man why? Its not the size of the fish in the ocean it is how you work the fish that counts. We all have sterotypes. Not all black folks have big noses. Not all black women want straight hair. Think about it this way Black people as a race come in over 35 different shades we are like Baskin and Robins. A you come in only one. We aren't threaten nor do some of us want white. We have been using vaseline for years to keep from turning white for the ash. Get your facts straight you racist.
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By: val on 7/13/2010 8:58PM
Bill dont sterotype you all already have a commerical geered toward white men alone. " Does size really matter." I believe like all white men you know the commericial. You never see a black man on that commerical. This is putting racism on the other foot. Talk what you know and what you don't shut up about. We dont perm our hair to make it curly. An if you notice lately most black women are embracing their curls. I hate racist folks. Who have small minds.
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By: Sophia on 7/13/2010 9:11PM
Don't worry Bill, I assure you that us Black folks won't run out for pale flacky white skin, thinning wispy hair, or barely there paper thin lips any time soon. Just make sure you keep your peeps away from our smooth dark skin,full shaply lips, and round firm figures. I mean thats why your on this site right?
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By: Over it on 7/13/2010 10:50PM
Schrier,
You seem to be a fan of making broad, sweeping generalizations--a hallmark of a narrow-minded, despicable, hate-spewing racist.
Black people don't want to be white. And I don't believe black people believe white people are smarter and more attractive either. Black culture doesn't teach black people to hate white people.
Racists like you, however, are worthy of everyone's contempt. Seriously, can you get your head out of the 1870s and join the rest of the world in 2010?
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By: toyna on 7/14/2010 12:04AM
KEEP SUCKING SOUP UNTIL SOMEONE GET DOWN ON THEIR KNEES TO YOU, I BET YOUR DAUGHTER GOOD AT GETTING DOWN ON HER KNEES HUH?
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By: toyna on 7/14/2010 12:09AM
THERE YOU GO ''WRONG AGAIN'' THEY ONLY SHOW THE KIDS THEY WANTED YOU TO SEE, THEY OMIT THE CHILD THAT SAID THE BLACK DOLL BECAUSE THE WHITE ONE HAD BUGS IN IT HAIR! AN THEY OMIT MY SISTER SON THAT SAID THE BLACK DOLL BECAUSE NO ONE IS BETTER THAN HIM! THAT'S WHY IT'S CALL MEDIA, NOW GO DIE!
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By: Black&Beautiful on 7/14/2010 12:40AM
This is a website for black voices, if you can't celebrate that fact your comments really aren't welcome. I'd probably take what you said into consideration, if you could reference these scientific facts, you blurt, who performed them and when? (p.s mein kampf is propoganda and not considered in no way shape or form by intelligent people to be scientific fact) you're good at quoting the lies you're white supremist pigs feed you, but are you clever enough to have an honest debate about them, in most cases you'll see that your so called evidence is flawed. Men's brains are bigger than womens, by your calculation that would mean they are more intelligent, which they are clearly not, you're a prime example!
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By: concerned american on 7/24/2010 1:58PM
BLACK SKIN IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
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By: tanangel on 7/14/2010 11:06AM
Yes, you are so correct... I'm light skinned African American. I enjoy my large lips, my curvature shape and my great knowledge that God has given me that you and I are both the same under the skin. So, everytime you speak negative of someone you are actually reaing coals of fire on your own head.... Stop the madness... We are beautiful and you know it......
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