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Whitening advertisings have long pedigree

CCTV.com

05-29-2016 04:58 BJT

Racism in commercials is a controversial issue worldwide. Check out this Thai skin-whitening ad. The ad for the whitening pills features a famous Thai actress attributing her success to fairer skin. This incident reignited the debate about attitudes to skin color in Thailand.

Later, the company behind the product issued a "heartfelt apology". Whitening creams and pills are wildly popular in Thailand, where pale skin is treated as the standard of beauty in the media. And how about this one? This British body wash brand gives the impression that by using the product, the customer gets lighter skin.

The "before" and "after" images are presented by three women: one black, one Latina-looking and one blonde. This comparison aroused heated debate on this issue.

Of course, racist advertising has a long and global history. This is the advert for Pears Soap dating from the early 19th century in Britain and the US. It presented the stereotype of black skin as dirty. But after using the soap, the kid on the right became whiter and presumably more pure and desirable.

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