Is there PICTURE proof that Sammy said this. If not, get over it. Plus, I have a college degree.

Need I say more?

Honestly? I think he looks better darker.

But then I also think no one should have to dictate what someone should look like. Freedom of choice? No?
[Edited 11/11/09 11:54am]

pplrain said:

He looks unnatural being that light with his features, he looked fine beforehand but in saying that, it was his choice and if he doesn't have a problem with it then no one else should either.

SCNDLS said:

Exactly, and how very sad to believe that. Now whether it is his freedom of choice to erase his skin tone then that's on him, but at the same time, the general public also has the freedom of opinion to comment and inquire about it, whether they agree with what Sammy did or not,
[Edited 11/11/09 12:07pm]

2elijah said:

It's just sad that most of these procedures make people look worse.

The larger issue beyond race is people's self image, along with fear of aging, self criticism, etc. It makes us go to extremes, and almost always accomplishes the opposite of what we're trying to achieve.

Dauphin said:

Temporary...and no you don't!

rushing07 said:

i mean he's admitting it but barely. and really wat else could he do? very few things do that to a persons skin so his only options really are to admit OR ignore it which he really can't do without looking suspicious. i really wish he would just admit point blank i dont like my color as oppose to trying to lie about it
i do doubt tho tht this could ever be treated lightly. idk..theres too much history behind it

KidaDynamite said:

I also don't think it has the same implications

Moonwalkbjrain said:

Exactly, this issue is deeper than "skin deep" for some folks who actually are harboring self-hatred, and not happy with their dark skin. Especially with all the false BS about "white or light skin being better", How do you explain to a young child who is a baseball fan of Sammy, and is Sammy's original complexion, why Sammy chose to bleach his skin color away? I wonder how that kid would feel.

So many men and women are taking drastic measures, globally and causing harm to their skin with bleach creams. I just think it sends the wrong message, and it's already becoming more of a global situation, in which some people are so desperate, they don't care about the consequences of the health issues that may follow. There's a lot of bleach creams not approved by the FDA, and making their way on beauty supply shops.

I remember they reported this on a local news station, about bleach creams that are harmful, and not approved by the FDA, but are being sold in beauty supply shops.
[Edited 11/11/09 13:08pm]

2elijah said:

YES! CO SIGN!
it really saddens me that there are whole sectiosn of beauty supply stores devoted to this shit. like literally shelves upon shelves
right next to the shampoo and moisturizer theres skin bleachers wtf?
and wat makes it even worse is that idk...most beauty supply stores *in my area* are asian owned and they stock there shelves with this
i really want them to stop perpetuating this shit in my community
idk if they really understand the deepness of it all but idk...i had never even HEARD of skin bleachers til i saw them in a store when iwas younger, so i can just imagine how often this happens with others. the same with drug stores

Moonwalkbjrain said:

Agree about these creams being sold mostly in beauty supply shops owned by Asians. Many that are not legal or approved by the FDA. They make a killing off of Black Americans. I almost wonder if many of these shop owners take a special course in all the products many Black Americans use,(Africans and Black Americans 101 ) as it seems to carry just about many of the products they use from haircare, weaved hair, body lotions, creams, natural products, etc., and even the products that's the subject of this thread. Scary as hell.

On top of that, many of the fruit and vegetable stores owned by Asians, also carry many of the Caribbean products that Blacks from the Caribbean use, that you will not find in a regular grocery store. Everything from the fruits to Bay Rum...go figure.

Bottom line, Sammy is sending the wrong message. Makes you wonder how he feels about people his original skin tone. I swear somebody should send his ass a big box of dark chocolate congratulating him on his "new look".
[Edited 11/11/09 13:25pm]

Moonwalkbjrain said:

They can perpetuate all they want....doesn't mean people of color have to fall for the bs.

rushing07 said:

Here in Bangkok, it's an obsession with Thai people.

One may argue that it stems from the 'Chinese Thai's" who have lighter skin than other Thais, and who generally are more affluent and successful. These are people who's skin has evolved to deal with the punishing heat and sun here in Thailand, but they still cover their faces with books, magazines,..ANYTHING to keep the sun from tanning their skins.

They are afraid their skin will be 'black'--which is not a references to Africans and Indians, but to their own 'darkening'.

From what I've observed, it doesn't has much to do with an inferiority complex established by 'chinese thais', but one established by the fashion industry. All the magazines and major stars on T.V. are light skinned chinese looking. To the girls (and guys) it's an aesthetic decision to lighten their skin through these creams (which are wildly popular).

There is always an undertone of racism on a macro level, but individually, these kids don't see that far--they just like light skin and want it. It's very strange.

The weird thing is there are these darker brown, red, and olive skin Thais you see walking around who are bleaching their skin and faces, and they actually look 'sickly'. The skin doesn't look altogether natural. It looks 'muted.'



But at any rate, I've always wondered if some darker skin folks look at skin bleaching the same way white folks look at tanning--an aesthetic decision with no racial overtones.

Imago said:

I think tanning is not just an aesthetic of color, but rather is associated with being outdoorsy, maybe having healthy bloodflow in your cheeks (even though, yes, tans themselves are unhealthy). Your skin becoming lighter (paler) is associated with being sick.

So I don't get the aesthetic reasons to lighten your skin when I think people for the most part try to change their appearances to look more young & healthy.
[Edited 11/11/09 16:24pm]

and my thread about this was removed becuz.....?

Fury said:

Looks like there is clean-up happening on that thread. I'm unsure if it will come back or not.

As long as this one stays on topic and folks are following rules, then there should be no problem.

What a loser

Adisa said:

PanthaGirl said:

I had no problem if he wanted to do it. The problem is he lied about it.

Imago said:

Imago, I remember working with an Italian co-worker who had a Japanese friend, and she told me and the other co-workers that her Japanese friend did not like going to the beach or staying in the sun, because she feared become dark-complected. I was pretty shocked when she was tell us this, but apparently it was a true story.

As far as in the black community, and I am only speaking from my own experience not for any other person of African/African-American descent. Anyway, some use it because they scar from acne, and will put it on the scars to bring the area back to their complexion, but often times, it will leave discolored patches, and makes the complexion uneven.

Then you have some that use it temporarily to have an "even" complexion, but then you have those that are actually trying to "lighten" their skin, because they want to be "lighter", due to how beauty is perceived in society and various industries, (i.e. advertisers/cosmetic industry, fashion industry, etc.), that promote the "fair or lighter skin". Since this Sammy Sosa situation, I'm basically now finding out it affects more communities than I originally knew about.

The light vs dark complected has been a problem within the black community for years. More than likely developed during the slave era, and passed down into this generation, as the light-skinned and mixed slaves were allowed to be in the slave owner's house, and many were treated better by the slave owners, while the darker-skinned slaves were forced to work in the fields and treated more harshly. This light vs dark skin, is a situation that has plagued the black community for years, and it's been discussed in the P&R forum before, but it is something many of us have been trying to clean up by educating those within our families, friends, associates, and where discussions of this situation has been taken place, etc. It's done a lot of damage within the black comunity over the years unfortunately, which is why some of us feel the way we do about what Sammy did.
[Edited 11/11/09 16:19pm]

Adisa said:

1 degree? gurl, you a slacker!

BklynBabe said:

Stop thuggin' and stay on topic.

EDIT


EDIT

I said it all yesterday, dang post went poof! buh bye.

uPtoWnNY said:

it's not about falling for it. if it's something that is SO engrained within you how are you supposed to react?
me personally i never dealt with it externally, i never had relatives that said don't stay in the sun cuz you'll get too dark, i never grew up with the good hair/ bad hair mentality, i never had relatives tht favored my lighter skinned relatives over me.
but i know of people that did and for them it isn't about falling for it - it's about having it so engrained within you that you believe the hype.
i feel that if these creams were not made so available then people wouldnt be so able to experiment.
yes you would have the feelings of negativity toward your dark skin, but without knowing that these things existed that you could possbily use then maybe that would be a step in the right direction of getting over those negative feelings.

2elijah said:

I would so looooovveeee to hear what Dave Chappelle and Carlos Mencia would have had to say about this shit.

noimageatall said:

Yes, George had me laughing about Sammy. even though it really isn't funny, but quite sad, to say the least.

2elijah said:

Hey you! I agree it's not funny, but I know Carlos made it so. I missed it.

NDRU said:

Certain Asians and Caucasians look beautiful pale.

Milky white skin with dark black hair has always been attractive to me. I simply love the way it looks, and don't think it looks sickly on a person who's skin is prone to being pale--even if they 'assist' it a bit cosmetically.

But the Thai's that look sickly when the bleach their skin are red, brown, and olive skin thais--folks who look better when their skin is slightly sunkissed.


It really depends on the person whether a slight tan looks good, or a slight milky complection looks good.

But the homogenous nature of the fashion industry and television tends to make everyone think that they can look a certain way--moreover, that they should look a certain way. It's one thing to want to be in shape and healthy--but something altogether to feel you must have 'good hair' if you're black, or 'pale skin' if you're Asian--it all depends on your base complection what looks best...not what some magazine says.

There's Sinead O'conner who looks beautiful pale..... then there's Michael Jackson who looks.....well, just pale.