Colorstruck Indian ads
Here are video clips of two ads on Indian TV which would never make it on air in the U.S. today, the first because of slavery and the black pride movement, the second because of Japanese-American internment.
This ad for Fair & Lovely skin whitening cream shows an actual Pantone-style skin tone strip and promises to make your skin several shades lighter. ‘My life has changed,’ the actress purrs:
This Coke ad with Aamir Khan employs a racial caricature of a Japanese tourist with Asian eyes, Orientalist accent and camera in hand:
Update: It’s not just in India. Roba writes that Fair & Lovely also sells in the Arab world:
A typical Fair & Lovely commercial scenario starts with a little dark skinned Arab girl dreaming of being a television star (add singing into combs and dressing up in mommy’s heels). Fast forward a few years, the girl is in her early 20’s and isn’t getting anywhere in regards to her dreams, and so mommy decides to whip up the magical bottle of Fair&Lovely that not only supposedly makes the girl prettier, but also drastically improves her personality and lands her a fantastic job followed by a wonderful career.
The last scene in the commercial that particularly pissed me off ends with the now-a-big-star-thanks-to-fair-and-lovely-girl giving a little speech on how Fair&Lovely changed her life, “I discovered that my skills, my college degree, and my personality are not enough to obtain the success I wanted in life- I have to be also beautiful. Thanks Fair&Lovely for making me beautiful.”
… I’m sure a lot of the girls watching your stupid commercials actually fall for your claims and start feeling bad about their gorgeous olive-skinned complexions. [Link]
on Wednesday, June 14th, 2006, 8:20 am in Issues, TV › 
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what manish,… the motherland not living up to the egalitarian expectations? … ;-)
been there. done that - sad smile -
How does the stuff even work
Most skin lighteners are bleaches, AFAIK. Many are dangerous.
Offtopic:
You guys will like this sign posted in Kanpur Zoo.
http://static.flickr.com/31/54522647_ceb69d842a_o.jpg
Amazing! I always forget that there are still places where “Dark and Lovely” is still not in style.
Brown folks need to come up with a theme song or something a la James Brown. Now that’s life-changing!
Agreed on the Aamir Khan ad - clearly racist, mocking Japanese.
But the skin-lightening thing has nothing to do with racism or race. Just like in the USA, they sell “self-tanners”, creams that turn pale people tan (or IMHO orange) in a week. If wanting to be darker isn’t racist, then why is wanting to be lighter racist? I bet the self-tanner ads use the same panetone to prove that the user will turn 3-4 shades darker, and you aren’t bothered. Honestly…
Am not too sure about Fair and Lovely, but a lot of high-end cosmetics brands like Lancome and Dior have “skin whitening” products in Asian market…..i noticed this on Singapore Airport this time!! and was quite shocked!
Lancome
Dior
What do you think of Shahrukh Khan’s upcoming endorsement of ‘Fair and Handsome’ a fairness cream for brown men?