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#REDIRECT [[Discrimination based on skin tone]]
'''Shadism''' is defined as the discrimination of individuals based on skin-tone. This form of intraracial and interracial [[discrimination]] is common in African and Caribbean,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|pages=184–204|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Hispanic,<ref name="Hall 311">{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|page=311|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> Indian,<ref name="Indian Ad Article">{{cite journal|last=Karan|first=Kavita|title=Obsessions with Fair Skin: Color Discourses in Indian Advertising|journal=Advertising & Society Review|year=2008|volume=9|issue=2|doi=10.1353/asr.0.0002|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> Chinese,<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|last=Levin|first=Dan|title=Beach Essentials in China: Fli-Flops, a Towel and a Ski Mask|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/04/world/asia/in-china-sun-protection-can-include-a-mask.html?_r=0|accessdate=25 February 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 August 2012}}</ref> and Aboriginal<ref name="Dumont">{{cite web|last=Dumont|first=Dawn|title=The Politics of Skin Colour|url=http://www.mediaindigena.com/guest/issues-and-politics/the-politics-of-skin-colour|publisher=Media Indigena: Interactive Indigenous Insight|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref> cultures. Shadism can also be a form of [[Internalized racism|internalized racism]]. Skin tone is sometimes perceived "as a visual agent in defining the boundaries of cultural identity, and in identifying a person's place in a local social hierarchy."<ref name="Asian article" /> Skin tone is often attached to notions of ancestry, as some believe that the closer to Caucasian an individual's skin tone is, the less ethnically pure they are, and therefore the less valid their experience as part of their non-Caucasian ethnic group.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gilio-Whitaker|first=Dina|title=The Ugliness of Indian-on-Indian Racism|url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/02/13/ugliness-indian-indian-racism|publisher=Indian Country Today Media Network|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref> Aside from race, there are also socially constructed relationships between skin tone and class and gender.<ref name="Asian article">{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=167|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Shadism is traditionally deemed to affect women more strongly than men, due to the influences of European female beauty standards and their effect on self-esteem and perceived female attractiveness.<ref name="Wilder - Color Names, Color Notions">{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Color Names and Color Notions: A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=185|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> However, the framework of shadism being a gendered occurrence has often been challenged in more modern times, as there is now evidence that it can strongly affect a man's self-esteem.<ref name="Hall 312">{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|page=312|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Adewunmi">{{cite news|last=Adewunmi|first=Bim|title=The Many Shades of Racism: Deeply Entrenched Attitudes Towards Colour, and the Increasing Promotion of Skin-Lightening Products, Are Placing A 'Horrible Burden' on Dark-Skinned Women. '|url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/896325786?accountid=14771|accessdate=25 January 2014|newspaper=The Guardian [London (UK)]|date=5 Oct 2011}}</ref>

==Classist notions of skin tone==

===Fair skin and wealth===
The term "blue blood", used to describe wealthy [[Aristocracy|aristocrats]], refers to individuals having skin so fair that their blue veins can be seen through the skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> In the 17th Century, aristocrats would avoid direct sun exposure and lighten their skin with toxic lead oxide powder, to further distinguish themselves from the working class who had to work long hours outside in the sun.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Fair skin is historically seen as a sign of sophistication, purity, and cleanliness.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=169|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

===Tanned skin and wealth, health, and beauty===

In the 20th Century, in American and European societies, bronze or tanned skin became prevalent as a sign of wealth and prosperity, challenging the notion that wealth was demonstrated by having fair skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Tanned skin became a signifier of wealth, as in America and parts of Europe, only the rich could afford to vacation to the world's warmer regions for extended periods of time, and bask in the sun.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Tanning became representative of a luxurious lifestyle, until mass tourism made vacationing more attainable for the working class in the 1950's and 1960's.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> At this time, rather than wealth, glowing, tanned skin began to represent health and beauty.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Modern medical knowledge and awareness now warns of the connection between prolonged sun-exposure and tanning to [[Skin cancer|skin cancer]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

==Cultural implications==
===African and Caribbean community===

====African and Caribbean community: historical background====

In the black community, shadism began after African slaves were brought to North America.<ref name="Gullickson 158">{{cite journal|last=Gullickson|first=Aaron|title=The Significance of Color Declines: A Re-Analysis of Skin Tone Differentials in Post-Civil Rights America|journal=Social Forces|date=Sept. 2005|volume=84|issue=1|page=158|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3598299 .|accessdate=5 February 2014}}</ref> Due to sexual contact between black slaves and white Europeans, a large population of mulatto or mixed-race individuals were produced.<ref name="Gullickson 158"/> The biracial children of slave owners were often given preferential treatment, obtaining skilled household positions which were often less taxing on the body, in comparison to slaves with darker skin.<ref name="Gullickson 158"/> They also received better healthcare.<ref name="Gullickson 158"/> The occupational and health advantages to being biracial is often alluded to when describing a hierarchy of skin tone within the black community, and the connection between lighter skin and privilege.<ref name="Gullickson 158"/> It is also possible that whites preferred blacks who looked "closer to white," and rewarded them with better jobs and better healthcare, creating a system of privilege.<ref name="Gullickson 158"/>

====African and Caribbean community: cultural repercussions====

In 2010, sociologist Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder of the University of North Florida published a study to deconstruct the modern language and notions surrounding skin tone within the black community. This study is unique because few studies have analyzed whether or not there has been a change in attitudes towards differences in skin tone in the black community, as time has progressed. This study is based on a history of individuals with lighter skin being allowed more privilege in terms of education, healthcare and employment than those with darker skin. These allowances created historical binaries and separations that young people today are still feeling the ramifications of. It affects how they perceive themselves, as well as how others perceive them. Wilder's study showed that there are 40 distinct terms that the participants commonly use to describe others or themselves in their everyday lives, based on skin tone.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=189|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Most of the terms were easily recognized by all other women in the group. Nine could also be found on the list that Charles Parrish compiled in his 1946 publication 'Color Names and Color Notions.'<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=189|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>  Nearly 50% of the terms were for females with light skin.<ref name="Wilder 190">{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=190|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Most of these terms were positive and indicated attractiveness.<ref name="Wilder 190">{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=190|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> However, some such as house n*igger were less appropriate, while still very common, indicating an ongoing slave mentality within the black community.<ref name="Wilder 190">{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=190|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> When asked to describe women with light skin, participants responded with words such as "trustworthy, amiable, nonthreatening, and comfortable"; light skin was also commonly connected to beauty.<ref name="Wilder 192">{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=192|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Because of this, women with light skin are also associated with "conceit and arrogance".<ref name="Wilder 192"/> In contrast, the groups described women with dark skin as being "loud, suspicious, unattractive, and less intelligent".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=195|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Most terms for women with dark skin were offensive, and reinforce that negative controlling images of women with dark skin are still prevalent. Some names within all skin tones are food related, such as vanilla for light skin, caramel for medium skin, and chocolate for dark skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=191|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> These terms perpetuate the sexualization of black peoples. "Light skin…is viewed as the ideal colour, holding the most value in the black community."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|pages=191–192|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Internalized racism and shadism shape the beliefs that people have on an individual's behaviours and attractiveness. The perception is that women with light skin are pretty, while girls with dark skin are "ghetto".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=202|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>

'''The following are some of the terms commonly used in the black community to describe different skin tones:'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Light Skin !! Medium Skin !! Dark Skin
|-
| [[High yellow|(High) Yellow]] || Caramel || Black(ie)
|-
| Bright || Milk Chocolate || Darky
|-
| [[Redbone (ethnicity)|Red (Bone)]] || Brown || Midnight
|-
| [[House Negro]] / House N*gger || Pecan Tan || Chocolate
|-
| [[Mulatto]] || Example || Darkness
|-
| Vanilla || Example || Charcoal
|-
| Oreo || Example || Tar Baby
|}<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilder|first=JeffriAnne|title=Revisiting "Color Names and Colour Notions": A Contemporary Examination of the Language and Attitudes of Skin Color Among Young Black Women|journal=Journal of Black Studies|date=Sept 2010|volume=41|issue=1|page=190|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25704101|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>

==Hispanic community==

===Hispanic community: historical background===

Shadism in the Hispanic community began in the colonial era, when Europeans with light skin, in large numbers, became the dominant members of society after expeditions to explore foreign lands.<ref name="Hall 311"/> The dominant European class was able to enforce laws and social norms upon the populations they colonized, which had a long-lasting impact, including a high-frequency of depression associated with having darker skin.<ref name="Hall 311"/> Within the Hispanic community, there is a strong correlation between depression and darker skin, "regardless of the person's education, family income, or command of the English language".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|pages=311–312|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> Due to the American colonization of many Hispanic peoples, many Hispanic Americans have "internalized light skin as an ideal point of reference because they were powerless to contest the influence of the dominant mainstream population."<ref name="Hall 310">{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|page=310|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> Skin tone often affects perceptions of attractiveness, and therefore whom Hispanic Americans often decide to marry.'<ref name="Hall 310"/>

===Hispanic community: cultural repercussions===

Much like peoples of Caribbean and African decent, those of Hispanic descent may experience how efforts to assimilate are often associated with having light skin.<ref name="Hall 311"/> Within the Hispanic community, "Dark skin is regarded by the various institutions as an obstacle that bars Hispanic Americans from fully assimilating."<ref name="Hall 308">{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|page=308|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> [[W.E.B. DuBois]] was one of the first academics in the United States to recognize the dilemma that Hispanics face when trying to assimilate into mainstream society.<ref name="Hall 308"/> Dubois referred to it as "double consciousness."<ref name="Hall 309">{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Ronald|title=The "Bleaching Syndrome": Implications of Light Skin for Hispanic American Assimilation|journal=Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences|date=Aug 1994|volume=16|issue=3|page=309|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/07399863/v16i0003/307_tsiolsfhaa.xml|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref> Double Consciousness implies the importance of the idea of light skin, and the requirement that "anyone with dark skin …assume a passive social demeanor in order not to offend further the light-skinned mainstream population."<ref name="Hall 309"/> Many members of the Hispanic community place great importance on mainstream culture, at the expense of their own culture. This allows them to better assimilate into mainstream society, and the benefits that come with that assimilation.<ref name="Hall 310"/> Some scholars have referred to these Hispanic Americans as "coconuts", as they are "brown on the outside and white on the inside".<ref name="Hall 310"/>

In an effort to combat these obstacles, many Hispanic Americans suffer from what is called "bleaching syndrome".<ref name="Hall 308"/> "... Because degree of assimilation closely correlates with the phenotype of the mainstream population (i.e., skin color), light skin has emerged as one of the most critical ideals relative to degree of assimilation (Reuter, 1969). It is acted out socially by Hispanic Americans in their use of light skin as a point of reference to assure full assimilation into the mainstream of society."<ref name="Hall 308"/> Historically, this bleaching syndrome began when Hispanic Americans with darker skin began using "beauty creams" that made their skin lighter.<ref name="Hall 308"/> According to Hall, "The syndrome is applicable wherever domination exists. When applied to Hispanic Americans, its existence is substantiated in a most dramatic fashion, for they as a group have had to internalize skin-color ideals that are often radically inconsistent with the outward appearance of a significant number of their brethren."<ref name="Hall 308"/>

==Indian community==

===Indian community: historical background===

The desire for lighter skin within the Indian community is the result of colonial influences, and the resulting standard of beauty set by European women.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> It is customary for brides to wash their faces with turmeric and yogurt to lighten their skin before their wedding.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/>

===Indian community: cultural repercussions===
In India, dark skin often leads to social stigmas such as name-calling and exclusion. The teasing term 'kali' is often used to refer to someone as "blacky", while those with lighter skin are commonly referred to as "wheatish".<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Some Indian mothers prevent their daughters from playing outside in the sun, for fear of them becoming darker with a tan.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> In India, the popular desire for lighter skin is often termed Snow White syndrome.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Sales for skin lightening creams far surpass sales of tea and Coca-Cola, in India.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

In Indian culture, one big impact of having dark skin is the fact that it limits marital prospects.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> India's marriage market is second in the world, only to China.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> It has become a trend for brides and grooms to have fair complexions for their weddings.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> This trend is strongly influenced by India's reality television industry, which has popularized fair faces.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> India's skin-lightening product market is increasing at at a rate of approximately 18% per year.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> The market is so profitable because discrimination based on skin tone is so prevalent in India.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Indian fashion designer [[Rohit Bal]] says of the skin-lightening industry, "At times it is repulsive, worse than chalking of geishas' faces in Japan, but everyone wants to have a jar or tube of skin-whitening cream."

A prevalent occurrence in Indian advertisements for skin-lightening creams is the man falling in love with the woman based on how light and glowing her skin tone is, and being unattracted to her if her skin is darker.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/>

India represents one of the world's largest markets for skin-lightening creams, often termed "fairness creams".<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Some of the advertisements for fairness creams relate light skin with parental approval, success in the workplace, and increased self-confidence.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> It is claimed that certain professions such as secretarial and flight attendant positions are "reserved for fair girls".<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> However, the most prevalent theme in the advertisements is successful romantic relationships, especially proposals for marriage, sustained attractiveness to her husband, and youthful appearance as the woman ages.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> In Indian films, heroines often have fair skin, which lends to the idea that fair skin equates to beauty and confidence.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Some products such as Ponds' Real Glow skin cream, are marketed to teenaged girls.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> In one advertisement for Fair & Lovely, actress and former Miss World [[Aishwarya Rai Bachchan]] is complimented by her sister on her lightened skin tone; She tells her sister that she should also use Fair & Lovely to obtain a similar glow.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/>

==Chinese community==

===Chinese community: historical background===

In China, there exists "a culture that prizes pallid complexion as a traditional sign of feminine beauty unscathed by the indignities of manual labor."<ref name="NY Times"/> Fair skin is associated "with comparative wealth and desirability" as fair skin is deemed "a desirable quality in a woman."<ref name="Asian article" /> Fair skin is seen as representing elegance; 'white jade' is a common metaphor to describe fair skin, in Chinese culture.<ref name="Asian article" /> Fair skin is often also associated with virtue.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Old Chinese sayings include: "... Fair skin conceals a thousand flaws"<ref name="NY Times"/> and "One whiteness can cover three kinds of ugliness."<ref name="Asian article" /> Ancient Chinese myths include that ingesting pearl powder mixed with hot water daily will make your skin fairer.<ref name="Asian article" /> People are warned against using too much soy sauce, at the risk of gradually darkening the skin.<ref name="Asian article" /> Women who are pregnant are often warned not to drink too much chocolate milk, as to not give birth to children with dark skin.<ref name="Asian article" /> In China's pre-Quin era, those who had darker skin as a result of having to work outside were stigmatized, as skin tone was a marker of class.<ref name="Asian article" />

===Chinese community: cultural repercussions===

In Hong Kong, white and fair-skinned Chinese models and actresses are common on billboards.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> In Asia, skin-whitening products take up 60% of total skin-care product sales<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=168-169|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> One-third of women in Hong Kong have used skin-lightening products.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=169|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Skin-lightening products are heavily advertised in China, often referencing how the product "cleanses thoroughly," "cleanses skin cells," or "infuses you with whitening beauty."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=171-172|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

In Chinese culture, another common practice is an unwillingness to allow oneself to tan.<ref name="NY Times"/> Some women go to great lengths to keep their skin fair, including wearing face masks when out in the sun.<ref name="NY Times"/> A 2012 New York Times article by Dan Levin investigates this issue. Solar protection gear has become a very successful industry in China, catering to a culture that prizes fair skin as a demonstration of feminine beauty.<ref name="NY Times"/> Due to concerns over quality control, the government ordered businesses to halt sales.<ref name="NY Times"/> While some women wear face masks made from the same stretchy material as bathing suits to conceal themselves from the sun, others use full wet-suits, sun protection gloves or parasols.<ref name="NY Times"/> Skin-lightening creams are also common, with names such as Snow White and White Swan, which promise the user "a natural-looking aristocratic hue".<ref name="NY Times"/> One woman, Yao Wenhua, who dons a mask during her visits to the beach, said, "A woman should always have fair skin. Otherwise people will think you're a peasant."<ref name="NY Times"/>

==Aboriginal community==

===Aboriginal Community: historical background===

[[Blood quantum laws|Blood Quantum Laws]] are laws that favour certain individuals within the Aboriginal community, based on the percentage of Native blood they have. This old government practice is attached to notions of shadism, as many believe that the lighter your skin tone, the less pure your Aboriginal ancestry, and therefore the less valid your experience as a part of that ethnic group.

===Aboriginal community: cultural implications===

The term "half-breed" is commonly used in differently cultures, especially the Aboriginal culture, to refer to someone of mixed heritage. In the Aboriginal community, it is often used as a derogatory insult to describe those who are less than one half Aboriginal. It is often used to make a person feel less racially or culturally pure than someone else.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gilio-Whitaker|first=Dina|title=The Ugliness of Indian-on-Indian Racism|url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/02/13/ugliness-indian-indian-racism|publisher=Indian Country Today Media Network|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref>

Plains Cree author, playwright and comedian Dawn Dumont wrote an article as a guest contributor for an online magazine entitled [http://www.mediaindigena.com/ Media Indigena: Interactive Indigenous Insight]. Her piece [http://www.mediaindigena.com/guest/issues-and-politics/the-politics-of-skin-colour 'The Politics of Skin Colour'] chronicled the problem of internalized racism in the Native community, where value is placed on having lighter skin, and darker skin is seen by some as inferior and unattractive.<ref name="Dumont"/>

==Studies on shadism==

Many important studies have been conducted to examine the enduring effects of Shadism. In 1983, Relethford et. al. set out to study diabetes in the Mexican-American population. Part of their research involved using a [[Spectrophotometer|spectrophotometer]] to measure skin colour in subjects.<ref name="Hall 312"/> In 1987, Arce, Murgia and Frisbie discovered a correlation between higher education and income levels for Hispanics, to light skin.<ref name="Hall 311"/> Unintentionally, they were able to use their research to find other social correlations within the Hispanic community that were connected to skin tone. They found that the lighter the skin of the subject, the more affluent their lifestyle.<ref name="Hall 312"/> In 1987, Arce, Murgia and Frisbie discovered a correlation between higher education and income levels to light skin, for Hispanics.<ref name="Hall 311"/> They also found that Hispanics with darker skin reported higher incidences of discrimination than Hispanics with lighter skin.<ref name="Hall 311"/> Those with darker skin were often deemed "more sinister and less attractive" on the basis of skin tone.'<ref name="Hall 311"/>

In 2001, Solomon Leung conducted a case study on the prevalence of television advertisements for skin-lightening products in Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=170|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> For four Saturday nights in a row, between 8:00pm and 11:00pm, he watched television and made note of the number of advertisements for skin-lightening products.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=170|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Each commercial break had approximately 10 advertisements, with an average of 3 or 30% being for skin-lightening products.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leong|first=Solomon|title=Who's The Fairest of Them All? Television Ads for Skin-Whitening Cosmetics in Hong Kong|journal=Asian Ethnicity|date=June 2006|volume=7|issue=2|page=170|url=http://www.sociodep.hku.hk/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W2/W2%20Who%27s%20the%20fairest%20of%20them%20all.pdf|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

In September 2011, Pennsylvania's Villanova University conducted a study that showed that women with lighter skin tones were sentenced to jail terms approximately 12% shorter than women with darker skin tones.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> In May 2006, the American Economic Review published several studies on the connection between skin tone and salary in the United States. Educator Joni Hersch found that there is a direct correlation between skin tone and educational attainment, but not necessarily a correlation between skin tone and wages.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=96|issue=2|pages=251–255|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=04 Feb 2014}}</ref> While there is a significant gap between how much those with light skin and dark skin make, those with medium skin tones earned the least amount. When asked whether they believe they are treated differently by black people or white people based on their skin tone, respondents with light skin tones believe that they are treated dramatically better by white individuals than blacks with darker skin tones are.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=255|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> They also believe that other black people treat them somewhat better.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=255|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref>

Arthur Goldsmith, Darrick Hamilton and William Darity Jr.'s study "Shades of Discrimination: Skin Tone and Wages" found that blacks with light skin earned the most, followed by those with medium toned skin, with those with dark skin earning the least.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Goldsmith|first=Arthur|coauthors=Hamilton, D., & Darity, W.|title=Shades of Discrimination: Skin Tone and Wages|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=96|issue=2|pages=242–245|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034650 .|accessdate=04 Feb 2014}}</ref> This study found that whites earned the most overall<ref>{{cite journal|last=Goldsmith|first=Arthur|coauthors=Hamilton, D., & Darity, W.|title=Shades of Discrimination: Skin Tone and Wages|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=96|issue=2|pages=242–245|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034650 .|accessdate=04 Feb 2014}}</ref>

In 1999, Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Star published 'Sorting Things Out,' a book on human classification due to the shade of an individual's skin during apartheid in South Africa, and how this impacted interaction between peoples.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sorting Things out: Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star|url=http://cognet.mit.edu.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/library/books/view?isbn=0262024616|publisher=MITCogNet|accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref>

===White standard of beauty===

Many non-caucasian cultures have been conditioned to conform to a "white standard of beauty" which criticizes not only non-caucasian skin tones, but also certain shapes of eyes, lips, bodies, and different hair types. Maya Poran, a professor of Psychology at [[Montclair State University]] in New Jersey, researched perceptions of beauty and cultural standards of beauty, as held by Latina, black and white women. In their own definition of beauty, of the three groups, black women were most likely to mention a white standard of beauty, while Latina women sometimes did, and white women rarely did.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Poran|first=Maya|title=Denying Diversity: Perceptions of Beauty and Social Comparison Processes Among Latina, Black, and White Women|journal=Sex Roles|date=July 2002|volume=47|issue=1/2|page=74|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/03600025/v47i1-2/65_ddpobaalbaww.xml|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Black women were most likely to mention race in their discussion of standards of beauty, while white women were most likely to mention beauty in terms of male or female.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Poran|first=Maya|title=Denying Diversity: Perceptions of Beauty and Social Comparison Processes Among Latina, Black, and White Women|journal=Sex Roles|date=July 2002|volume=47|issue=1/2|pages=74–75|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/03600025/v47i1-2/65_ddpobaalbaww.xml|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref> Latina women were equally likely to mention both race and gender.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Poran|first=Maya|title=Denying Diversity: Perceptions of Beauty and Social Comparison Processes Among Latina, Black, and White Women|journal=Sex Roles|date=July 2002|volume=47|issue=1/2|pages=74–75|url=http://resolver.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/resolve/03600025/v47i1-2/65_ddpobaalbaww.xml|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>

==Skin lightening products==

Shadism is a problem even in racially homogenous societies. In India, Vaseline launched an app that lightens the skin of the user in their photos.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> This app was used as a promotional tool for Vaseline's range of men's skin-lightening creams. This line was initiated as a direct result of the enormous market that India has for skin-lightening products.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> India represents one of the world's largest markets for skin-lightening creams, often termed "fairness creams".<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Fairness creams are made from [[niacinamide]], which limits distribution of [[Melanin|melanin]], the skin's [[Pigment|pigment]]. The chemical process to create niacinamide was patented in 1971 by [[Hindustan Unilever]].<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Some products such as Emami Fair Pearls Cream claim to be made using natural products including herbs and real pearls, while they are actually made mostly from chemicals, which lighten the skin.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Many fairness creams contain exfoliants, which work to replace older, darker skin cells with new skin cells that are less pigmented due to the use of lightening products.<ref name="Times of India">{{cite web|last=Tiwari|first=Nimisha|title=Do Fairness Creams Work Magic?|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Do-fairness-creams-work-magic/articleshow/9064048.cms|publisher=The Times of india|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Many fairness creams also contain sun screen, to prevent tanning.<ref name="Times of India">{{cite web|last=Tiwari|first=Nimisha|title=Do Fairness Creams Work Magic?|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Do-fairness-creams-work-magic/articleshow/9064048.cms|publisher=The Times of india|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

Ads for these creams are shown in heavy rotation on television in India, especially for the wildly successful Indian brand Fair & Lovely<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> which was launched in 1978 by [[Hindustan Unilever]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> The advertisements promise lightened skin tone, and resulting "natural beauty" as they begin to work within four to six weeks of use.<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/> Dermatologists advise that long-term use of melanin-suppressing agents can have lasting negative effects on those who use them.<ref name="Times of India">{{cite web|last=Tiwari|first=Nimisha|title=Do Fairness Creams Work Magic?|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Do-fairness-creams-work-magic/articleshow/9064048.cms|publisher=The Times of india|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

Many large International companies have launched skin-lightening products in India, including:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! International Brand !! Skin Lightening Product Launched in India
|-
| [[Avon Products|Avon]] || VIP Fairness
|-
| [[Elizabeth Arden]] || Visible Whitening Pure Intensive
|-
| [[Estée Lauder Companies|Estee Lauder]] || White Light
|-
| [[Lancôme]] || Blanc Expert Neurowhite Ultimate Whitening
|-
| [[L'Oréal]] || White Perfect
|-
| [[Nivea|Nivea Visage]] || Fairness Cream
|-
| [[Pond's]] || Dream Fairness
|-
| [[Revlon]] || Touch & Glow
|-
| [[Yves Saint Laurent (brand)|Yves Saint Laurent]] || Blanc Absolute Serum
|-
|}<ref name="Indian Ad Article"/>

In 2014, Nigerian pop star Dencia launched her own brand of pigmentation removing skin cream called [http://whitenicious.com/ Whitenicious]. In advertising the product, the pop star appeared in ads with noticeably lighter skin, holding bottles of her product. When questioned about her lighter appearance since launching the product, Dencia said, "I was never that dark in real life…And guess what? I don't even care because [critics] are bringing me business.”<ref name="Peppers">{{cite web|last=Peppers|first=Margot|title='Whitenicious is an abomination': African Pop Star is Accused of Selling Skin Bleach with Controversial pigment-Altering Cream|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2554043/Whitenicious-abomination-African-pop-star-accused-selling-skin-bleach-controversial-pigment-altering-cream.html|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref> During an interview with ''Ebony'' magazine, Dencia says that it is not within her control if customers use Whitenicious as a skin bleaching cream on their entire bodies.<ref name="Peppers"/>

In 2010, Jamaican singer [[Vybz Kartel]] was highly criticized after undergoing skin-bleaching treatments which drastically altered his appearance.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> Of the controversy, he said: "I feel comfortable with black people lightening their skin. It's tantamount to white people getting a suntan." Of "cake soap", a product used to lighten the user's skin tone, Kartel said: "When black women stop straightening their hair and wearing wigs and weaves, when white women stop getting lip and butt injections and implants…then I'll stop using the 'cake soap' and we'll all live naturally ever after."<ref name="Adewunmi"/> In 2011, Kartel launched his own line of "skin brightening" soaps and creams in the Caribbean.<ref name="Adewunmi"/>

==Popular culture==

Shadism is evident in many different aspects of the entertainment world. For example, it is present in casting for music videos,<ref name="Clutch Magazine Online">{{cite web|title=Akon and WizKid Reject Dark Skinned Girls From Video Requests "Half-Caste" Girls|url=http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2013/11/akon-wizkid-reject-dark-skinned-girls-video-requests-half-caste-girls/|publisher=Clutch Magazine Online|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> in song lyrics,<ref name="NewsOne">{{cite web|title=Woman Urges Fans To Boycott Lil Wayne Over "Dark-Skin" Prejudice|url=http://newsone.com/951115/fansboycott-lil-wayne-dark-skin-black-women/|publisher=NewsOne|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> on magazine covers,<ref name="Adewunmi"/> as well as in advertisements.<ref name="Adewunmi"/>

===Hip hop culture===

In the music videos of rap and R&B artists, there is a strong preference for female dancers and models with light skin. In 2013, while shooting a music video in Ghana, Senegalese singer [[Akon]] and Nigerian rapper [[Wizkid (musician)|WizKid]]'s music video producer rejected several black models with dark skin, saying that they were only looking for biracial women with lighter skin.<ref name="Clutch Magazine Online">{{cite web|title=Akon and WizKid Reject Dark Skinned Girls From Video Requests "Half-Caste" Girls|url=http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2013/11/akon-wizkid-reject-dark-skinned-girls-video-requests-half-caste-girls/|publisher=Clutch Magazine Online|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> Allegedly, the producer even asked the rejected models if they could recommend women with light skin for the shoot, because of a fast approaching deadline for casting.<ref name="Clutch Magazine Online"/>

The song "Right Above" by American rapper [[Lil Wayne]] features the lyrics, "Beautiful black woman, I bet that b*tch look better in red."<ref name="NewsOne">{{cite web|title=Woman Urges Fans To Boycott Lil Wayne Over "Dark-Skin" Prejudice|url=http://newsone.com/951115/fansboycott-lil-wayne-dark-skin-black-women/|publisher=NewsOne|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> [[Red Bones|Red]] is a term used within the black community to describe a black person who has light skin.<ref name="Wilder 190"/> Lil Wayne, a father of four children with four different women,<ref>{{cite web|title=How Many Kids Does Lil Wayne Have?|url=http://theurbandaily.com/2012/08/12/lil-wayne-kids/|publisher=The Urban Daily|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> has been widely quoted as saying that he chooses the mothers of his children based on skin tone, to ensure that the children will inherit a certain skin tone and hair type.<ref name="NewsOne"/>

In a widely criticized July 2008<ref name="Watkins">{{cite web|last=Watkins|first=Greg|title=The Quick Ride and Long Fall of Yung Berg...A Timeline|url=http://allhiphop.com/2009/02/23/the-quick-rise-and-long-fall-of-yung-berg-a-timeline/|publisher=AllHipHip.com|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> podcast with Lip Service, rapper [[Yung Berg]] referred to women with dark skin as "dark butts."<ref name="XXL Magazine">{{cite web|title=Negro Please: Yung Berg's White Club|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/bloggers/2008/07/negro-please-yung-bergs-white-club/|publisher=XXL Magazine|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> On his preference for women, he stated, "I'm kinda racist. I don't really like dark butts too much. It's rare that I do like dark butts. Like really rare. It's like, no darker than me. No darker than me."<ref name="XXL Magazine"/> Yung Berg later apologized for his comments, saying that his mother has dark skin, and he did not intend to insult.<ref name="Watkins"/>

===Twitter: #Teamlightskin vs. #Teamdarkskin===

Within the black community, there has emerged on Twitter a virtual rivalry based on skin tone, referred to as [https://twitter.com/search?q=%23teamdarkskin&src=typd #Teamdarkskin] vs. [https://twitter.com/search?q=%23teamlightskin&src=typd #Teamlightskin]. These two groups ridicule each other and classify their positive and negative activities and achievements based on skin tone.<ref>{{cite web|title=#Teamdarkskin vs. #Teamlightskin - 2013|url=http://massappeal.com/teamdarkskin-vs-teamlightskin-2013/|publisher=Mass Appeal|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> Inspired by this Twitter phenomenon, club promoters in Ohio came under fire for hosting a party on January 21, 2011 with the theme, "Light Skin vs. Dark Skin."<ref>{{cite web|title=Light Skin vs. Dark Skin Party Causes Twitter Upset|url=http://www.essence.com/2011/01/11/light-skin-vs-dark-skin-party-sparks-ups/|publisher=Essence Magazine.com|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> In August 2012, Youtuber [[Tré Melvin|Tre Melvin]] criticized the practice of cyber-shadism in a viral video entitled [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb2TZ9xdiCs 58. #TeamLightskin vs. #TeamDarkskin].<ref>{{cite web|last=West Savali|first=Kirsten|title=Tre Melvin Chastises Peers Over #TeamDarkSkin Vs. #TeamLightSkin|url=http://newsone.com/2031643/tre-melvin-this-is-a-commentary/|publisher=NewsOne|accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref>

===Changing media representation of beauty===

Supermodel [[Alek Wek]], who is known for her dark skin tone, was born in Wau, South Sudan,<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" /> and fled to Britain at 14,<ref>{{cite news|last=Persad|first=Michelle|title=Alek Wek, Sudanese Model, Has Flawless Skin and Style (PHOTOS)|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/alek-wek-model-photo_n_3033925.html|accessdate=8 March 2014|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=16 April 2013}}</ref> when a civil war broke out in 1987.<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" /> After being discovered at a London market, she became the first African model chosen to appear on the cover of [[Elle (magazine)|Elle magazine]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Persad|first=Michelle|title=Alek Wek, Sudanese Model, Has Flawless Skin and Style (PHOTOS)|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/alek-wek-model-photo_n_3033925.html|accessdate=8 March 2014|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=16 April 2013}}</ref> in their November 1997 issue.<ref name="UN Refugee Agency">{{cite web|title=Alek Wek Biography|url=http://www.unhcr.org/pages/524186ce6.html|publisher=The UN Refugee Agency|accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref> She has had an astonishing career, having modelled for many prominent fashion designer brands, including [[Christian Dior S.A.|Christian Dior]], [[Calvin Klein]], [[Vivienne Westwood]], [[Gucci]], [[Alexander McQueen (brand)|Alexander McQueen]], [[Chanel]], [[Donna Karan International|Donna Karan]], and [[Ralph Lauren Corporation|Ralph Lauren]].<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" /> Wek is also an activist for human rights, education, refugees, and women's issues.<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" /> She has spoken at the [[Congressional Black Caucus|United States Congressional Black Caucus]], and served on the US Committee for Refugees and Migrants as an advisory board member.<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" /> She is also an author, having released her autobiography, 'Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel' in 2007.<ref name="UN Refugee Agency" />

In 2014, Kenyan actress [[Lupita Nyong'o]], who has dark skin, won the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for her role in the film [[12 Years a Slave (film)|12 Years A Slave]]. Just before Nyong'o won and 12 Years A Slave won the Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], Nyong'o received the [[Essence (magazine)|Essence Magazine]] Black Women in Hollywood Breakthrough Award.<ref name=PolicyMic>{{cite web|last=Plank|first=Elizabeth|title=Lupita Nyong'o Shatters Stereotypes About Real Beauty in the Acceptance Speech You Didn't See|url=http://www.policymic.com/articles/84207/lupita-nyong-o-shatters-sterotypes-about-what-real-beauty-looks-like-in-powerful-speech|publisher=PolicyMic|accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref> In her acceptance speech, she discussed receiving a letter from a young fan who was ashamed of her own dark skin, and was going to buy Dencia’s Whitenicious skin bleaching cream, until watching Nyong’o in 12 Years A Slave changed her mind.<ref name=PolicyMic /> Nyong’o said the following:

''"I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin. I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. […]I tried to negotiate with God, I told him I would stop stealing sugar cubes at night if he gave me what I wanted, I would listen to my mother’s every word and never lose my school sweater again if he just made me a little lighter. But I guess God was unimpressed with my bargaining chips because He never listened."''<ref name=PolicyMic />

Nyong’o later added that with the help of her mother, she realized that, "What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you.”<ref name=PolicyMic /> She added that the prevalence of Alek Wek’s popularity, and her being regarded as beautiful helped her on her journey to self-acceptance.<ref name=PolicyMic /> Nyong’o also added, "And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside, that there is no shade in that beauty.”<ref name=PolicyMic />

In 2014, Nyong'o was chosen as one of the models for fashion house [[Miu Miu]]'s spring 2014 campaign, in stark contrast to the other actresses chosen to model, [[Elle Fanning]], [[Elizabeth Olsen]], and [[Bella Heathcote]].<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite web|last=Bergin|first=Olivia|title=Miu Miu cast Elle Fanning and Lupita Nyong'o in Spring 2014 Campaign|url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10562811/Miu-Miu-springsummer-2014-campaign-stars-Elle-Fanning-Lupita-Nyongo-and-Elizabeth-Olsen.html|publisher=Telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref>

===Photoshop, magazines, and advertisements===

In 2010, [[Elle (magazine)|Elle magazine]] was accused of lightening Academy-Award nominated actress [[Gabourey Sidibe]]'s skin when she appeared in their magazine. Elle responded by saying that "nothing out of the ordinary" had been done to Sidibe's photos. In 2009, make-up company L'Oreal faced accusations that they lightened singer and actress [[Beyoncé]]'s skin in their ads, a claim that L'Oreal denied.<ref name="Adewunmi"/>

In 2013, [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair magazine]] was accused of lightening the skin tone of Acadamy-Award winning actress [[Lupita Nyong'o]] when she was featured in their publication. Previously, Vanity Fair had also been accused of lightening the complexions of [[Kerry Washington]], Gabourey Sidibe, and Beyonce.<ref>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Breanna|title=Vanity Fair Slammed for Making Lupita Nyong'o Appear Lighter|url=http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/01/vanity_fair_slammed_for_making_lupita_nyong_o_s_skin_color_lighter.html|publisher=The Root|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref>

===Documentary: ''Dark Girls'' (2012)===

The 2012 documentary ''[[Dark Girls]]'', directed by D. Channsin Berry and Bill Duke, debuted at the International Black Film Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. The film examines the day-to-day experiences of black women in America, who have darker skin tones. A nine-minute long preview of the film was released in May 2011, and went viral on black entertainment blogs, as well as social media websites.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> The film examines the discrimination that black women with dark skin often face, as well as the historical roots of shadism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dark Girls|url=http://officialdarkgirlsmovie.com/|publisher=Official Dark Girls Movie|accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref>

===Documentary: ''Club Native'' (2008)===

''Club Native'', directed by Tracey Deer, is a Canadian documentary that was released in 2008. The film examines issues of Aboriginal identity, particularly [[Blood quantum laws|Blood Quantum Laws]], which favour certain individuals based on the percentage of Native blood they have. The film won two 2009 Gemini Awards: one for Best Documentary Writing, and another for Canada Award Best Canadian Multi-Cultural Program.<ref name="Club Native">{{cite web|title=Club Native|url=http://www.rezolutionpictures.com/productions/documentaries/club-native/|publisher=Rezolution Pictures|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref>

==Shadism as a gendered concept==

Mark Hill, a former professor of Sociology at The Pennsylvania State University conducted a study to investigate the possible link between skin tone and gendered perceptions of physical attractiveness. Hill found that women with lighter skin were 11.6 times more likely to be rated attractive than the darkest women in his study, while the odds for men were just 1.6 times.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hill|first=Mark|title=Skin Color and the Perception of Attractiveness Among African Americans: Does Gender Make a Difference?|journal=Social Psychology Quarterly|date=March 2002|volume=65|issue=1|page=84|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3090169 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref>

Joni Hersch, a professor of Law and Economics at [[Vanderbilt University]], conducted a study published by [[The American Economic Review]] in 2006 on the connection between skin tone, educational attainment and wages. This study was based on the historical framework that skin tone influences educational attainment, and therefore affects the individual's later occupational outcomes. This framework exists due to those with lighter skin being more strongly integrated into predominantly white educational and work environments, giving them better educational and occupational outcomes in the future. The information Hersch used was separated by gender, to examine if shadism is a gendered concept, economically affecting one gender more than another. Hersch found that the employment rate for females with very dark skin tones was drastically lower than for women with lighter skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=252|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> The data shows no significance in the rate of employment for men based on skin tone.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=252|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> There was limited evidence that skin tone affects wages.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=252|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> Data from the National Survey of Black Americans (NSBA) showed that men with darker skin earn approximately 20% less than men with light skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=252|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> For both men and women, respondents with light skin had the highest hourly pay.<ref name="Hersch 251">{{cite journal|last=Hersch|first=Joni|title=Skin-Tone Effects Among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality|journal=The American Economic Review|date=May 2006|volume=92|issue=2|page=251|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034652 .|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> According to Hersch, "Lighter skin tone is clearly associated with higher employment rates for women and higher educational attainment for both women and men."<ref name="Hersch 251"/>

Research shows that some Hispanic women born in the United States are not as affected by the ideals associated with light skin as many Hispanic males are.<ref name="Hall 312"/> This is unusual, as women are often valued based on physical appearance, as opposed to men being valued based on their salary.<ref name="Hall 312"/> A possible reason for this shift may be the Hispanic American man being influenced by the mainstream population putting importance on men being breadwinners.'<ref name="Hall 312"/>

In India, fairness creams have also recently began being targeted towards men. The male equivalent to India's Fair & Lovely is Fair and Handsome, a line launched by the company Emami.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> The Fair and Handsome line was launched in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> Bollywood star [[Shah Rukh Khan]] is the ambassador for the brand.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> In India, Vaseline released a line of men's skin-lightening creams.<ref name="Adewunmi"/> Indian actor [[John Abraham (actor)|John Abraham]] says, "Indian men want to look better."<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> The assumption is that lighter skin means more attractive.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guha|first=Shantanu|title=India's Unbearable Lightness of Being|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Discrimination]]

Latest revision as of 09:54, 7 January 2024

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