Black or White

ilovedoodle

What's with the world's fascination with colour?

I, for one, being an artist, have always loved colour. All kinds of colour.

Life would be so boring in black and white.

That's how animals see the world and yet we are the ones who discriminate.

If you watch Indian television, you will notice our obsession with light skin.

It all started with Women's fairness creams. Complete with a shade card (like the one you refer to while deciding what colour you'd like to paint your room).

Which graduated to Men's fairness creams - because a manly man can only use a manly fairness cream or he'd be a total woman.

Then there were body lotions - so the colour of your body matches your face.

Then there were facewashes - to wash out your tan?

Then they had special creams that were also sunscreens.

After which there was an underarm fairness deoderant - incase you're going in for an arranged marriage and they want a girl with only fair underarms.

And now theres even a fairness cream for 'you know what'.

I'm saying you know what because the word is as unmentionable as Voldemort.

Ok, it's vagina.

Is it so wrong to have more melanin than others?

When I go to buy lotions or makeup, they always love to tell me how I have uneven patchy skin and need to fix it.

And I thought I was that perfect tone of sepia.

And the one telling me this is the lady behind the counter who usually looks like Mimi (from the Drew Carey show) - her face being a sample palette of all the eye shadow shades (incase you miss seeing the actual product) or because she wishes to look like a rainbow.

Dear Mimi lookalikes,

Wearing white lab coats does not make you a doctor.

Sincerely,

Reality.

But, what is it with this colour obsession?

While growing up I remember watching Michael Jackson's song Black or White. And as much as I loved the song and the video, it really confused me.

Was this song really about the world or about MJ trying to be his own therapist?

Did he not care if his Baby was Black or White?

Did he not care if he was Black or White?

And more importantly was he Black or White?