Fair & Lovely Ad

Description of the Ad
A middle class family with elderly people and one young daughter is seen in the advertisement.
It is a traditional family mother cooking in kitchen and a retired father reading newspaper as if he
has no other work besides it. Father asks for chai (tea) and the mother complaints no milk and
how to lead the whole family with only one pension. The disappointed and frustrated father self
pities himself that it would have been better if he had a son. Daughter listens to fathers words
and gets seriously hurt. All the family remains in tears. Daughter wants to prove herself as son
and want to help the family. Daughter finds a !ob vacancy as air hostess in "ritish airways but
gets doubt as she is dark how to get the !ob# Then the fair $ lovely ad flashes on the T% screen
as solution to all their problems. The usage of fairness creams makes her skin bright and fair. The
same frustrated and disappointed young woman walks very confidently to the interview after
using the fairness cream. &he also faces the interview with boldness. 'ventually she gets selected
and starts earning for the family. Daughter takes her parents to a star hotel for a meal supposedly.
Then the father in a !ovial mood asks the daughter will you buy a chai for me#
Review
This is an old concept of racism in new forms. It is !ustifying that white and fair is good and
being dark in comple(ion is subordinate and inferior. It is also making the stereotypes that people
with dark comple(ion are feeble and not bold or confident. It is glorification of )hites and their
hegemony. The white 'uropeans plan of selling their ideology and products in third world
countries like India. The same products are sold in various countries with various names. This is
also showing the beauty and character is skin deep and insulting all those people who are not fair
in color. It is also in way showing that beautiful people are confident. Fair and lovely is
portrayed as solutions for all the problems like economic* patriarchy and other problems in the
family. It is also important to note that this ad e(plains that for girls being seen beautiful is an
important factor. The same parents start feeling proud and happy about their daughters after they
became fair in appearance and color. +ow sad and unfortunate even families are portrayed in the
,
light of transactions# It is also a false hope building in the young minds that looking beautiful
will solve family and career problems.
This also creates difficulties at the time of marriages most of the grooms looks for the girls with
fair and white in appearance. This ad is creating socio-economic problems in the society. The
gradual increase of the people spending their money for beauty products and cosmetics is day by
day increasing. The urge to look handsome and fair in men have also started and fairness cream
for men is also now available in the markets. This demand of good looking had also become and
criteria among the corporate interviews and selection. These kinds of ads are setting harmful
trends among the youth in this country.
)e have silently accepted this ad for the decades and busy in buying the products. It is high time
to make our voice heard. It is time to speak for those who suffer silently due to these kinds of
brutal and hurting ads. It is time for us to speak for the dark and black that they all are part of
.ods creation. And to e(plain that black is also beautiful and natural. It is also time to share
with Indian church how "lack Africans and Americans suffered with apartheid. )hite racism
had brutally shattered the lives of aboriginals in Australia* /ew 0ealand and in countries like
1anada. This desire of becoming fair and white had huge racist and discriminatory background
behind it.
2any times the saddest reason for the women to become fair is to attract men such as their crush
or husband. It is completely dehumani3ing the self of the women. )omen are only those ob!ects
created for the lust and pleasure of men. Their lives have to undergo anything to attract men and
to please men. /ow the present day reality is that we cannot find a house without fairness
creams. 4argest democratic nation like India have fallen as a victim towards this inhuman act. At
least the theological students should come up as an alternative community who critically looks
into these matters.
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