Pakistan is known for its banter, one event that is amongst the most trolled is when a video of Ayesha Sana asking her production team to brighten her display before she went on air. This occurred in 2015, however, the joke remains known to almost every youngster in the country to date. Even though there were some good jokes made on the internet in the context of this event, it is usually overlooked as to how problematic this entire drama was. It is a clear example of how beauty standards are practiced in the media of Pakistan. This also shows how there is a prevailing issue of glorifying white-skinned people over people of color. The hostess could clearly be seen being not okay with appearing a little dark to an extent that it was making her furious.
Now, one could also argue that this goes beyond the studio or the media industry, as society is more accepting of people who appear whiter. This is itself problematic as the industry and society have a pair relation, having an influence on one another. Having an edge of better influencing through using the vast viewership, this culture could be gradually brought to an end. Even though such measures have not yet been seen, it is easily possible- the industry could simply start off by employing people of color and not giving them complete makeovers.
It is high time now that people be comfortable in their own skin tone and appearance in general, not look down on themselves and be confident. As mentioned above this wave can be initiated through the media.
The complex to be light-skinned is perpetuated deeply in brown culture. The sentence in itself sounds absurd but is a harsh reality. Seventy-four years since our freedom but the colonial mindset of white skin superiority still rules us. Countless examples can be seen in our society every day. Where the children of a community grow up watching advertisements of skin whitening creams and lotions, It is pretty evident that their brown skin will appear like an outcast to them sooner or later. I agree that media can play a significant role by appreciating the richness of our brown skin and the culture it holds.
Beauty standards have been a central concept in the media and our general society for quite some time. The beauty standards practiced in the media of Pakistan are biased and therefore prefer to represent while people. The issue of glorifying white-skinned people over people of color is unfair irrespective of religion because it does not promote basic decency as established in fundamental human rights. The hostess, in this case, did not feel confident and independent in her realistic outlook, which is a sign of the strong dominance of white-colored people.
The media represents such roles, shapes the perspectives of millions of people, and establishes such stereotypes among the people. Hence, it is the responsibility of the media to genuinely represent…
Adding on to your point above, I wanted to mention how despite the fact that more people even in Pakistan are beginning to speak out against the "gora complex" we have here, even now, it's not enough. Like yes, because so many people spoke out against companies like Unilever for selling Fair and Lovely and thus propagating harmful narratives about wanting to lighten dark skin to achieve a fairer, and thus more socially attractive, skin color. However, Unilever's response was typical of big corporations that don't want to really make a difference, but still want to get the label of being "woke" corporations. This response was a mass rebranding campaign to change the name of the product to "Glow and…
This is just another example of the stereotypes that exist within our society. One thing to focus on is the fact how one might not have a problem with their own skin tone but to be acceptable out there in the society, one might have to take certain actions to ensure that. Just like your example where Ayesha Sana belongs to the media industry and just to make sure that she stays in the limelight and maintains her recognition, she was angry on her part. This reminds me of countless examples that we come across due to this fair colour stereotyping. For instance, I remember when my aunt was looking for a daughter in law and she considered many potential…