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The color of beautiful: the case against skin whitening
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The color of beautiful: the case against skin whitening
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THE COLOR OF BEAUTIFUL: THE CASE AGAINST SKIN WHITENING by Shilpa Gopinath A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS (STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Shilpa Gopinath ii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the people who are close to me—my family for their encouragement of following my dreams, and my dear friends who have been patient and understanding throughout this process. This thesis would not have been possible without my support system. iii Acknowledgements The effort and thought that went into this thesis would not have been possible without the encouragement of my thesis committee. First, I would like to express my gratitude towards my thesis committee chair, Jenn Floto, for her continual support and guidance. My work would not have been possible without her kind words of encouragement. Next, I would like to thank my thesis committee member, Laura Jackson, not only for her feedback and support, but also for connecting me with her contacts at Dermalogica who served as interview sources. I would also like to thank my third committee member, Erna Smith for her thoughtful feedback and ideas to take my research further. Finally, I would like to thank the beauty experts at Dermalogica—Janai Speer for making my primary research possible, as well as Annet King for serving as my industry expert. iv Table of Contents Dedication ii Acknowledgements iii List of Figures v Abstract viii Preface ix Chapter 1: Is it Fair? 1 Chapter 2: Origins of the Fair Standard 6 Chapter 3: Modern Day India 18 Chapter 4: Why is Beauty so Important? 45 Chapter 5: Case Studies 66 Table 1: Fair & Lovely Competitive Breakdown 70 Chapter 6: The Expert Opinion 78 Chapter 7: Analysis and Conclusions 86 Bibliography 94 v List of Figures Figure 1: An actress known for her dark skin tone, Bipasha Basu 2 Figure 2: Very light skin tone as embodied by actress Kareena Kapoor 3 Figure 3: Actress Deepika Padukone has a wheatish complexion 4 Figure 4: Model Lakshmi Menon has dusky skin tone 4 Figure 5: Hindu mythological characters exemplify fair and dark skin tones based on their inherent personal character 14 Figure 6: Fair Hindu goddess Durga kills a dark skinned demon 15 Figure 7: Elongated version of Vogue India’s debut cover 20 Figure 8: Vogue India cover as seen by bystanders 21 Figure 9: The October 2010 issue of Vogue India featured supermodel Cindy Crawford 22 Figure 10: Actress Priyanka Chopra hailed the cover of Vogue India in November 2010 22 Figure 11: Actress Genelia D’Souza was featured on the December 2010 cover of Vogue India 23 Figure 12: Celebrity Padma Lakshmi was on the January 2011 cover 23 Figure 13: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is far fairer than the average Indian woman, appeared on the February 2011 cover 24 Figure 14: Deepika Padukone, with her wheatish complexion, is shown on the cover of March 2011 24 Figure 15: Wheatish complexioned model Ashika Pratt on the cover of April 2011 25 Figure 16: Katrina Kaif, known for her very fair skin tone, adorned the cover of the May 2011 issue 25 vi Figure 17: Singer/songwriter Rihanna was on the cover of the June 2011 issue 26 Figure 18: Actress Sonakshi Sinha was on the cover in July 2011 26 Figure 19: Considered a classic Indian beauty icon, Madhuri Dixit, was on the cover of the August 2011 issue 27 Figure 20: Nargis Fakhri shown in the September 2011 issue, is a model and actress 27 Figure 21: The October 2011 issue of Vogue India features a Brazilian model on the cover alongside Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor 28 Figure 22: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at an event vs. on an airbrushed magazine 32 Figure 23: Freida Pinto was rumored to be lightened in her L’Oreal Colors Take Flight ad 34 Figure 24: The beauty icons shown are Bollywood ‘it girls’ through the years 36 Figure 25: Actress Kajol 37 Figure 26: Images of actress Rani Mukherjee with retouching vs. natural 38 Figure 27: An image of actress Bipasha Basu 39 Figure 28: A prospective bride highlights the fact that she is very fair 43 Figure 29: A groom seeks a young, fair bride 43 Figure 30: A groom’s family seeks a fair, beautiful, good-looking bride 44 Figure 31: American expenditure on cosmetic procedures in 2010 53 Figure 32: Shows average income of a plastic surgery patient 54 Figure 33: Females account for 91% of cosmetic procedures 55 vii Figure 34: Geographic breakdown of money spent on personal care products 56 Figure 35: The beauty industry by segments 57 Figure 36: Clinique’s ad for its Even Better product 80 Figure 37: Model Alek Wek is very dark 83 Figure 38: Miss Angola, Leila Lopes 92 Figure 39: Vogue India cover, April 2010 93 viii Abstract In the quest for beauty, women continually spend billions of dollars annually and make the beauty industry a lucrative one. This paper will explain why beauty is such an important aspect of a woman’s life and why they go to extremes to attain it. Because the target audience for the beauty industry is extremely broad, this paper will focus on one target: women of East Indian descent. The prevailing beauty issue for an Indian woman is skin color, so the focus of this paper will specifically examine the skin-whitening segment of the beauty industry. It will explain theories as to why fair skin is deemed beautiful in the Indian culture, the messaging and public relations campaigns of well-known beauty brands, an industry expert opinion, and suggestions for a public relations campaign to change perceptions of beauty in India. The goal of this thesis is to broaden the definition of beauty for Indian women with research behind the perceptions of beauty and suggestions for improvement. ix Preface The notion of beauty is important in many countries but in many cultures the standard of beauty differs. This is especially true when discussing the standards for women. In the U.S., tall and slim with a tan is considered desirable. In China, women with small feet are still considered a commodity. In India, a girl who has fair skin tone is considered most beautiful. Being of East Indian decent, the notion that fair skin is beautiful is a concept that was engrained in my head since childhood. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I agree with it, but it’s a concept that I know well. As a child, my mother constantly told me to stay out of the sun. I was not allowed to go to pool parties or play outside for too long in fear of getting more tanned. Skin tone is something you are born with. It is not easily changed, and doing so can have harsh effects. Skin lightening-related deaths are common in Asia because many skin lighteners contain amounts of mercury and hydroquinone that can be fatal. These lightening agents are closely- regulated in the United States due to health concerns, but in other parts of the world, are commonly used to lighten skin tone, a beauty ideal that is considered mandatory. Even the most accomplished or beautiful women in the world have their own beauty insecurities. Eleanor Roosevelt said that if she were to change anything in her life, she would have liked to have been prettier. The quest for beauty can force people to go to extremes to achieve their ideal standard. x In the end, beauty is what you believe it to be, and it is as important as you make it. Society has a strong impact on what is deemed beautiful. My goal with this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the psychology of beauty, explain the skin tone issue amongst East Indian women, analyze the messages media and beauty companies send to women, and draw conclusions on how these messages can be altered to have a positive impact. 1 Chapter 1: Is it Fair? The Indian culture is an intricate one—from three-day weddings to an entire film industry devoted to musicals (Bollywood) to festive holiday seasons full of bright colors and rituals. There is one intricacy that deserves attention: the standard of beauty, which includes having light skin. In the East Indian culture, having a fair skin tone is considered an important standard of beauty. It affects the lives of most women, and some men, in various aspects such as matrimonies, job prospects, and overall quality of life and treatment from others. When interacting with an Indian, it is very typical to hear skin tone mentioned when describing another person. A common dialogue in an Indian household could sound like this: Mother of son: “I found a girl for you—she’s an attorney and comes from a good family. She’s fair and slim—call her!” Son: “No, Mom! I’m not ready yet…” Or: Girl 1: Do you think Bipasha Basu is pretty? Girl 2: She has nice features, but she’s dark. 2 Figure 1: An actress known for her dark skin tone, Bipasha Basu. Source: PlanetBollywood.com. Description of skin tone is such a common topic in the Indian culture that most Indian matrimonial websites specifically ask for a person’s skin tone for information in their profiles. It’s as common as listing your city of residence. Here is a sample of a partner search from Shaadi.com, a popular Indian matrimonial website: 3 Definition of tones India as a whole is a very diverse country. It has a population of nearly 1.2 billion people that make up its 28 states with distinct cultures, 22 languages that are recognized by the government, and a range of different people with varying looks. (Official Indian government website: india.gov.in) A typical North Indian looks very different from a typical South Indian. The range of Indian skin tones can vary from very light to very dark with cool and warm undertones. Generally, Indian skin tones are defined in the following terms: Fair: Considered to be very light Figure 2: Very light skin tone as embodied by actress Kareena Kapoor. Source: chakpak.com. 4 Wheatish: Considered to be olive or medium skin tone. Figure 3: Actress Deepika Padukone has a wheatish complexion. Source: ritemail.blogspot.com. Dusky: Dark skin tone Figure 4: Model Lakshmi Menon has dusky skin tone. Source: Elle magazine, December 2010. 5 Over the course of this thesis, research will explain the importance and psychology of beauty, the history and reason behind the cultural belief that fair skin is considered beautiful to Indians, and an analysis on the skin whitening business that relies upon and perpetuates the belief that fair skin is more beautiful. Through content analysis, a literature review, industry interviews, and case studies, a conclusion will be made in reference to the future of the skin whitening business, the public relations ramifications, and its communication messages. 6 Chapter 2: Origins of the Fair Standard Why is skin tone so important in the Indian culture? A brief look into Indian history may explain the origins of the belief that “fair is good.” The Aryan Invasion For some, the word “Aryan” may bring to mind a reputation of reverence and an important cultural contribution; for others, it is associated with an unwanted infiltration of an ancient and authentic way of life. The Aryans originated from modern day central Asia and southern Russia. Their name, meaning “noble” or “nobility,” refers to what most historians agree was a Caucasian population who moved into modern-day India and Pakistan in approximately 1500 B.C., bringing with them a new way of life for the local Dravidian population, who were the original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. The Aryan culture mixed with the native Dravidian culture of the south to create the current culture of India. Their contributions included the Sanskrit language and aspects of Hinduism, but they are most remembered for their encouragement of the caste system. According to the Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain (Volume 17, p. 245), the original Aryans were descendants of a conqueror class who were taller and fairer than the races they conquered in India, the Persian Empire, and Kurdish areas—and more comparable to the native populations of Southern Europe. It is likely that the racial features of the Aryans included physically larger builds and fairer skin due to their native environmental climate and increased food 7 sources compared to the populations in the southern provinces that were conquered. The caste system, a social class ranking system, was most likely an effort by the Aryans to promote their racial identity and establish a sense of superiority over the native populations of India. (The Aryan Invasion Of India, The Urantia Book; Paper 79, Section 4) The term Aryan was later used by various political factions including Nazi Germany to justify racial superiority over other non-ruling populations. An analysis of the Aryans conquering the aboriginal groups of India notes that the Aryan was “proud of its white skin, straight nose and symmetrical appearance” and mocked the indigenous tribes for their “black-skins” and facial features. (Essays on the Caste System, Celeste Charles and Alfred Bougle, page 100). Those who were higher on the social scale were associated with the Aryans and those who were lower on the social scale were associated with the indigenous or less powerful populations. In the formation of the caste system, the Brahmins (the highest caste level) were able to show that they shared religious and physical similarities to the Aryans. The origin of the caste system directly correlates to the Indian notion that fair skin is associated with good, in turn, associated with beauty. 8 Caste system The caste system is a form of social distinction in the Hindu religion. Even though India is not a secular country, 80 percent of the current Indian population consider themselves Hindu. Therefore, the caste system beliefs affect 80% of the Indian people. A brief look at Indian history shows that the caste system was recognized as a legitimate form of class distinction for many years by the Indian government. In 1949, the Indian government officially abolished the caste system. Before that, caste system class distinctions were actually part of Indian laws. (India As Destination for Western Retailers, Janine Riger, Janine Rössiger) In Sanskrit, the word caste is referred to as “varna,” which translates to “color “in English. The caste system can be broken down into the following designations: Brahmin: The highest caste— a literate and intellectual group known for their ritual religious functions provided for society. Kshatriya: Second highest in rank, includes warriors and rulers. Vaisya: Merchants, farmers, herders, and craftsmen. Shudra: Servants and laborers. 9 Dalit/Harijan: Two terms for this group meaning that they are not considered any caste—in English they are referred to as “untouchables.” (There has been much controversy over the treatment of this group in recent decades.) Source: The Hindu Caste System by Jayaram V, hinduwebsite.com According to Hinduism, castes are determined on the Hindu beliefs of karma and reincarnation. The belief is that one enters a caste based on how good of an individual he/she was in a past life. For example, a humanitarian that was a Shudra in one life can come back as a Brahmin in another life based on his/her good deeds. Or a Kshatriya who was evil in one life can come back as a Dalit in the next life. If a soul has balanced out its karma—meaning good deeds outnumber the bad— it achieves a state called moksha, which means the soul is relieved for good and will not return for another cycle of reincarnation. Once a person is born into a caste, he/she will remain in that caste until death. Marriage into another caste is possible; however, the individual will still retain his/her caste of origin. Generally, it was historically frowned upon to marry a different caste, so most Indians married within their own. The lower castes were responsible for hard labor such as farming and servant work. They had less money and more exposure to the sun while working. Higher castes had more money and were generally lighter due to limited sun exposure. In this sense, skin color was equal to money and class status. This is one 10 contributing factor to the belief that fair skin is considered beautiful in Indian culture. Low-caste discrimination has a strong correlation with discrimination against darker skin in India. “Traditionally, fair skin-color has been associated with the ‘Aryans’ from whom the Brahmins claim descend, and with whom they are now identified by leaders of certain separatist political parties.” (Caste, Class, and Power: Changing Patterns of Stratification in a Tanjore Village, Andre Beteille page 48). The high-caste Brahmins are associated with the fair, “refined features.” For example, in determining marriage prospects, a bride’s low caste and dark skin are associated with “poverty, lack of education, primitiveness, and even ritual impurity.” (Is Lighter Skin Better? Skin Tone Discrimination Among Asian Americans, by Joanne L. Rondilla, Paul R. Spickard, page 3). The color consciousness in India has likely originated from the belief that upper castes descended from the Aryan or Caucasian invaders, and possibly in attaining purity in the bloodlines of the upper castes. (Shades of Difference: Why Skin Color Matters; Evelyn Nakano Glenn, page 149). More evidence that suggests that caste and skin color are related is evident in a genetic study done in the 1990s by researchers at the University of Utah in conjunction with Andra Pradesh University in India. (History of Ancient Indian Conquest, Told in Modern Genes, Experts Say, By Robert Cooke, Newsday, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 May, 1999) Their findings showed that caste differences 11 appeared in the DNA of their samples, which included more than 300 subjects of different castes. Overall, the findings showed that the caste system was intact through many ages in that caste members featured bonafide genetic differences. They also concluded that men and women seldom marry outside their caste; it was rare for men to marry up in caste, although it was somewhat more common for women to marry into a higher caste. Today, the Aryan and Dravidian races no longer exist; human races can be categorized in the following three distinctions: Caucasian: of, constituting, or characteristic of a race of humankind native to Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia and classified according to physical features —used especially in referring to persons of European descent having usually light skin pigmentation. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Mongoloid: of, constituting, or characteristic of a race of humankind native to Asia and classified according to physical features such as the presence of an epicanthic fold. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Negroid: a member of a race of humankind native to Africa and classified according to physical features such as dark skin pigmentation. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) In the University of Utah/Andra Pradesh University genetic study, findings indicated that all castes showed most resemblance to the Mongoloid race. Differences varied by castes and findings showed that upper castes showed more resemblance to the Caucasian race than lower castes. This was most evident in the Kshatriya caste, while the Brahmin caste had both Caucasian and Mongoloid genes. 12 The features of higher castes, such as skin color, bear a direct correlation to the cultural belief that fair skin color is superior. Hinduism: Scriptures and Mythology The Hindu belief system relies heavily upon Hindu scriptures, mythology and tales. The messages in these media lead followers to believe that people with fair complexions are good and those with dark complexions are evil. There are many Hindu tales that tell the story of good winning over evil. The good characters—or God characters—are usually depicted as fair-skinned. The evil characters, or demons, are always dark-skinned. The ancient Hindu volume of scriptures, the Rig-Vedas, also makes references to the Aryan invasion of the native and darker populations in India as the “dasas” or “dasyus.” The Rig-Veda refers to the God Indra who destroyed 1500 Dasyus, those who “are wiley and have no priests” and were “black-complexioned enemies” (Rig- Veda, Fourth Chapter of Mandala, Verse 9, 10, IV, 28, 4 and IV, 30, 15). The book references a character named Kutsa, a powerful warrior who destroyed the black aborigines. (Calcutta Review; University of Calcutta 1887, pages 54-66). The Rig-Vedas state that Krishna, a popular Hindu deity, was “a powerful aboriginal leader who was destroyed.” (Page 67). And further, the aboriginal populations were described as “scarcely human” and devoid of a language and proper culture. The Rig-Vedas state that the presumably Aryan groups were “surrounded on all sides by Dasyu tribes; they do not perform sacrifices; they do not 13 believe in anything; their rites are different; they are not men! O destroyer of foes- kill them. Destroy the Dasa race.” (Calcutta Review; University of Calcutta (1887), page 67 referencing the Rig-Vedas, Chapter VIII, 96, 13 to 15, Chapter X 22, 8). Hindu mythology also contributes to the skin tone beliefs of the Indian culture. One major story told to all Hindu disciples is the story of Ramayan. Ramayan is a story about a Hindu God, Ram—an incarnation of Vishnu—who was a prince exiled from his kingdom to live in the forest. While in exile, his princess, Sita, was kidnapped by one of the most known evil characters in Hindu Mythology— Raavan—who is known to be the king of demons. Raavan is a character with 10 heads that signify 10 evil qualities in humans, and is often depicted as very dark- skinned. Ram and Sita, on the other hand, have fair complexions. 14 Figure 5: Hindu mythological characters exemplify fair and dark skin tones based on their inherent personal character. Source: hariharji.com Raavan: Ram and Sita: Idols of Hindu deities are often portrayed to be light skinned. There are some dark idols; however, most Hindu idols are light. Here is an example of Durga, the mother goddess as she is fighting demons. Note that the evil character is dark, and the good character is fair: 15 Figure 6: Fair Hindu goddess Durga kills a dark skinned demon. The British Raj The most significant period of imperialism in Indian history is when the British took over India. The British rule in India, also known as the British Raj, took place between 1858 and 1947. (From Empire to Independence: The British Raj in India 1858-1947, By Dr. Chandrika Kaul, BBC History) Many say that one of the biggest cultural beliefs of this period was Indians’ attitude toward fair skin. Indians with lighter skin got better treatment from the British, held higher posts and had more opportunities for advancement. By the time the British colonized India, the belief that fair skin was ideal was already a concept deeply engrained with the Indian people. This belief spread to the British colonizers who, being fair-skinned, naturally 16 reinforced this beauty ideal. Indians were considered to be lower in class status than the British; therefore, Indians who had a closer resemblance to the British— those with fair skin—were considered to be higher in status, and more aesthetically pleasing. Theories on Skin Tone Discrimination One can argue that racism exists within the Indian culture. Not only is fair skin tone aesthetically pleasing, but the fair skin standard can go so far as to looking down on those that are dark toned within members of the culture. This incorporates the theories of colonial mentality and internalized racism. “’Colonial mentality’ is defined as a form of internalized oppression, in which the colonizer’s beliefs are accepted by the colonized as beliefs and truths of their own; the colonized come to believe that the mores of the colonizer are superior to their own.” (Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice, by Kevin Nadal) “Internalized racism is defined as the acceptance of a member of an oppressed racial group, of negative messages about their abilities and intrinsic worth.” (Asian American Psychology: Current Perspectives, by Nita Tewari and Alvin Alvarez, page 165) Historically, this would mean that the British Raj had psychological ramifications on attitudes of Indians towards dark skin, creating internalized racism within the group of people based on skin tone. “An Asian American (or Indian) individual with colonial mentality may only have hatred toward dark-skinned Asian Indian or South Asian individuals. At the same time, this 17 Asian Indian individual, for example, may also possess internalized racist views, believing that Whites/Europeans are superior, while maintaining self-hatred toward his own Asian Indian group.” (Tewari and Alvarez, page 166) Historical Conclusion The notion that “fair is beautiful” is a deeply rooted belief in the Indian culture dating back to ancient times. Such influential factors as the caste system, British imperialism and Hindu mythology, have engrained the message among the Indian people that fair skin is more powerful which, in turn, equates to beauty. It is important to note that the notion of fair skin tone is superior is not a concept that is unique to the Indian culture. Many cultures around the world such as African-American, Japanese, Chinese, and Latin cultures also consider fair skin tone beautiful. Similar socioeconomic factors apply to these cultures that reinforce this belief. Dermatologist Jamuna Pai said it best when summing up the Indian beliefs about fair skin: “Fair skin is really an obsession with us, it’s a fixation. Even with the fairest of the fair, they want to feel fairer. I feel it’s engrained in us. When an Indian man looks for a bride, he wants one who is tall, fair, and slim, and fairer people always get jobs first. We still lighten our skin here because it gives extra confidence when they go abroad.” (Making Miss India Miss World: constructing gender, power, and the nation in postliberization India, Susan Dewey, page 163) 18 Chapter 3: Modern Day India Now that the author has substantiated the prevailing Indian belief that fair is beautiful, it is time to analyze how this beauty ideal factors into the life of a modern day Indian woman. This chapter will examine the messages the media sends to Indian women, by focusing on the media’s portrayal of fair-skinned beauties on a local and global level in the form of a content analysis. In addition, the author offers a commentary on the burgeoning matrimonial ad business and its emphasis on fair skin. Content Analysis of Media: Print Vogue India Vogue India debuted in September 2007 (Vogue India website, vogue.in). The readership of the magazine is not representative of the mass market of Indian women; the styles and products featured in the magazine are out of reach to the average Indian female consumer since they are mostly luxury goods. However, women still look to the magazine for ideas on beauty and style. Much like Vogue is the “fashion Bible” in the United States, the same holds true in India. People may not actually buy the products featured in the magazine, but they get ideas on what is stylish and beautiful. At a minimum, the average Indian female will likely encounter the cover of the magazine while walking past a newsstand or visiting a beauty salon. A magazine cover can signify the ideal of beauty and style. Vogue India generally 19 showcases beauty icons on their covers. The following content analysis analyzes the correlation between beauty, skin color and cultural beliefs through Vogue India magazine covers from October 2010 to October 2011 as well as the debut issue. 20 Figure 7: Elongated version of Vogue India’s debut cover. Source: Vogue.in Vogue India’s debut cover, September 2007. The image is shown as a foldout that was an elongated version of the cover. Because Bollywood is a large part of the Indian culture, three Bollywood actresses were chosen for the cover, along with three supermodels. From right to left, the beauty icons that are featured are actress Bipasha Basu; Australian model Gemma Ward; actress Priyanka Chopra; model Monikangana Dutta; actress Preity Zinta, and model Lakshmi Menon. This elongated cover was not seen on magazine stands; instead, the following image was the first impression Vogue gave to onlookers: 21 Figure 8: Vogue India cover as seen by bystanders. Source: Vogue India, September 2007. Presumably, this image is intended to represent Indian standards of beauty, yet a blond, blue-eyed model is smack in the middle. On either side are Bollywood actresses, both of whom appear to be wearing colored contact lenses to give the impression that they, too, have light colored eyes. 22 October 2010 November 2010 Figure 9: The October 2010 issue of Vogue India featured supermodel Cindy Crawford. Though she is not of Indian decent, she is still considered a beauty icon to Indian women. Source: Vogue India October 2010. Figure 10: Actress Priyanka Chopra hailed the cover of Vogue India in November 2010. She is known to have a wheatish complexion. Source: Vogue India November 2010. 23 December 2010 January 2011 Figure 11: Actress Genelia D’Souza was featured on the December 2010 cover of Vogue India. The actress is not known for her fair skin, but her coloring appears to have been somewhat lightened in digital retouching. Source: Vogue India December 2010. Figure 12: Celebrity Padma Lakshmi was on the January 2011 cover. She is another icon who is not known for fair skin. Source: Vogue India January 2011. 24 February 2011 March 2011 Figure 13: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is far fairer than the average Indian woman, appeared on the February 2011 cover. She also has natural blue-green eyes, another rarity for Indian women. She is known for her beauty. Source: Vogue India February 2011. Figure 14: Deepika Padukone, with her wheatish complexion, is shown on the cover of March 2011. The actress appears to be wearing colored contacts. Source: Vogue India March 2011. 25 April 2011 May 2011 Figure 15: Wheatish complexioned model Ashika Pratt on the cover of April 2011. Source: Vogue India April 2011. Figure 16: Katrina Kaif, known for her very fair skin tone, adorned the cover of the May 2011 issue. The actress is half Caucasian, and is the current ‘it girl’ of Bollywood. Many posit her beauty comes from skin tone, not her facial features. Source: Vogue India May 2011. 26 June 2011 July 2011 Figure 17: Singer/songwriter Rihanna was on the cover of the June 2011 issue. Although she is not Indian, she is very popular in India. Her skin tone is lighter than many Indians. Source: Vogue India June 2011. Figure 18: Actress Sonakshi Sinha was on the cover in July 2011. She is much fairer in skin tone than the average Indian woman. Source: Vogue India July 2011. 27 August 2011 September 2011 Figure 19: Considered a classic Indian beauty icon, Madhuri Dixit, was on the cover of the August 2011 issue. She is an iconic actress known for her beauty, including her fair skin. Source: Vogue India August 2011. Figure 20: Nargis Fakhri shown in the September 2011 issue, is a model and actress. Her background is not Indian—she is half European and half Pakistani. Pakistani skin tone tends to be lighter than Indian skin tone. Source: Vogue India September 2011. 28 October 2011 Analysis By reviewing twelve months of imagery featured on Vogue India covers, it appears the magazine is taking steps to send the message that skin tone as a standard of beauty is a thing of the past. The editors featured darker models such as Padma Lakshmi and Genilia D’Souza on their covers during the 2010-11 period that was analyzed. Actresses and models with wheatish skin tone are featured in mainstream media, such as Vogue India; which was a rare occurrence prior to 2000. Wheatish complexion only started to be considered beautiful within the last 10 years, when the Indian film industry began to cast wheatish-toned actresses in leading roles. In this time frame of 2010-11, three out of 12 covers featured wheatish complexioned models. However, the majority of the images on the Vogue Figure 21: The October 2011 issue of Vogue India features a Brazilian model on the cover alongside Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor. Kapoor is known to have a fair skin tone. Source: Vogue India October 2011. 29 India cover still epitomize fair skin as the beauty ideal, reinforcing the cultural preference for fair skin as more desirable. Inside an Indian Magazine The cover of a magazine represents the view of the editorial staff. Advertisers also send messages in magazines. Fairness products account for half of skincare products sold in India. (Telling India’s Modern Women They Have Power, Even Over Their Skin Tone, New York Times, May 30, 2007) The fairness industry has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, and most recently, companies are targeting men (In India's Huge Marketplace, Advertisers Find Fair Skin Sells, The Washington Post, January 27, 2008). New products such as “Fair and Handsome” debuted in 2009. The audience for fairness products, however, is still largely female. The following content analysis examines the amount of exposure fairness creams have on the readers of the August 2011 issue of Vogue India who are interested in beauty and style by examining the content of advertisements and editorial sections of the magazine. This sample is from Vogue India’s August 2011 issue. Fairness Ads: There was only one advertisement for a fairness product in the entire magazine. It was for Clarins Whitening System. Models in Ads: The majority of models chosen for advertisements were Caucasian or fair Indian women. In this issue of Vogue India, there were two advertisements that featured wheatish toned models, and four advertisements that featured dusky toned models. 30 In recent years, the Indian fashion industry has achieved more international attention and fashion retail buyers are taking notice of India Fashion Week (India's Myth of Fair-Skinned Beauty, The Guardian UK, July 19, 2010). In March 2011, dusky toned Indian models Dipannita Sharma and Carol Gracias spoke to British media about discrimination based on skin tone in the Indian fashion industry. This created international buzz over the skin tone of Indian models who walked the runways of India Fashion Week. Buyers and fashion industry experts took notice that most Indian models were very light skinned and that there were many Caucasian models. Outspoken buyers and fashion industry experts were quoted in many published articles about the skin tone issue in India in March 2011, including India's Models Accuse Fashion Industry of Racism, Telegraph UK, by Dean Nelson, March 2011. This is yet more evidence that designers appear to be choosing models based on beauty standards such as skin tone. Some models have even been vocal about not getting modeling jobs and have reported lower salaries due to their skin tone. “Leading model and actress Dipannita Sharma said she believed the Indian fashion industry was in denial and that it would take many years for the prejudice to fade. ‘It's not just the fashion industry, India per se is obsessed with white skin. We will take another hundred years to completely get over it. The industry doesn't openly agree that preferring foreign models over Indian models just for the skin tone is racism. It has some kind of fairness obsession,’ she said. ‘One could have understood, if it was about getting supermodels of international fame or to work in India but that's not happening, it's 31 just they want fairer skin on the Indian ramps,’ she added.” (India's Models Accuse Fashion Industry of Racism, Telegraph UK, by Dean Nelson, March 2011) Dusky-toned supermodel Lakshmi Menon is among those who have been able to break through the asserted racism of the Indian modeling industry; however, the model gets more international work than work from Indian designers (This year's model: How Lakshmi Menon put India in Vogue, The Independent, May 2009). Slowly, dusky models, such as the ones featured in the August year issue of Vogue India appear to becoming more prominently featured in the Indian fashion industry. Editorial: Analysis of non-advertising content in the August issue of Vogue India showed that the majority of the models featured in the magazine’s editorial sections were fair toned. There were a few dusky toned models in two editorial sections. One was a beauty model, in a feature on the silver eye makeup trend. Lightened Ads: There were two especially blatant advertisements in the magazine. One was for a L’Oreal hair product, featuring spokesperson and Bollywood actress, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The other was for Garnier’s eye cream, and featured their spokesperson, another Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra. In both of these ads, the actresses looked significantly lighter than they normally do from their candid pictures at public events. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is known for her fair skin, however, she looked significantly fairer in the L’Oreal advertisement. Priyanka Chopra visibly has a wheatish complexion; however, she clearly looked fair in the Garnier advertisement. 32 Airbrushing There has been some recent resistance to the fair-is-beautiful theory. Beauty icons themselves no longer believe in this theory and are complaining when they are portrayed lighter than they are. The December 2010 cover of British Elle magazine featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who looked drastically lighter on the cover than her usual self. Figure 22: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at an event vs. on an airbrushed magazine. Source: The Telegraph December 2010. The actress reportedly was so furious with the magazine, she considered suing Elle for sending the wrong message to her fans. The Huffington Post reported “Aishwarya's first reaction was disbelief, when she saw the image of herself with lighter skin, adding, Aishwarya believed that these things don't happen anymore. 33 Not in this day and age when women are recognized for their merit, and not for the color of their skin.” And “Another source said, ‘She is clearly the global face of the contemporary Indian woman. The last thing she'd want is to have a global image colored by a racial suggestion.’” (Source: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Might 'Take Action' Over Elle India Cover, Huffington Post, December 2010) In September 2011, L’Oreal was in the news for digitally altering the skin tone of their spokesperson, Freida Pinto. The global beauty company had teamed up with reality show “Project Runway” to offer a line of limited edition cosmetics, called Colors Take Flight. In the ad campaign, there was much speculation that Freida Pinto’s skin color was lightened in the photos. 34 Figure 23: Freida Pinto was rumored to be lightened in her L’Oreal Colors Take Flight ad. Source: ABC News. L’Oreal has denied any allegations of changing the color of Pinto’s skin, and attributes the color change to lighting. This is not the first time L’Oreal has been accused of altering the skin color of their spokespeople for their advertisements. In 2008, the company was accused of lightening Beyonce’s skin for its Feria hair products. Prior to this allegation, concerns were raised that L’Oreal India lightened then spokesperson, Aishwarya Rai’s skin in their Indian print ads. To date, the company has denied all allegations of skin lightening. 35 In the case of Frieda Pinto, L’Oreal issued the following statement to media: “It is categorically untrue that L'Oréal Paris altered Ms. Pinto's features or skin-tone in the campaign for Project Runway 'Colors Take Flight' limited-edition collection.” Source: L'Oreal Denies Lightening Actress Freida Pinto's Skin in New Ad, examiner.com Content Analysis of Media: Broadcast The Role of Bollywood Bollywood can play a big role in the life of most modern-day Indian women. Bollywood actresses represent symbols of beauty more than fashion models in India. Endorsements from actresses are rampant on the streets of India with posters and billboards seemingly at every glance. Celebrity cult following is common in India—women of all ages look to Bollywood actresses for ideas on beauty, poise, style, and generally view them as idealized role models. The early days of Bollywood included low-budget films with very few actors. As the industry began to develop, so did its talent. Through the 1950s all the way through the millennium, Bollywood favored fair-toned leading ladies—it was a necessity for an actress to have fair skin to get work. Some of the actresses in early Bollywood looked like this: 36 In the 1990’s a wheatish-complexioned actress made it big in Bollywood. Kajol did not look like other actresses of her time—she had a darker complexion was a slightly bigger build: Figure 24: The beauty icons shown are Bollywood ‘it girls’ through the years. From left to right: Waheeda Rehman in the 1950’s, Mumtaaz in the 1960’s, and Zeenat Aman in the 1970’s. It was necessary to be fair skinned in early Bollywood. Photo sources: glamour.raafatrola.com, indianetzone.com, and bhavakuta.com 37 Figure 25: Actress Kajol. Photo Source: onlineindianactress.com She was not known for her looks; however, her acting abilities earned her leading roles in big budget films. Kajol looks much lighter in the films than she did in photos taken at events. It is a common practice for Bollywood makeup artists to use lighter foundation and body foundation to make actors and actresses appear fairer in films. Around the millennium, Kajol’s cousin, Rani Mukherjee, was another Bollywood ‘it’ girl. Rani Mukherjee is an example of Bollywood makeup giving the illusion of fair skin. She did not have fair skin, per se, though she always looked fair in her films and photos. 38 Figure 26: Images of actress Rani Mukherjee with retouching vs. natural. Photo source: hiren.info Also around the millennium, actress Bipasha Basu started appearing in films. She is now a top-earning Bollywood actress, but she had to go above and beyond her acting peers to prove herself in the industry because of her dusky complexion. 39 Figure 27: An image of actress Bipasha Basu. Source: PlanetBollywood.com Early in her career, she was always cast as the villain and was required to show more skin than was common in Indian cinema. (Bollywood's New Items: Skin and Smooches, Times of India, August 2003) She is now one of the highest paid actresses, however she is commonly referred to as “dusky” whenever she is mentioned in the media. Overall, fair skin still appears to be highly favored in Bollywood. Wheatish complexioned actresses are starting to be more common in the industry; however, most of the top-earning actresses are known for their fair skin. Actresses like Bipasha Basu are creating precedence for darker skinned women in the industry. 40 Analysis of Media: Broadcast: MTV India Since the target audience of Vogue India is a more affluent, worldly Indian woman, it is worthwhile to analyze the media messages of a different audience. MTV India reaches young girls ages 12-30 in India and abroad. The girls who watch MTV are not necessarily affluent; rather, they are part of an emerging middle class in India. This content analysis will examine the advertisements that run on the popular MTV shows. Music Xpress “Music Xpress” is a recurring show on MTV India that shows videos of popular songs. Songs featured in Bollywood movies heavily influence the Indian music industry. Because Bollywood movies are primarily musicals, the songs featured in films generally become pop songs. An analysis of the October 5, 2011 episode of “Music Xpress,” showed four commercial breaks, each running seven minutes. Advertisements included a range of categories such as entertainment, technology, and health and beauty products. During each commercial break, at least two ads for fairness products were aired, for Garnier, which recently launched a new fairness line, and for a new product called Vivel Active Fair. The Garnier ad featured spokesperson and Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, and promised “fair skin in seven days.” The Vivel Active Fair commercial emphasized the benefits of being fair, by depicting a girl who had a good voice but could not attain stardom. 41 The woman started using Vivel Active Fair, and became a famous singing sensation due to her newfound fairness. Out of all commercials shown, the fact that at least two ads out of every seven-minute commercial break were for fairness products reinforces the message that fair is beautiful to young women. Coke Studio at MTV “Coke Studio at MTV” is a show that features live performances by singing artists and groups. During this one hour of programming, there was the same amount of fairness ads—two per each seven-minute commercial break, with four commercial breaks total. However, there was a noticeable shift of the target of the fairness ads—this time, there were more ads targeting men. Recurring ads from Garnier promoted their Men Power Light product, which promised fair skin for men. Another men’s ad was for Fair and Lovely Men’s Face Wash, with the voice over of Bollywood’s most famous actor, Shah Rukh Khan. Because MTV has a large teenage audience, and it was surprising to see only one commercial for acne products during the two hours of programming that was analyzed. It was for Pond’s Clear Pimples Face Wash. Broadcast Overview Throughout the broadcast media content analysis, it was evident that beauty brands target the Indian population with at least half the ads shown promoting health and beauty products including hair products, deodorants, and fairness products. It sets a very frightening example for impressionable young Indian 42 women because these advertisers keep seeing messages that reinforce the fair standard, which emphasizes outer beauty rather then self-worth. Overall Media Analysis Conclusions After analyzing print and broadcast media for editorial and promotional aspects, it is evident that the skin whitening business is prevalent industry in India. Further, the analysis showed that the skin whitening business is targeting young, middle class girls, and also making efforts to target the male market. Within middle and lower classes, fair skin is still an important aspect of beauty. In more affluent classes, the notion that fair skin is beautiful is slowly fading as more wheatish complexioned models are being chosen and catapulted to stardom. It is commonly known in India that Bollywood actresses descend from upper and middle classes, and it is more difficult for women of lower classes to achieve stardom. A rarer occurrence is dusky toned models. Historically, India has come a long way—a dusky model or actress would never have gotten work prior to 2000. Though it still is not common to see darker women as models and actresses, few dusky women have made it in the Indian fashion industry as well as Bollywood. The Matrimonial Business and Skin Tone Marriage is an important aspect of the Indian culture. The matrimonial business is playing a crucial role in reinforcing skin tone perceptions. “Want “ads for brides and grooms often mention the preference for fair skin. The author analyzed 43 matrimonial ads from the November 10, 2011 online version of The Hindu, a widely- read daily newspaper distributed in India. The first page of online listings contained 30 classified ads. Out of the 30 ads, eight mentioned the preference for fair skin. The classified ads in The Hindu were vague in terms of partner matching. Other examples of matrimonial ads from matchmaking businesses can be seen in the following figures. Figure 28: A prospective bride highlights the fact that she is very fair. Source: TribuneIndia.com Figure 29: A groom seeks a young, fair bride. Source: NRIDivorce.com 44 Figure 30: A groom’s family seeks a fair, beautiful, good-looking bride. Source: Falguni Mehta Marriage Bureau 45 Chapter 4: Why is Beauty so Important? Literature Review: Survival of the Prettiest by Nancy Etcoff After analyzing messages the media send to Indian women about beauty and understanding the basis behind the fair-is-beautiful theory, a bigger question is why does it even matter? To understand why beauty is so important to women, there needs to be an understanding of the psychology behind beauty and an examination of whether beauty is learned or if it a natural tendency. Five areas of literature are directly relatable to this thesis in chapters 1-5 of Survival of the Prettiest by Nancy Etcoff (Random House, Inc. 1999), which explore various aspects of the psychology of beauty. Etcoff reviews what society and human nature dictate as standards of beauty, while examining whether perceptions of beauty have a scientific basis or are learned behaviors. Why is Beauty so Important? Our first communication with others is the way we look—visual communication. Even though children are taught at an early age to “not judge a book by its cover,” it is a natural tendency to make judgments based on appearance. “Appearance is the most public part of the self. We are always sizing up other people’s looks: our beauty detectors never close up shop and call it a day.” (Etcoff, Page 7) Outer beauty is important because it can affect self-esteem, life satisfaction, and overall happiness. As later sections of research will show, beauty also brings the possibility of better career and marriage prospects. 46 Perceptions of beauty even go so far as associating the beautiful with all things that are good. “The idea that carnal beauty is visible evidence of spiritual beauty can be traced back at least as far as Plato, who believed that mortal beauty was a reflection of ideal beauty. Sappho wrote that ‘what is beautiful is good.’” (Etcoff, Page 40) These theories on beauty are still applied in modern times. “In their meta-analysis of over 900 studies, Langlois et al. (2000) reported that individuals were treated differently based on the extent to which they were perceived as being physically attractive. Specifically, attractive people were judged more positively than less attractive people, even by those who knew them. Langlois concluded, therefore, that despite the proclamations of received wisdom, physical attractiveness does have an enormous influence on our everyday lives. Whether enacted consciously or otherwise, we treat people we perceive as attractive more positively than we do people we perceive as less attractive.” (Why Do We Think Beautiful = Good, by Viren Swami, Ph.D., YouBeauty.com) Beauty also plays a major role in attraction and mating. It is an external indicator of health that is associated with positivity. “There is a good evolutionary reason why we place so much value on appearance. Looks have been a reasonable and sometimes solitary guide to what is good and bad for us.” (Etcoff, Page 40) Nature vs. Nurture There are many theories on whether beauty is learned or hard-wired. On one hand, beauty as a learned valued has a basis: “Beauty is not instantly recognizable, we must be trained from childhood to make those discriminations.” (Hema 47 Sundaram, M.D., Face Value, 2003) On the other hand, concepts of beauty being innate are also supported: “We are born with preferences, and even a baby knows beauty when she sees it,” argument that beauty is nature based. (Etcoff, Page 32) Psychologist Judith Langlois conducted a study where she showed hundreds of faces to infants aged between three and six months old. She found that babies get excited and stare longer at faces that were typically seen as attractive; evidence that suggests beauty is a natural tendency. Her study sparked other studies that provided further evidence that beauty universals do exist. These studies conclude that infants like to see symmetrical faces and smooth surfaces. Though beauty universals exist with evidence proving that even babies can be excited by a beautiful face, learned attitudes towards beauty also exist. Fashion and cultural beliefs come into play here, for example, the preference of tan skin in the United States and fair skin in India. So, What is Beautiful? In the first chapter of Survival of the Prettiest, Etcoff explains what experts in aesthetics such as modeling agents and casting directors describe as beautiful, and concludes that beauty exists in minds, not in flesh because these experts describe experiencing beauty, not seeing it. For the layman, human nature defines certain criteria as aesthetically pleasing. “Flawless skin is most universally desired human feature, according to 48 zoologist Desmond Morris, and flowing healthy hair runs close behind.” (Etcoff, Page 91) Facial symmetry and placement of features make a difference on each face. Supermodel Paulina Porizkova put it best when she said, “I’m happy people find me attractive, but it’s really a matter of mathematics the number of millimeters between eyes and chin.” She has a point—the distance and placement of facial features accounts for attractiveness: “For thousands of years, the answer as to what constitutes beauty would have been numbers.” (Etcoff, Page 140) “In nature, average proportions often signal good health and good design.” (Etcoff, Page 145) Along the same line, the Golden Ratio was developed by ancient Greeks as a way to measure out the beauty of a face based on math and science. A face was considered beautiful if it was symmetrical, the features were the correct size and placed correctly on a face. “Standard cannons include the division of face profiles into thirds, with the height from hairline to eyebrow, from the brow to the lower edge of nostril, and from the nostril to the chin being equal. Other guidelines state that the height of the nose and ear be the same, the width of the mouth be one and a half times the width of the nose, and the inclination of the nose bridge be parallel to the axis of the ear.” (Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery for Darker Skin Types, by Pearl E. Grimes, page 5) Many studies have been conducted in an attempt to find a definitive answer to what a beautiful face means. Psychologist David Perrett’s study compiled a large set of images of faces and rated them on attractiveness. “In Perrett’s study, the most 49 attractive women differed from other women in only a few ways. They had thinner jaws, larger eyes relative to the size of their faces, and shorter distances between their mouths and chins.” (Etcoff, Page 150) In another study done across five cultures, people found similar features attractive: “They liked females with small lower faces (delicate jaws and relatively small chins) and eyes that were large in relation to the length of face.” (Etcoff, Page 139) Currently, it is common to see beauty icons with radical features. For example, Angelina Jolie rose to fame due to her large lips, and Aishwarya Rai is known for her large eyes. Both women defy the standard when it comes to the Golden Ratio, yet are considered beauty icons. This leads Etcoff to the conclusion that “to be distinctive, a face must have features that are either rare or far from average in shape or size. Such features make a face memorable and eye-catching if not beautiful.” (Page 149) Other factors are also associated with standards of beauty. As examined in Chapter 2, one reason that the Indian culture finds fair skin to be beautiful is because of the British rule in colonial India. Etcoff notes, “Standards of physical attractiveness were always molded by the appearance of the dominant group (in this case, this would be the British). Those who could pass as members of the group in power are more likely to rise in status and be considered attractive by that society’s standards.” (page 117) This adds to the argument that beautiful people are more likely to have power. 50 Given so many preferences for beauty, there is one standard of beauty that has scientific and historical basis for its popularity—red lips. The color red is associated with excitement, evidence exists that red pigments were applied to the lips as early as 5000 B.C. (Etcoff, Chapter 3) Lipstick is one aspect of the beauty industry that will rarely suffer. Extremities Data on the increasing number of cosmetic or “plastic” surgery procedures will prove that people go to extremes when it comes to beauty. Consumers will buy products and perform procedures that they really cannot afford for the sake of beauty. Women will go through endless amounts of pain such as waxing, threading, laser resurfacing, Botox, collagen injections, body augmentation, etc., in order to look gorgeous. “Part of the backlash against beauty grew out of concern that the pursuit of beauty had reached epic proportions, and that this is a sign of a diseased culture. “ (Etcoff, Page 5) We live in a culture where beauty is equivalent to power, status and wealth. This means the pursuit of beauty is in high demand and consumers will do almost anything to attain it. Going to extremes for beauty is not a new concept to mankind. Historically, women have risked their health to look good. “Women conceal, bleach, and blush. They have applied poisonous lead and mercury to their skin mixed with egg whites, lemon juice, milk, and vinegar. They have attached leeches to themselves and swallowed arsenic wafers.” (Etcoff, Page 101) Adding to that list is the practice of 51 corsets in the Victorian era to appear to have a cinched waistline. And let us not forget the current craze of permanent makeup—women tattooing eyeliner and lipstick to their faces. Around the world, beauty rituals have caused harm to women in many different forms. The Chinese practice of foot binding to ensure smaller feet caused feet to become broken, deformed, and even led to paralysis in some cases. (Chinatownconnection.com) For many years, the white applied to a Japanese geisha’s face contained lead and caused serious illness or death. Ectoff writes that, while historically, some cosmetics may have been harmful to their wearers, the cosmetics industry has come a long way. “For 2,000 years, European face makeup was made from white lead, which was combined with chalk or used in a paste with vinegar and egg whites and applied thickly to completely mask the skin’s surface color.” (Etcoff, Page 101) The practice of using cosmetics dates back as early as ancient Egypt as well as ancient Rome. Some argue that cosmetics give men a false sense of attraction to women. Thankfully, cosmetics now need to go through stringent regulations before being approved for sale, in order to keep consumers safe. Currently, a trend towards using natural cosmetics has emerged. In early 2011,Neutrogena launched its line of natural cosmetics that use organic ingredients found in nature to promote healthy skin. Bare Escentuals is a leader in the natural cosmetics market with its mineral makeup, which was launched in 1976. The company has more than doubled its 52 revenue since its IPO in September 2006 and was bought by global beauty company Shiseido in January 2010. The beauty industry continuously makes money from the sales of cosmetics, toiletries, and cosmetic procedures. “In the United States, more money is spent on beauty than on education or social services.” (Etcoff, Page 6) “Throughout life, people lavish attention on their skin and hair. In the United States we spend more than twice as much money on personal care products and services as on reading material.” (Etcoff, Page 95) “Seventy percent of cosmetic surgery patients earn less than $50,000 a year, and thirty percent earn below $25,000.” (Etcoff, Page 110, and Annenberg Space for Photography Beauty CULTutre) Some facts and figures about the beauty industry follow: 53 Figure 31: American expenditure on cosmetic procedures in 2010. 54 In a poll by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted in 2005, results showed that plastic surgery patients often cannot afford procedures, yet still invest in them: Figure 32: Shows average income of a plastic surgery patient. 55 Figure 33: Females account for 91% of cosmetic procedures according to the annual statistics of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Datamonitor Analysis’ 2007 study concluded that the worldwide cosmetics and personal care industries generate around $170 billion in annual revenues. A breakdown of where consumers spend the money follows: 56 Figure 34: Geographic breakdown of money spent on personal care products. Of the money being spent on the personal care industry, Chemist’s Corner published information about the segments that account for the beauty industry: 57 Figure 35: The beauty industry by segments. Extremes in Skin Whitening Though extremes in skin whitening is not a topic covered in Survival of the Prettiest, understanding the extremes women have gone through to attain whiter skin is important. Harsh side effects, including death, have been caused by harmful skin whiteners. The most common types of potentially dangerous skin bleaching include using formulas containing mercury and hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is a controversial ingredient that has been on the verge of being banned in the United States. Some countries such as Japan, Australia, and South Africa have already banned it as an over-the-counter product for cosmetic use. In the United States, consumers can still purchase cosmetic products with 2% hydroquinone, but need to get a prescription for greater strength (4%). Side effects 58 of this skin-bleaching agent include onchronosis, which causes a darkening and thickening of skin. Other studies have found that hydroquinone is a carcinogen when tested on lab rats. The theory has not been proven on humans; however, some scientists speculate that hydroquinone is linked with blood cancers such as leukemia. Other documented side effects include kidney damage and changes in adrenal function. Source: (Hydroquinone Ban on the Horizon - Skin Care Companies Scramble for Alternatives, Yahoo News) Historically, mercury was a common ingredient in skin bleachers. The EU banned the use of mercury as a skin lightener in 1976, and the United States followed suit and banned mercury in 1990. The side effects of mercury exposure are subtler and build up over time. Mercury has been proven effective in lightening the skin and dark spots; however, pigmentation generally returns once mercury treatments are stopped. Mercury is considered a poison and documented dangerous side effects include kidney problems, fatigue, emotional and sensational disturbance, and cognitive disability. (Skin Whitening and Lightening Resources: Whiterskin.info) Despite the dangers of skin bleachers, many people around the world still use them to adhere to a standard of beauty. 59 Beauty is more important to women than men As research has shown, women care about their looks. They may spend money they don’t have and go through pain to keep up their appearances, whereas men don’t value their own outer beauty as much. Women have a perfectly logical explanation as to why they do this to themselves—it’s all for men. “Men value looks more than women do in virtually every culture where the question has been asked.” (Etcoff, Page 61) Men will specifically search for a woman’s outer beauty when it comes to mating. “The best-looking girls in high school are than ten times more likely to get married as the least good looking. Better looking girls tend to ‘marry up,’ that is, marry men with more education and income than they have.” (Etcoff, Page 65) Delving deeper into the male psyche, men look at physical appearance to gauge the health and fertility of a woman. “Males focus more on pure physical appearance because appearance gives many clues about whether a woman is healthy and fertile, able to successfully carry off a pregnancy, and whether she may be receptive to that man.” (Etcoff, Page 76) Beauty is so important to women that they may even acquire female enemies in their quest for beauty. “Good-looking women in particular encounter trouble with other women.” (Etcoff, Page 50) Females inherently compete with other females for the attention of men. “Women torture themselves about minor beauty flaws, and can’t help but compare their looks with those of other women. When the other woman is more beautiful, they feel envious, and may subconsciously try to even the 60 score.” (Etcoff, Page 67) Women are jealous creatures and value their place in society—even when it comes to judgments from other females. “There are two reasons women care so much about beauty. The first is men. The second is women.” (Etcoff, Page 67) Although evidence exists that beauty is important when it comes to choosing a partner, the results of mate matching may be surprising. “Most people do not end up with mates who have the glossiest hair or the clearest skin of all potential mates. Instead, couples tend to be very well matched in looks. In other words, the person will be roughly equivalent to you in beauty.” (Etcoff, Page 60) Beauty’s advantages in life If one has outer beauty, she should consider herself lucky because beauty certainly provides some advantages in life. “Beauty influences our perceptions, attitudes and behavior towards others.” (Etcoff, Page 25) Even the most influential people of our time still want beauty. “No one is immune (to beauty). When Eleanor Roosevelt was asked if she had any regrets, her response was a poignant one: she wished she had been prettier.” (Etcoff, Page 6) What exactly is the advantage of being deemed beautiful? Beauty can lead to enhanced status, income and job prospects, better treatment from others, increased social skills and greater confidence. “Good-looking people are more likely to win arguments and persuade others of their opinions. People divulge secrets to them and disclose personal information. Basically, people want to please the good- looking. Perhaps, people are awed by their confidence and assertiveness, not their 61 looks. Attractive people tend to be more at ease socially, more confident, and less likely to fear negative opinions than are unattractive people. They are more likely to think they are in control of their lives rather than pawns of fate and circumstance.” (Etcoff, Page 47) With beauty come higher expectations of the beautiful individual that start as early as childhood. In an experiment conducted in Missouri with 5 th grade students and teachers, “teachers expected good looking children to be more intelligent and sociable and popular with their peers. Good-looking students often get better grades.” (Etcoff, Page 48) The notion of higher expectations coming with beauty can be termed as the “Halo Effect”: the belief that attractive people are inherently better, based on first impressions. (Journal of Young Investigators, Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty, December 2002) Good-looking women in particular have certain advantages, such as marriage prospects and job opportunities. “Men will go out of their way and risk themselves for a beautiful woman.” (Etcoff, Page 38) “Good looking women are more likely to be hired and receive higher salaries.” (Etcoff, Page 83) Given these advantages, greater beauty has become associated as a higher form of status. Beauty and Happiness Given all of the positive associations with beauty, does it truly bring happiness? Experts have differing opinions on whether beauty equates to happiness or not. “A woman’s beauty sometimes makes her a bit happier than other women, 62 but it can also make her more unhappy. The biggest effect is with one’s romantic life. Here, the good-looking are happier.” (Etcoff, Page 85) Other research suggests that happiness comes from having a meaningful purpose in life, positivity, and setting and attaining reachable goals. Happiness itself is separate area of study in psychology, however the following excerpt closely relates to beauty and happiness: “Happier individuals enhance their appearance more with clothing, makeup, jewelry, and so on than do unhappy people, thereby maximizing their assets.” (Etcoff, Page 87) Along the same lines, evidence suggests that enhancing one’s appearance can create confidence and boost mood, creating short-term happiness. Media’s Influence on Beauty “I could never make myself look the way I do in a magazine—Veronica Webb.” (Etcoff, Page 13) Coming from a supermodel who once regularly hailed the covers of magazines, knowing that even supermodels feel that they cannot look the way they do in their famous pictures is a disturbing reality. Many times, advertisements and media portray an unattainable ideal of beauty that is taken literally by some women. “Today the average woman compares her genetic physical endowments with a few hand-picked models. Despite their surreal beauty, the media insist that their beauty is attainable through hard work and effort and buying the right product.” (Etcoff, Page 69) Because of these images, women are continually encouraged to buy products to enhance their looks, as was shown with the content analysis in Chapter 3 and its relation to the skin whitening business in India. 63 Skin Color and Beauty In regard to the overall topic of this thesis, the big question remains: is fair skin tone an aesthetic preference, or is it a biological preference? Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandaran, Director of the Center for Brain at the University of California, San Diego, has studied this issue and argues that the tendency for fair skin is a biological response with the following: “Fair skin makes it easier to detect signs of disease, signs of sexual interest, and signs of aging. Light skin is sexually selected by men because light-skinned women were the least able to deceive them. What was biologically advantageous became an aesthetic preference.” (Etcoff, Pages 105-106) On the other hand, “Anthropologist Douglas Jones suggests that the male preference for lighter than average skin in a female partner is a cultural universal.” (Etcoff, Page 106) He argues that the preference for fair skin in cultures, such as the Indian culture, come from societal beliefs stemming from ancient literature that described the ideal woman as fair skinned. In other words, the question remains unanswered—the debate continues that the tendency for fair skin is both biological and aesthetic. The trend in the United States as well as other Western civilizations is the preference for tan skin. This is a relatively new trend that started in the 1920s. Prior to tanning for fashion and implied status, Americans also preferred light skin. “In the United States the standard of beauty has not only been white, but white as exemplified by the first wave of immigrants, the northern and western Europeans.” (Etcoff, Page 117) It took Americans a long time before they generally accepted 64 darker skin tones, and even more time passed before they considered them beautiful. “It wasn’t until 1984 that the [Miss America] crown went to an African- American woman, Vanessa Williams, albeit one who had light skin and hazel eyes.” (Etcoff, Page 118) From the 1920s onward, tan skin in the United States became a symbol of wealth. Those who were tan were believed to have had the discretionary income to travel to exotic places and did not have to spend the majority of their time indoors. Thus, a new area of the beauty industry was born. Universal vs. Cultural Beauty Standards We have learned that there are some universal standards of beauty, such as flawless skin, symmetrical features and signs of good health. Health and beauty are closely related because a healthy individual will generally be perceived as more attractive than an unhealthy individual. “Cultures with a higher prevalence of parasitic diseases are even more likely to place a very high value on physical beauty because beautiful features such as a glorious mane of hair, clear skin, and a lean muscular body are visual certificates of health.” (Etcoff, Page 59) Around the world, many beliefs on standards of beauty are dictated by societal and cultural demands. “In the United States and much of the Western world, to be beautiful means to be lean and lithe.” (Etcoff, Page 195) Countries in Africa, however, find heavier women to be more beautiful than slim women. “Japanese women still value pale skin. Japanese women believe that good skin is absolutely fair and uniform. They hate freckles.” (Etcoff, Page 101) And in the United States, tan skin has been a trend. 65 Conclusions Etcoff asserts that “Appearance is the most public part of the self.” (Page 7) Why women go through such great lengths to be called beautiful is understandable —it could result in a more advantageous life. Theories of whether beauty is learned or hard-wired both exist, and standards of beauty vary by culture. Overall, beauty does not necessarily equate to happiness; however, beautiful people tend to have more confidence, which may thereby give the illusion of also being happier. Because beauty is so important to women, understanding how the beauty industry is continually lucrative is easy—women will spend money and go to extreme lengths to achieve beauty. 66 Chapter 5: Case Studies This chapter will focus on those companies that profit from women who value beauty. This portion of research will examine two companies with two different messages in approach to beauty and promoting health and self-esteem. Case 1: Unilever’s Fair & Lovely Background of Organization: Fair & Lovely is the leading fairness cream on a global level. The product is owned and marketed by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the division of Unilever operating in India. Hindustan Unilever Limited brands include a wealth of personal care products including Axe, Dove, Lakme (a leading cosmetic line that also sponsors India’s Fashion Week), Lux, Pond’s, and Sunsilk. Source: HUL Website: hul.co.in Fair & Lovely was introduced in India in 1978 as the first product to promise fair skin in a safe way. Their differentiator was the product chemistry itself—using niacinamide, a topical use for Vitamin B3, combined with sunscreens. Prior to the introduction of this product, unsafe means of lightening skin were common. Generally, the common methods of skin lightening included using bleach, steroids, mercury, and hydroquinone—all of which can cause harsh permanent effects such as permanent skin darkening, serious illness, or even death. 67 The initial product offering of the brand included one topical cream that was to be used day and night in order to achieve fair skin. Now, the company’s product line has grown to several versions of the cream: Fair & Lovely Multivitamin: for normal skin Fair & Lovely Ayurvedic Balance: the natural version of the product Fair & Lovely Anti-Marks: to target blemishes Fair & Lovely Forever Glow: targets anti-aging Fair & Lovely Max Fairness for Men These products are distributed and marketed in more than 30 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. (hul.co.in) While Fair & Lovely’s company website did not state the vision of the company, it falls under the umbrella of Hindustan Unilever Brands, whose mission is: “The four pillars of our vision set out the long term direction for the company – where we want to go and how we are going to get there: * We work to create a better future every day *We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. 68 *We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. *We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact.” (HUL Corporate Website) The corporate governance of HUL includes a board of directors that manages a portfolio that includes food brands, home care brands and personal care brands. The majority of HUL’s income comes from soaps and detergents, followed by personal care products. In the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the company experienced a 13% growth in volume. (hul.in.co) In terms of public relations, HUL incorporates corporate social responsibility measures with its commitment to the environment. In September 2011, the HUL Mumbai campus received the LEED India Gold Certification, making it one of the few green buildings in the city. The company has also taken steps to help address the water scarcity issue in India. As far as Fair & Lovely brand is concerned, their public relations tactics appear to lie mostly in their scholarship program: The Fair & Lovely Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to “empower women through education, with a scholarship program that encourages women to further their education. The Foundation is vocal about the Indian education system and works to ensure that equal educational opportunities are given to women that are traditionally given to men.” Sources: Hindustan Unilever Limited website and Fair & Lovely website 69 Industry Overview Fair & Lovely falls into the personal care industry, which is a division of the beauty, cosmetics and fragrance industry. Specifically, the product is categorized in the skin whitening segment. The skin whitening industry is more prevalent in Asia than in the Americas or Europe. This industry includes a vast array of products designed to diminish dark spots on skin, even out skin tone and make skin lighter. Products include face and body washes, exfoliators, moisturizers, sunscreens and targeted treatments such as serums and spot correctors. Source: Fair and Lovely Website Competitive Analysis Fair & Lovely was the first in the market for fairness creams in India. Today, there are many competitive brands that offer similar benefits as Fair & Lovely products. The following chart shows well-known fairness products in India. Direct competitors are defined as products within the same price range as Fair & Lovely that target the same audience: young middle and lower classes. Indirect competitors are those that skew more expensive than Fair & Lovely and target an emerging upper middle class in India. This product category includes luxury brands that target affluent Indians: 70 Table 1: Fair & Lovely competitive breakdown. Challenge The challenge for Fair & Lovely is in the messages it sends to young women. On one hand, they have initiatives such as the Fair & Lovely Foundation, and publically announce that their goal is to empower young women. On the other hand, they focus much attention to outer beauty in the tone and messages sent in their advertisements. International media has taken notice of the fair/dark issue in India, and regularly vituperates Fair & Lovely—as a company that champions for fair skin and makes profit off of women’s insecurities with respect to their skin color. Point of View 71 This analysis is from the point of view of the brand’s target audience—a young woman between the ages of 18-35, middle class, who values beauty. Execution Fair & Lovely’s messaging primarily lies within its advertisements. The content of Fair & Lovely ads usually show a homely girl with no job or marriage prospects, who then starts using Fair & Lovely. Four weeks go by, the girl becomes two shades lighter, and she becomes a more confident woman and things just start falling into place for her. In recent years, the focus of the ads has been about a girl excelling in the work place or achieving career goals. Historically, Fair & Lovely ads have shown the girl getting her perfect groom due to using the product. The messaging in ads conflicts with the stated company objective of empowering young women. The ads send the message that a girl needs to be fair in order for her life to be on track. The emphasis is on outer beauty, not education or talent or other personal qualities that can empower a woman. Media have taken notice of this advertising campaign and now calls Fair & Lovely the company that profits the most from the fair/dark issue in India. It is understandable because HUL is selling fairness cream to a population that continually purchases the products. Until the belief within the Indian culture that only fair skin is beautiful diminishes, the company will likely continue to be criticized for continually reinforcing the values of fair skin. 72 Ironically, Hindustan Unilever Limited also owns the Dove brand, a beauty company that champions authentic beauty. In 2004, Unilever launched an international campaign that marketers hailed as one of the most effective cause- related marketing campaigns. (caseplace.org) The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty encouraged women to embrace their natural selves. The campaign sent the message that the definition of beauty is broad—beyond the airbrushed images of hand- picked models who are in magazines--including women with beauty “imperfections” such as skin discoloration (freckles) and women of all ages and sizes. This campaign focused on empowering young women and increasing the self-esteem of young girls. The campaign was considered a great success for the company and is now studied in public relations courses. Case 2: Dermalogica Company Background Dermalogica is a skincare brand devoted to promoting the health of skin as opposed to actual beauty. The company began in 1986 when founder Jane Wurwand identified the lack of education among aestheticians in the United States. The British native opened the International Dermal Institute in Marina del Rey, CA, to give skin therapists post-graduate training so they could differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Wurwand developed a line of skincare products that lacked the common ingredients that cause breakouts such as mineral oil, SD alcohol, artificial colors and fragrance. Today, Dermalogica products are sold in more than 80 countries, with offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. From its humble 73 beginnings in a Los Angeles suburb, the International Dermal Institute has expanded to 37 locations worldwide and is considered the “gold standard for post-graduate training in skin therapy.” The Dermalogica product line includes a range of treatments including cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, sunscreens, targeted treatments and body care for many skin issues such as skin aging, uneven skin tone, acne, sensitivity and dryness. The goal of Dermalogica products is to achieve the healthiest skin possible in users, instead of merely treating cosmetic concerns. Dermalogica is a privately held company. In terms of public relations, the brand is regularly mentioned on popular beauty blogs and beauty and style magazines. In 2010-11 Dermalogica received media attention for its new philanthropic efforts to help women entrepreneurs realize their dreams in an effort to alleviate poverty. “The Dermalogica Foundation was founded in 1999 to nurture and support underserved women and girls looking to gain economic security for themselves and their families.” (Dermalogica company website) In 2010, Dermalogica partnered with Kiva, a non-profit organization that lends money to the underprivileged so that they can achieve their business goals and work towards ending global poverty by putting more people to work. The program, called FITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship), loans money termed microloans to women entrepreneurs in more than 57 countries worldwide. An example of a FITE entrepreneur is Betty Dominguez, a hairdresser in Columbia who used her loan to grow her salon business (joinFITE website). FITE is funded by 74 donations—Dermalogica products feature information about the program and a redemption code on the packaging. Individual loans are as small as $25 but can make a big difference to a woman entrepreneur in a developing country. Industry Overview Dermalogica is listed in the beauty, cosmetics and fragrance industry. Even though Dermalogica’s mission is not to fix cosmetic imperfections, it is considered part of the industry due to the composition of its product lines. Specifically, Dermalogica is in the skincare segment. In 2010, Skin Care Industry News published the following about the skincare industry: “The skin care industry is a multi-billion dollar business, estimated to be worth USD 43 billion per year. It has steadily grown in the past years, and is expected to grow 6.8% more this year. Europe and the US are the biggest markets of the industry, accounting for over 50% of global skin care sales.” Competitive Analysis The audience for Dermalogica is women concerned with attaining and maintaining healthy skin. The age-range for their product line is diverse as they have products to treat concerns common for different age groups. Given the price points of the products, the likely target audience is upper middle class: Cleansers retail around $30 - $40 One of its best sellers is its exfoliate, Daily Microfoliant, which retails for $50 75 Moisturizers average around $40 Various treatments range between $30 - $150 However, considering the research findings in Chapter 4, evidence shows that income levels are not necessarily indicative of target audiences for beauty brands because women perceive beauty as a necessity. They spend money on products and services they may not be able to afford to attain beauty. In this case, the interests, or psychographics, of the target audience are more crucial to market segmentation than pure demographics. The closest direct competitor brands that go after this audience are DDF Skincare and Murad, because their approach to skincare is also skin health rather than just beautification. One of the company’s most valued audiences, much like Dermalogica, is aestheticians, professionals who specialize in skincare. Another category of competition would be “cosmeceuticals,” which refer to skincare products that combine traditional skincare ingredients with pharmaceutical ingredients that can change the chemistry of skin. (EMedicine.com) These brands offer products around the same price as Dermalogica; however, they do not universally take the natural approach to skincare: Obagi Medical Products, SkinCeuticals, La Roche-Posay, and Peter Thomas Roth. Other brands that take the cosmeceutical concept further are sold widely at retailers such as Sephora, but are formulated by dermatologists or plastic surgeons such as Dr. Brandt Skin Care and Perricone MD. Another category of competition would be the beauty and skincare products sold at mass retail. Beauty conglomerate Estee Lauder owns skincare 76 brands such as La Mer, Clinique, and Origins, which would likely be considered competition to Dermalogica, as would Avon. As a company, Avon specializes in cosmetics, and skincare is among their product segments. Over the past few years, however, Avon’s skincare products have been getting more media attention and have regularly made Allure Magazine’s Best of Beauty lists alongside Dermalogica. Challenge/Opportunity A beauty company is always challenged in terms of how it is perceived— whether it is really are concerned about its consumers’ health and well-being or viewed as predators of insecurity. Dermalogica saw this challenge as an opportunity and has consistently engaged in messaging to show that its true concerns are the health and well-being of its audience. Point of View This case analysis will also be from the point of view of the presumed Dermalogica customer—a woman concerned with beauty and wants to attain healthy skin. Execution Dermalogica saw an opportunity to empower women in ways other than promoting their outer beauty. As a beauty company, it saw the need to empower women with confidence and self-esteem. The joinFITE campaign successfully achieved those communication goals. Its message promotes other ways that women are beautiful rather than just outer beauty. It promotes the health of women and 77 encourages them to lead an enriched life, while striving to make the world a better place. Conclusions As these case studies show, it is possible for a beauty company to encourage self-esteem and health in women rather than focusing merely on outer beauty. A company’s message defines its position in the industry as cosmetic or health- related. 78 Chapter 6: The Expert Opinion As the previous case study shows, a global beauty company can successfully send the right messages to consumers. Since Dermalogica has mastered success in the skincare industry, the author interviewed Annet King, Director of Global Education at Dermalogica, for additional insights on the global beauty industry. Annet has more than 20 years of experience in the skincare industry. She currently develops and oversees the curriculum at the International Dermal Institute. Her qualifications of being CIDESCO (global beauty certification), ITEC and CIBTAC-certified as well as her experience in global beauty made her the ideal resource for an industry interview. Q: Are you familiar with the fair/dark issue? What has been your experience with it? A: Yes! Very familiar. I lived and worked in Asia. [Annet went on to describe her global background, which included living and working in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Latin America.] There are recorded deaths from whitening skin. Mercury has the most related deaths. Southeast Asia has this psychological aspect that the darker the skin, the poorer you are. In Vietnam, women who lived in huts would cycle with hats on, and come to the city to buy skin-whitening products. They would spend a year’s income [on skin- whitening products]. It was a huge wake up call. 79 In certain cultures, there is a psychological aspect [to skin whitening]—to have clear, light skin with no pigmentation, and huge attachment to wanting to achieve it. Lighter skin can give the ability to have greater opportunity—to marry better, better career prospects. It’s a class system. To think how far we have come in society, yet cultural perceptions are still heavily rooted in society. Q: What was it like to live/work in Asia? A: In Asia, China and developed countries, education is easier to get. [Women] are all about having a career and their own money. In India, so much of the culture is about dowry, family—sons are more important. Matrimonials. Back to caste, family, education, class. [Also in] India, so much is related to Bollywood. (Please refer to the content analysis in Chapter 3 for more information about Bollywood) Q: What are your thoughts on the skin whitening business? A: When it comes to looking at skin, melanocytes produce the color of skin. Products should help to correct that cell from producing melanocytes, vs. bleaching to get rid of color. For example, the egg is still brown but the brown spots are still gone (in reference to the current Clinique ad shown in Figure 36). 80 Figure 36: Clinique’s ad for its Even Better product. Source: collegecandy.com Every individual is unique to treating hyperpigmentation. It can be caused by hormones, the sun, heat, estrogen, etc. To try and tell someone her skin will be flawless is unrealistic. If you are whitening skin, you are killing your cells; there is risk of melanoma and skin cancer. It is very invasive. In typical skin lightening you have to use hydroquinone. We (Dermalogica) do not use hydroquinone. Dermalogica is huge in Asia but we don’t use the words whitening or lightening. We use the term brightening. It’s about getting rid of uneven spots on skin, not claims of whitening or lightening. It’s about brightening and providing even skin tone. We [Dermalogica] don’t believe in whitening, we even out pigmentation. We’re not talking Michael Jackson, or a miracle whitener. That would be preying upon those aspects within these cultures. It’s very unethical to do it for dollars. 81 Q: Can you talk more about marketing and skin whitening? A: In billboards in Asia, whiter skin is more desirable. Adding to cultural stigma, marketing is preying upon this misconception about being white and affluent. Messaging from product companies has a lot of marketing spin. Ethical companies are concerned about the health of the skin. We are a skin health company. Healthy skin can be any color; it’s about keeping it clean and hydrated, not about white skin. Look at Dermalogica marketing material—there are no celebrities, people on product materials use Dermalogica. Q: What are the highlights of being in the global skincare industry? A: I opened a spa in Ho Chi Minh City. It was the most impactful time in my career— to live in Ho Chi Minh City and give girls a career. If you’re an attractive girl and speak a little bit of English, you’re in the nightlife scene. To go there, hire and train in skin care schools, and teach how to do treatments was giving them a career where they no longer to work in nightclubs. And it was feeling like you are having some influence on them. [Those girls] had newfound independence and self-esteem. In that time, being able to try to educate them about having a career and something you feel you good about, less focus on cosmetic beauty and more on health. Having them understand that aspect of beauty [was a highlight of my career]. 82 Q: What are the measures you have seen women go through to get perfect skin? A: News got out that this woman came to town, me. Skin care guru, expert from England. No pr campaign, just word got out. Women from fields would bike in 10-20 miles, and they would come and take all of their earnings because they wanted lighter, brighter skin. A lot just wanted this western woman to tell them what to do to have beautiful skin. You didn’t want to take their money, it was heartbreaking. It was a lot of poor women working, but this is what they were doing for themselves. Girls would still come out to see me speak…. the lengths people will go to, beyond the aspect of looking in the mirror. There is a psychological aspect of having this little bottle that diamonds that promises beauty. I’m half Chinese, and a career woman that was tanned from volleyball, selling skin care products in Southeast Asia. Women were riding motorcycles with umbrellas and gloves. Whiteness had an association with getting career and marriage. There are billions of people and only x amount of jobs, [so the mentality is] anything you can help you to get employed. There’s an increase in plastic surgery in certain countries. Eye lid surgery, nose reconstruction—Caucasian like features to add their appeal of getting a career or husband. Q: Tell me about your experience with Latin America: A: Latin America has such a focus on beauty. Pigmentation is major issue. They like to tan. It’s not about white skin; it’s about even skin tone. Women aspire to have 83 those natural but voluptuous types of looks of famous Latin actresses: Eva Longoria and Jennifer Lopez. The culture is very much about making the man happy. It’s all about being sexy. And people have no problem in telling you what to do to be sexier. Curves seem to be more attractive. It’s more about having the perfect body and lot of makeup. It’s much more cosmetic. Q: Do you think the standard of beauty for an Indian woman will change? Meaning, darker skin tone will be accepted? A: It’s getting there. There are much more ethnic groups coming in. Look at Alek Wek: Figure 37: Model Alek Wek is very dark. Source: allstarpics.net. 84 The more we see designers choosing these models, the more the beauty industry will choose them. Protecting skin from sun is a good thing. But deliberately whitening skin because you think it makes you more desirable—that’s a society change that needs to happen in that country where there is still a large rich/poverty divide. Q: Why do you think beauty is so important to women? A: It’s about the image we want to project. It’s about attracting a mate, self-esteem. It’s about the image we project to girl friends, women are much more observant [of each other]. We should be proud of how far we have come [in regards to beauty and image]; we do it for ourselves now. When you look at Jennifer Aniston or Courtney Cox who have the perfect body, perfect skin, AND they are older celebrities. In the 1950s older celebrities wouldn’t be on the cover of magazines or even work. We live in an agelessness society—it’s more how good do you look for your age. 30 is the new 20, 40 is like 30. We (women) have our own money. We have older role models. It’s about looking good and feeling good. You reach an age when you are much wiser. A lot of celebs don’t care anymore [about aging]. In the past, menopause was like death. For women who get beauty treatments, there is a touch aspect to these treatments. We live in a society where we text and tweet so there is more interaction when a professional works on you. 85 There is so much more available to us—new products or devices, so there’s no excuse to not take care of ourselves. Men feel just as much pressure, but women are harder on themselves. Q: Where do you think the beauty industry is headed? A: In the last 15 years we went from doctors and dermatologists saying that skincare products don’t work to now, when everyone has a skincare line. We have come a really long way. People understand that they shouldn’t use soap on face, and [the importance of] using moisturizer and sunscreen. Now there are cosmeceutical ingredients; now I can treat my lines and wrinkles in a short period of time. In the future, I’d like to see less airbrushing and more images that are healthy and realistic—a greater focus on the health and wellness vs. the beauty cosmetic aspects. Everyone comes in different sizes and color; it’s about skin functioning properly. No matter what your skin is like, it’s about health. 86 Chapter 7: Analysis and Conclusions The belief that Indian beauty requires fair skin tone is a deep-rooted one dating back to ancient times that also ties into the religious beliefs of the Indian people. After conducting research on the global beauty industry and the skin whitening segment, the author believes there is room for a cause-related PR campaign to change perception about the fair standard in India. This should be an ongoing campaign that would span many years. It could start off as a small PR campaign that encourages key audiences to take steps to promote a broad definition of beauty. The plan should be updated on an annual basis and should incorporate some elements of USC Annenberg’s Strategic Planning Model. Perceptions will not change overnight; it will take many years before people consider dusky toned skin as a preference. As exemplified by other cause-related campaigns, it took years before PETA successfully sent their message to audiences, and years before animal testing in the cosmetics industry was considered taboo. The following analysis is an abbreviated version of USC Annenberg’s Strategic Planning Model aimed to change perception regarding standards of beauty in India: Communication Goal The communication goal is to get the population of Indian people to broaden their definition of beauty to include dusky skin tones. 87 Key Audiences Fashion designers: Fashion designers would be a key audience because they choose fair or dark models to showcase their designs. If they choose darker toned models, it would start to change the perception of beauty in India. Fashion and beauty media outlets: Similar to fashion designers, fashion and beauty editors have the power to catapult dusky toned models into the spotlight so that there could be more general acceptance of darker skin tones. Indian film industry: Bollywood is another area of exposure for darker skinned women to be seen by masses. Casting directors also have the power to choose actresses based on talent, not pure beauty. Aestheticians: Men and women who offer skin care services/advice need to be honest with their clients. They should explain the benefits and risks of each skin care product. Key Messages To fashion designers: Don’t discriminate against dusky toned models. Look past their color and give these girls the opportunity to work in the Indian fashion industry. Models should be chosen based on talent, not skin color. To fashion and beauty media outlets: Dusky toned models have a lot to offer, it’s time to start giving them opportunities. This will help 88 change perceptions of beauty. Airbrushing models to make them seem fairer is not necessary. To Bollywood: Give roles to actresses who have duskier skin tones. Cast roles based on talent, not on beauty. To aestheticians: Encourage skin health of clients rather than skin- whitening. Strategies Partner with opinion leaders, key media outlets, beauty and fashion industry contacts and celebrities to convey key messages. By partnering with the correct people or organizations to send out the message that beauty goes beyond skin color, Indian masses will start to accept darker skin tones. Encourage designers and editors to choose dusky toned models for fashion and beauty events and features. If aesthetic authorities such as top designers Manish Malhotra and Ritu Kumar picked darker toned Indian models instead of very fair or non-Indian models, it would become fashionable to have a darker skin tone. The more dark skinned models and shown in mainstream media, the more it will be accepted. Campaign for dusky beauty to be incorporated across mainstream media that utilizes various ways of communication including social media, advertising, and media events. 89 Tactics Hire dusky-toned models for a media tour to spread the “beauty is broad” message. The campaign, called “As Beautiful as Dusk” could have dusky models Monikangana Dutta, Lakshmi Menon, and Dipannita Sharma hosting an event in multiple Indian cities. Media such as Indian dailies (Times of India, Hindustan Times), pop culture magazines (Masala, Stardust), and Indian fashion publications (Femina, Vogue India) would be invited to cover the event. At the event, the dusky hosts could send the message about a broad definition of beauty by unveiling a new photo campaign that they star in and speaking about the cause. Gift bags for the event would consist of beauty products that promote health instead of the cosmetic aspects of beauty. Conduct media relations that targets women’s interest magazines and talk shows. This goal of this tactic would be to pitch features in magazines and talk shows about the cause. It could involve working with dusky toned models for photo features and speaking engagements on television. Key publications to target are Femina and Vogue India, because they are considered to be fashion and beauty authorities by Indian women. For broadcast, shows to target would be India’s Most Desirable and House of Style because they are focused on beauty and style. Many women watch these shows for advice on beauty. 90 Because Vogue India already makes efforts to feature dusky skin tones, it would be an ideal partner for the “As Beautiful as Dusk” campaign. A sweepstakes in conjunction with Vogue India should be held to encourage young women to speak out about their struggles with the fair/dark issue. This would have an online element where contestants would send in video submissions on why this cause is meaningful to them. Selection of winners should be announced on social media, web, and through a select issue of the magazine. The winners of the contest would go to Vogue India headquarters to be featured in a photo shoot that would highlight different definitions of beauty to be featured in an editorial feature of the magazine. Early in 2011, MAC developed a line by well-known Bollywood makeup artist Mickey Contractor. Similarly, MAC and Mickey Contractor would be ideal champions for the “As Beautiful as Dusk” campaign—this tactic would entail a new line by MAC and Mickey Contractor targeted for dusky tones. New shades of lip color, cheek color and foundations should be the main product offerings. Much like the MAC Viva Glam collection has a charitable component, this new dusky line for MAC should also incorporate a charity cause such as the education of women in India. Lakme Fashion Week is the premier event of the Indian fashion industry. The “As Beautiful as Dusk” campaign should have a presence at Lakme Fashion Week by hosting an opening event that celebrates 91 different forms of beauty. Dusky toned models would be the main focus with visual elements such as roaming models sporting unique makeup and photo exhibitions that feature dusky tones. The social media campaign for the “As Beautiful as Dusk” campaign needs to include a presence on Facebook. On the Facebook page, discussions about women’s thoughts on the fair/dark issue could be posed by administrators. Informational tabs that give beauty tips for dusky tones could be another option to incorporate. The goal of this tactic is to get conversations started about different skin tones; and eventually promote dusky tones as beautiful. Conclusions There are some changes on a global level in regards to skin tone and aesthetic preferences. Most recently, Miss Angola, Leila Lopes (a woman of color) won the title of Miss Universe in September 2011: 92 Figure 38: Miss Angola, Leila Lopes. 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Abstract (if available)
Abstract
In the quest for beauty, women continually spend billions of dollars annually and make the beauty industry a lucrative one. This paper will explain why beauty is such an important aspect of a woman’s life and why they go to extremes to attain it. Because the target audience for the beauty industry is extremely broad, this paper will focus on one target: women of East Indian descent. ❧ The prevailing beauty issue for an Indian woman is skin color, so the focus of this paper will specifically examine the skin-whitening segment of the beauty industry. It will explain theories as to why fair skin is deemed beautiful in the Indian culture, the messaging and public relations campaigns of well-known beauty brands, an industry expert opinion, and suggestions for a public relations campaign to change perceptions of beauty in India. The goal of this thesis is to broaden the definition of beauty for Indian women with research behind the perceptions of beauty and suggestions for improvement.
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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Gopinath, Shilpa
(author)
Core Title
The color of beautiful: the case against skin whitening
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Strategic Public Relations
Publication Date
05/11/2012
Defense Date
05/10/2012
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
beauty,beauty PR,communications,Cosmetics,Marketing,OAI-PMH Harvest,Public Relations,skin whitening,skincare
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Floto, Jennifer D. (
committee chair
), Jackson, Laura Min (
committee member
), Smith, Erna R. (
committee member
)
Creator Email
sgopinat@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-40071
Unique identifier
UC11290142
Identifier
usctheses-c3-40071 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-GopinathSh-849.pdf
Dmrecord
40071
Document Type
Thesis
Rights
Gopinath, Shilpa
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
Repository Name
University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location
USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Tags
beauty
beauty PR
skin whitening
skincare