Why do (most) Indians think that dark(er) skin is somehow ugly?

Whats wrong with melanin? I've tried to understand it when i was in india but i just couldnt.

 

I dont think dark skin is ugly. Maybe because most Indians are dark skinned and lighter skin people are hard to find, so more attractive?

 

i find women with darker complexion more attractive...
being fair isnt the only thing...

some girls with darker complexion have better features..

 

Are you kidding me .. I love those tanned/dark Chicas ..

But yeah.. There are Indians who do think tis ugly .. Not just Indians though but even Many whites but for totally different reasons (say racism etc)

It really depends on one's thinking n how you carry yourself .. (Look at J'lo, Will Smith etc)

 

Alas! Women doesn't find that

 

women like tall, dark and handsome men.

 

Well i think Some indian's are dark bcz of The Air the Atmosphair..you will find dark ppl from South,bangali, bcz that side is Near Srilanka...and Srilanka ppl you all know:
you'll not find any 1 who are living in Dehli Mumbai bcz the are not near South side i think...
i dont know i m right or not: but thats my thinking
Tc

Faiq

 

The dark in 'tall, dark and handsome' refers to a tanned complexion, not dark brown or black. No one wants a pasty white guy who looks like he's never done any work out in the sun and sits at home all day.

It's not just Indians who think a fairer complexion is better than darker. Most people around the world would think the same. It's to do with human psychology and how we perceive colours. White is seen as angellic/heavenly, whereas dark colours are usually associated with evil/somber affairs (for example, for funerals, people wear black).

Fair complexions seem to signify cleanliness, wealth, while dark skin is the opposite. It looks as if the person is poor and works a blue collar job out in the sun.

Of course, everyone (almost) knows that the colour of the skin doesn't really tell you anything about a person, but society/our brains make us subconsciously look at it that way without realising it.

 

Nice explaination, but it doesnt really explain why others (like myself) dont have this way of thinking.

 

I dont really think most indians think dark skinned people are ugly. Yes most celebrities we have basically in bollywood or even in our singing group are not so dark, ofcourse there are exceptions but I'm talking from a general point of view, so probably the fact that most of our celebs are fair and famous gives a wrong direction to ugliness and non-ugliness. Also I'm coming from north India and know that most people from north look down upon people from south who are usually the darker skin types. I'm from bengal and many people have darkish skin here but no one gets bullied or something when they go to other states, but you'll find people talking about south indians. So I dont think its the dark skin rather where you're coming from. I dont have any vandetta against people from south india, some of them are my best friends, so please I hope nobody was offended, this is just my opinion on this topic.

 

nandita dass is so pretty, isnt she?

and btw,,how can i leave w/o saying.."beauty lies in the eyes of beholder"

 

No ! .. Beauty lies in the eyes of "beer"holder ..

 

. .

 

its coz we ape the west and want to be like em in every way hence the obsession with fairness.and somehow the words black beauty are always associated with horses rather than women thus black becomes a word offensive

 

I dont think thats true
Even before the white came to india fairer people were considered better looking

I think its got to do more with the caste system
even in old literature lower caste people are potrayed as black and less fairer

 

Isn't that just the opposite of saying that you find people with fairer complexion more attractive? It's just a reverse thing but equally bad in my opinion.


Anyway, I don't think I have anything worthwhile to add here.

 

nce said bjr and @ ambush how can u say that fair ppl were considered attractive even bfore goras arrived.

 

Indians do have different skin tones and the fairer people always drew praise in lore.

 

bjr have u been watchin repeats of mahabharat and ramayanas. coz they showed the well off ppl fair and vice versa. poor ppl were black coz they worked their asses in the sun and these kings and kins had some ppl fanning them

 

not really, I still remember them from first time around.


Check out descriptive literature from any era and you shall probably find these references to fair usually equalling to beautiful.