Recently I had the privilege of speaking with a friend of mine who has a media company in Atlanta. He, a Nigerian, works with a lot of celebrities from both Nigeria and Ghana. As we spoke, various topics came up in our conversation.
One of the topics that really got to me was that of the mentality of some of the west African celebrities mainly the actresses who rest their strength, not in their talents and abilities, but on their complexion.
I must say that I was truly educated during our more than one hour phone chat. My Nigerian friend, and his diverse and strong connections in the African movie industry in Atlanta and New York, shared the ‘reality check’ that some of these actresses come to find once they enter the States.
Many of the ‘light or fair’ skinned actresses seem to think that their complexion is some form of entitlement to stardom or even the ideal statement of beauty. Well, they are often, according to my friend, shocked to find that many of the girls in the US that they believe are white (caucasians) are actually black.
In the US “Blacks” come in a variety of shades, especially in the south. Blacks range from mullato, high yellow, yellow, red, dirty red, light, brown….you get the picture. I hear people use the term “halfcast” or even “mixed race” and yes, while here in the US we say “mixed” for people who are products of interracial parentage, it is usually accepted that if one of your parents are ‘black’ then you are ‘black’ no matter the shade of your complexion.
Well it seems that there is a new craze going around in the world of “celebritidom”. We all know that the practice of using skin whitening products has always been around.
What I was informed of was that now there is a more aggressive form of whitening/lightening ones complexion. Have you heard of glutathione injection? Well that is what the celebs are gravitating towards.
There is a Nigerian actress, well known in her own rights. She has naturally light skin tone but over night she has shot from just being light-skinned to white-skinned. It is so obvious. My dear you ain’t fooling anyone but yourself. I guess you’ve, the readers, have figured out by now who is that celebrity.
I must say this, when I was told about this glutathione injection I didn’t believe it. I had no clue. I am kind of backwards on this topic, maybe because I don’t find it interesting.
A number of American celebrities have fallen “victim” to this ‘cosmetic’ procedure and some African celebs are following to boot. Now, if the person has a fairly light complexion and takes the injection in moderate dosage, the changes are gradual and to some extent not easily noticeable.
If the person who uses it has a darker complexion the change will be more noticeable over time. Well we all know that we, the Ghanaian movie industry, has a few ‘fair’ skinned actresses of our own and there has been some questionable changes here and there.
For those of you who are movie buffs and movie lovers I suggest that you look at some of the older movies of some of our celebs and compare them with newer movies, or better yet just google some pictures of some of our beloved celebs and monitor the progressive ‘changes’ over time. I can guarantee that you will be, shall I say, surprised?
If you have read or know anything about the glutathione injection you would know that it gives the skin a pinkish hue and some even purports that it aids in keeping the skin taunt (a fountain of youth).
The body naturally consist of glutathione but as we grow we produce less of it and our glutathione level is reduced. Side effect of using glutathione injection is that it possesses toxic properties that can affect a person’s nervous system.
According to the Aging Studies Institute, large doses of glutathione can adversely affect a person by causing shakes and nervous twitches as well as forms of anxiety and depression. Excessive intake can also cause gastrointestinal problems.
Should our celebrities copy this behaviour? Are we not appreciative of who they are in all their natural beauty?
References
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/glutathione-side-effects-1846506.html
http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Side_Effects_Of_Glutathione
By: Kathy E. L./United States Of America
It’s funny cos a lot of black women celebrities and non, seem to have this self loathing for their skin. A lot seem to think lighter skin is the passport to a better life.
To each their own…it seems everyone now is lightening their skin…case in point Beyonce Knowles…who was very light skinned all of a sudden she’s looking really pale and white! let’s not forget Lil Kim.
In West Africa women and men have been bleaching for yonks! I doubt it’ll ever stop…for some reason people think light skinned is more beautiful, and if one is beautiful I guess that leads to other successes.
That being said so many dark skinned sisters abound Genevieve Nnaji, Jackie Appiah, gabrielle Union. What we need to be teaching the younger ones especially girls is self love not self loathing.
http://www.that1960chick.com
Have you ever heard the saying monkey see, monkey do? When will we begin to set trends and not just follow ’em? SMH
Well spoken “KR”
Thx Myagi
Well as you know we love to COPY COPY. Case in point, Kanye Weste started wearing some shades that look like a window with blinds. Now we are doing it too
hmmmm, SMH at this light & dark skin issue. those who feel insecure in their skin (light or back) will do anything to get what they desire.
thats so true
It cud also lead to skin cancer which is one of the preventable cancers in the world..
good point
i hear that let them keep up
chris can u keep this blog interesting by mentioning names? im sick of dis beat around de bush guessing game.
if he mentions names trouble if he doesn’t too trouble…..haba
Seriously i do not seem to understand why some people r so obsessed with light skin. If u were born light skinned,good for u but why bleach to become light . Yvonne Nelson was very chocolate when she started acting but is now light skinned, Nadia is naturally light skinned cos she was mixed but is now pale, almost like a caucasian. These actresses should refrain from bleaching cos it isn’t healthy at all.
It looks lyk rihanna also bleached her skin
Looks like she did. Came from barbados with moderate light skin and now she is almost white.
From an evolutionary standpoint, perhaps this way of the “neanderthal” gaining traction in the survival of the fittest game. While we will always say “homosapians” who are the longest living of all human-animal spicies (case in point the cave man dwellings an lifestyles of black Asians in Papaua New Guinea, Australia)………………….Basically, this is just a matter of survival, there will come a time when the rubenesque will not be as adorned as the arabasque in our society.
this article is so on point though, like for real. but the funny thing to me will always be that being fair skinned in Ghana will not always mean the good things in life GOOD EXAMPLE is the plethora of beggars along the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Tema Community 1, Ring Road in Accra I could go on but if you been to Ghana and seen these people you know what Im talking about, some of them could easily win BEAUTY PAGEANTS or score MODELING CONTRACTS but thier way of life is such that they must be and even they kids must beg yet supposedly being light skinned is somehow a desired goal?
Just goes to show is matter of raising your children to love who they are and what they can do with their brain.
Man all skin tones are beautiful. I wish more people realized that. I’m tired of the bleaching and self loathing. Being lighter won’t make you prettier!
i tnk dis “glutathione injection”is what the nigerians refer to as “oyinbo cream”lol…tonto dike became white overnight as well as rita, yvonne etc.na wa for them ooo