Body and Beauty in India

Since my arrival in India, I’ve noticed a few differences in Indian body image and beauty perceptions, but things really came to my attention this past weekend. Unfortunately, I contracted a bacterial infection from something unsanitary that I must have eaten or drank, and ended up in the hospital for 3 days this weekend. It wasn’t a big deal, I just needed to receive IV antibiotics, but while I was there, there wasn’t much to do besides watch TV, so there were definitely some things about beauty and body image that came to my attention through movies, TV shows, and especially commercials.

Skin color is a major focus of the commercials that show on Indian television. Here, the lighter your skin, the more beautiful and admirable you are. There are all sorts of lotions and face creams you can buy that will supposedly make your face and skin 5 shades lighter. Most of these commercials have the same plot: A young woman is unhappy-she is dressed in unflattering clothing, wears no make up and her hair is usually pulled into a simple pony tail. She laments to her beautiful, well dressed, light skinned friend with long flowing, shiny hair. This friend suggests “Ponds White Beauty” (yes that is an actual product) or something like it. The girl uses it, and suddenly not only does her skin turn lighter, but her whole life improves. Her hair and clothes are better; she has more friends, etc. Finally, the commercial ends after this girl gets attention from a man; sometimes staring, a date, or even a marriage proposal!

These commercials stand in stark contrast to the advertising for tanning that I, as a white middle class female college student, am bombarded with in America. The tanning industry in the United States collects roughly 5 billion dollars in revenue this year. Falling into the target consumer group, I am “told” through media and advertising that pale is sickly and unattractive, and clothes look better and sexier if you are tan. Even in the middle of winter, I should still have a “summer glow”.

So my question is: why can’t we just be happy with what we have? Indian people, in my opinion, are beautiful people; there is no reason to mess with this by trying to be “fair skinned”. Same thing goes for fair people in the U.S. Why is one complexion supposedly so much better than the others? In my opinion, all “shades” of people are beautiful. This sounds cliché, but for me its truth. How boring the world would be if we were all the same color! I have a vague idea of where these conceptions of “superiority” come from (historical and cultural context, socio-economic perspectives, advertising, etc.) but I sure wish there was a way to undermine this trend.

A more positive trend that I noticed was the actresses in movies and television here. While their hair, makeup, and clothing are usually close to perfection (much like in the U.S.), their bodies are much more realistic. Western culture has become notorious for super skinny actresses; the kind of girl who’s ribs and spine are easily seen, who has a super flat tummy, no hips, and perfect legs. Not to say that this describes every “western” actress or celebrity out there, but if you are being honest with yourself, you will admit that this does fit the majority. Indian actresses however, while still slim, have hips, and even a tummy! This gives a more realistic image, rather than the “skeleton” look. Don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing skinny people; some people are born with great genes, have a great metabolism, and/or eat right and exercise properly, and that’s wonderful and healthy. I have a problem with celebrities who are so skinny that there is no way they are eating normally, or they are exercising excessively. It sets unrealistic expectations for girls and women. So, in this regard, it is great to see more realistic women on the big screen here in India, and it’s even greater that these women are considered beautiful and physically attractive. I hope this trend will continue in Indian media, despite western influence. That’s all for my little rant, hope you at least found it interesting!