Here's an excerpt from my PRESCRIBED II PUC ENGLISH TEXTBOOK.
OKAY, now wait for a few seconds. Take all of that in slowly.
Forget the fact that this is what our board of education has approved and chosen for us to study in the 21st century. This play 'Romeo and Juliet', is arguably one of the best pieces of literature ever penned down.
First of all, Romeo is like the biggest hoe I've ever seen. However, that is not what I want to address here. It reeks of white supremacy and racism.
'Jewel on an Ethopian's ear'
'White dove amidst crows'
'Like snow on a Raven's back'
I find these lines in the poem no less than irritating.
Initially, I found it amusing and I was proud of how much we have progressed as a society. But as I kept reading it, I was flabbergasted by the metaphors used and genuinely appalled by Shakespeare's mindset which was obviously accepted widely by the society at the time. I also seem to have found a modern equivalent of shaming on the basis of skin color.
Shaming doesn't necessarily have to mean putting someone down directly. You can put someone down by telling them that something they are not is more desirable than what they are.
A less vague way to say this can be achieved by giving an example of the country which I belong to, India.
As the name suggests, I am referring to 'fair and lovely' an extremely popular cream sold in India which is supposed to make you fairer. I have no problem with the fact that some people want to change their complexion from lighter to darker or darker to lighter depending on what suits them. Unfortunately though, the advertisements and campaigns for the fairness cream market here in India (which, by the way is vast) is beyond disgraceful. They shamelessly and successfully propagate the mindset that if your skin is not pearly white, you are ugly, you have no friends, no one will take you seriously and boys will never pay attention to you.
ROMEO:
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear-
Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear.
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o'er her fellow shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
(Act-1 Scene-5)
JULIET:
Come night, come Romeo; come, thou day in night,
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night
Whiter than new snow on a raven's back.
Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night,
Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
OKAY, now wait for a few seconds. Take all of that in slowly.
Forget the fact that this is what our board of education has approved and chosen for us to study in the 21st century. This play 'Romeo and Juliet', is arguably one of the best pieces of literature ever penned down.
First of all, Romeo is like the biggest hoe I've ever seen. However, that is not what I want to address here. It reeks of white supremacy and racism.
'Jewel on an Ethopian's ear'
'White dove amidst crows'
'Like snow on a Raven's back'
I find these lines in the poem no less than irritating.
Initially, I found it amusing and I was proud of how much we have progressed as a society. But as I kept reading it, I was flabbergasted by the metaphors used and genuinely appalled by Shakespeare's mindset which was obviously accepted widely by the society at the time. I also seem to have found a modern equivalent of shaming on the basis of skin color.
Shaming doesn't necessarily have to mean putting someone down directly. You can put someone down by telling them that something they are not is more desirable than what they are.
A less vague way to say this can be achieved by giving an example of the country which I belong to, India.
As the name suggests, I am referring to 'fair and lovely' an extremely popular cream sold in India which is supposed to make you fairer. I have no problem with the fact that some people want to change their complexion from lighter to darker or darker to lighter depending on what suits them. Unfortunately though, the advertisements and campaigns for the fairness cream market here in India (which, by the way is vast) is beyond disgraceful. They shamelessly and successfully propagate the mindset that if your skin is not pearly white, you are ugly, you have no friends, no one will take you seriously and boys will never pay attention to you.
This is seen indirectly as well. A striking majority of influential people in the media such as actors, musicians etc. are light skinned. As harsh as it is, I find it necessary to point out the fact that dark skinned Indians in shows and commercials are usually generic goofy South Indian characters or a servant of sorts. It shames me as a citizen of India to see how disgusting the media is because I can imagine the people in charge turning down candidates due to the fact that they don't blend in with the off white walls.
I was on YouTube when a Vaseline 'healthy white' advertisement came up. Since I was so interested and curious to know what an MNC had to say about fairness, I listened to what they were saying. After a bit of rambling on about how desirable pearly white skin is, they said it has 'healing power'. Now you'd think this healing power protects you from sunburn or improves your dry skin. But no. Vaseline's healing power makes you 2 tones lighter in JUST 2 weeks so you can feel beautiful and wanted.
In the States, they have an opposite culture which glorifies tanned skin. But here's the difference, they don't shame people who don't have a tan. Moreover, white people (among whom tanning is popular) are all born light skinned.
Here in India, we are born with a much more diverse range of skin tones, which in my opinion is beautiful and I find it sad that we aren't embracing the same and loving our skin. I wasn't going to write this, but I personally prefer dusky skin as I feel that the bright colours I love look more rich and beautiful on dusky skin tones and I wish I could carry off colours like yellow, peach and sea green.
I strongly suggest that the media should stop glorifying light skin and show the rest of the society that any complexion related beauty standard is ridiculous. Beauty standards were initially based on health, so if anything the people with more melanin should be worshipped (I think I just suggested reverse racism).
In conclusion, I would like to say that fair and handsome gave me one more reason to want to break Shahrukh Khan's face.
