is thai tv and advertising prejudiced

[benp]

i ask this question simply because thai tv and advertising always feature actors, actresses and models as very fair skinned. they are some beautiful people featured in tv shows and advertising but i am sure you will agree, that is not what the average thai looks like. it is very disparaging to thais who have beautiful dusky complexions. it seems that the media encourages companies to produce so many different treatments to make the skin fair. they seem to suggest that unless one is fair skinned they arent beautiful! what a load of rubbish if that is the case. thai people generally are beautiful inside and out.
many friends and relatives have remarked on the way that thais are portrayed in tv shows and advertising. are we wrong? i would love to know what others think.

[flippogirl]

Dear Benp,

Unfortunately you are right. And it's not only a "Thai" thing, I am married to a Filipina, and it's the same over there.

The vision is, the lighter your skin the more beautiful you are. No matter if you have the face of a toad, as long as you have light skin, you're deemed beautiful.

And I fully agree with you, I love to see Asians with a darker complexion.
If I see an Asian woman with blonde hair, blue eyes and a very light complexion, it just doesn't look right.

Anyway, beauty is not on the ouside, so what are they fussing about anyway.

[bangbang]

It's really like that on most countries, but it is very noticeable in Asia cause majority of the population does not come close to resembling what you see on T.V. But that's just how it is, businesses need to make money and you got to put your best product on there. I know this cause I live in the Philippines.

[bennu]

There may be prejudice, on the other hand in the west you see the same phenomenon the other way round. People with a dark complexion are seen as exotic. However superficial the trends may be, and they are, there is a global redefinition to an all average. There is even a sexual idealism to bring together the bigger contrasts. It could also be taken to suggest that only the ‘white man’ lends himself for such advertising. The advertising industry is a global industry, and the models that are used are perhaps the same everywhere. The grass is always greener on the other side.

[pquinlan]

One can't complain about media using beautiful people, unless you want to vent and rail against media the world over. However, the total absence of good role models of different hues is entirely unforgivable.