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wayfarer
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am Post subject: obsession with whites and whiteness in Korea |
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It's just weird and bizarre and off-putting to me.
Never mind the derision that overweight foreigners inevitably must get behind their backs from Koreans. Unfortunately they're just living up to every stereotype about the fat American, so that's to be expected.
I'm more perplexed by the other side of it.
From the pervert across the hall from my friend's apartment who leaves his door open to masturbate when she walks out, to the elderly head teacher at my school who lusts after me, to the ever-present white models in Korean clothing advertising, to the countless koreans getting eyelid and nose surgery...
S. Korea has no history of colonization by European powers, which is what would normally explain this sort of fucked up love/hate relationship with white skin. They have their own celebrities, their own tv, their own cinema. They have an economy near the world's top. So, why is it? |
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kentucker4

Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Georgia
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:15 am Post subject: |
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Why are there so few fat Koreans? Westerners could learn a lot in that department. Face it, most fat people live their lives making excuses for themselves when all they have to do is not eat and excercise harder. I don't blame K-people for sneering behind their backs. |
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optik404

Joined: 24 Jun 2008
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:36 am Post subject: |
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white models in ads are pretty much worldwide |
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laogaiguk

Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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Wasn't it Tyra Banks who was suing some big woman's magazine because there were just no black models. Everywhere in the world, even our own countries see white as beautiful. I am not saying this is right or wrong, just what is. |
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jkelly80

Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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White=wealth. Greed is a powerful aphrodisiac. |
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wylies99

Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: obsession with whites and whiteness in Korea |
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wayfarer wrote: |
It's just weird and bizarre and off-putting to me.
Never mind the derision that overweight foreigners inevitably must get behind their backs from Koreans. Unfortunately they're just living up to every stereotype about the fat American, so that's to be expected.
I'm more perplexed by the other side of it.
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Sooooo, you're biatching about Korean stereotypes while you openly spout off about "fat Americans." Physician, heal thyself. |
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tomato

Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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ytuque

Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Location: I drink therefore I am!
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: obsession with whites and whiteness in Korea |
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wayfarer wrote: |
It's just weird and bizarre and off-putting to me.
Never mind the derision that overweight foreigners inevitably must get behind their backs from Koreans. Unfortunately they're just living up to every stereotype about the fat American, so that's to be expected.
I'm more perplexed by the other side of it.
From the pervert across the hall from my friend's apartment who leaves his door open to masturbate when she walks out, to the elderly head teacher at my school who lusts after me, to the ever-present white models in Korean clothing advertising, to the countless koreans getting eyelid and nose surgery...
S. Korea has no history of colonization by European powers, which is what would normally explain this sort of fucked up love/hate relationship with white skin. They have their own celebrities, their own tv, their own cinema. They have an economy near the world's top. So, why is it? |
Many cultures have traditionally valued white skin, and the Koreans are no different. Pale skinned people, especially women, were not out working in the fields during the day. Obviously, the elites had fairer skin than the peasants. |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: obsession with whites and whiteness in Korea |
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ytuque wrote: |
wayfarer wrote: |
It's just weird and bizarre and off-putting to me.
Never mind the derision that overweight foreigners inevitably must get behind their backs from Koreans. Unfortunately they're just living up to every stereotype about the fat American, so that's to be expected.
I'm more perplexed by the other side of it.
From the pervert across the hall from my friend's apartment who leaves his door open to masturbate when she walks out, to the elderly head teacher at my school who lusts after me, to the ever-present white models in Korean clothing advertising, to the countless koreans getting eyelid and nose surgery...
S. Korea has no history of colonization by European powers, which is what would normally explain this sort of fucked up love/hate relationship with white skin. They have their own celebrities, their own tv, their own cinema. They have an economy near the world's top. So, why is it? |
Many cultures have traditionally valued white skin, and the Koreans are no different. Pale skinned people, especially women, were not out working in the fields during the day. Obviously, the elites had fairer skin than the peasants. |
It's just a form of greed and self-loathing.
Also, although Korea hasn't been physically colonized by another country, you could make the argument that they've been economically and politically colonized by America. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Bingo, what ytuque said.
You can now see the opposite in western countries with tanning salons being a dime a dozen....once whit skin is common, it ceases to be as beautiful.
Also koreans are naturally darker.....all my elem kids are far darker than the adults....a little sun and they're tanned....
Last edited by Ukon on Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Matilda

Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Location: Gimhae gal
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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It was around the 30's that a tan became popular in Western countries - Coco Chanel popularised the trend as it signified that you were so rich you could afford to have an annual holiday in Canne  |
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justaguy
Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Location: seoul
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Ukon wrote: |
Bingo, what ytuque said.
You can now see the opposite in western countries with tanning salons being a dime a dozen....once whit skin is common, it ceases to be as beautiful.
Also koreans are naturally darker.....all my elem kids are far darker than the adults....a little sun and they're tanned.... |
Ytuque is right.
Skin whitening creams and powders have been used here for thousands of years in China, Korea and Japan. Long before Europeans ever thought of coming here.
A good example would be Japanese Gesha style.
Skin whitening has nothing to do with the west. |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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justaguy wrote: |
Ukon wrote: |
Bingo, what ytuque said.
You can now see the opposite in western countries with tanning salons being a dime a dozen....once whit skin is common, it ceases to be as beautiful.
Also koreans are naturally darker.....all my elem kids are far darker than the adults....a little sun and they're tanned.... |
Ytuque is right.
Skin whitening creams and powders have been used here for thousands of years in China, Korea and Japan. Long before Europeans ever thought of coming here.
A good example would be Japanese Gesha style.
Skin whitening has nothing to do with the west. |
Yes, it does. |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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Matilda wrote: |
It was around the 30's that a tan became popular in Western countries - Coco Chanel popularised the trend as it signified that you were so rich you could afford to have an annual holiday in Canne  |
speaking of which, I've been seeing more and more tanned koreans in Gangnam. The tide is turning. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject: Re: obsession with whites and whiteness in Korea |
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When I was in Vancouver I saw a girl with extremely dark skin. It took a while before I figured out she was speaking Korean.
wayfarer wrote: |
S. Korea has no history of colonization by European powers, which is what would normally explain this sort of fucked up love/hate relationship with white skin. They have their own celebrities, their own tv, their own cinema. They have an economy near the world's top. So, why is it? |
Look at the past 60 years. It's not quite colonialism in the traditional sense, but it has a lot of similarities. Of course the period before that was worse. |
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