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[Truean]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nivea-pulls-offensive-ad-185220424.html

Famous second to last words, "What? I know what I'm doing, I don't need a lawyer telling me my business."

Famous last words, "Shit, I should've had someone, like maybe a lawyer, look this over."

This ad could NOT have been reviewed by legal because even the dumbest lawyer on earth knows this just screams "sue the shit out of me." An African American holding what appears to be a severed head with the words "Re-civilize yourself" is lovely evidence for a jury in all types of hiring and employment discrimination management is going to squirm like hell explaining.  The Nivea people say the man featured is preparing to toss the head, but in addition to tossing heads not being a lovely pastime, it can be interpreted as having poor, "caveman" like posture while making off with a freaking severed head. Even so HOW IS THROWING A HEAD CIVILIZED?  The whole thing adds up to a negative interpretation of African Americans who clearly need not only be civilized but "Re-Civilized." Naturally, this white man's toilet soap is just the thing to do it.

http://www.kontraband.com/pics/21119/Racist-Soap-Ads/?gpage=4#show
http://mywretchedconsciousness.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/a-brief-history-of-soap/
Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. [sigh].
Damn it Nivea. Speaking of repeating it, Unilever has a long, long history of doing this.

"Today, Unilever continues to market Pears Soap, Lux, Lifebuoy and Vaseline–all household brands in nearly every corner of Africa, products which have quite interesting colonial legacies. It is also the company behind Fair and Lovely, the all too famous skin-lightening cream which is rife across Africa and parts of Asia where skin bleaching among women is a major public health issue. It is however surprising that the same company is behind the Dove brand which is well-known for its “campaign for real beauty.”"

[Kay12]

Seen those situations often enough, or heard about them.
Luckily, I have decent enough friends, that escort said person home, or at least call her a taxi.

Well, I'm curious how colege night-life will look like.
Not that I plan to participate heavily in it, but friends will surely persuade me every now and then, so at least I'll get a sober glimpse of the situation.

This one happened in broad daylight by the way. It was six o'clock PM in Midsummer - meaning it would get dark in approximately two months.

[ChairmanPoo]

Is it a matter of law or a matter of marketing, though?

[Truean]

Is it a matter of law or a matter of marketing, though?

Both? The marketing end is clear enough. The legal one is once removed. If an employee sues you for racial discrimination in hiring or employment and then posts up that crap.... Eh.... Why... no... we're not racists and never have been. All that history and current soap racism...? Don't pay attention to that....

"We're not racist but we actually do market a skin bleach...." 

[Kay12]

"We're not racist but we actually do market a skin bleach...." 

I honestly don't see how marketing a skin bleach would make anyone racist.

[Max White]

Is it any more racist than a tan salon?
Anyway, I was under the impression that skin bleach could be used to remove small freckles.

[Kay12]

Or marketing a hair dye?

[Max White]

Or playing paintball?

[Truean]

http://www.racialicious.com/2008/05/30/fair-and-lovely-ad-lighter-skin-better-job-prospects/

No no, it appears you get hired if your skin is lighter. Not spots of your skin, all of it. This means you should use the product to lighten your entire skin, all of it.

"I told you four is my lucky number." she says after they show her skin lightening by four shades.

You guys need to start thinking like bastards, because that's what the world is full of.

[Kay12]

Oh, so that's what you were talking about... frankly, I don't understand how that stuff doesn't get intercepted by the Sanity Department...

[MonkeyHead]

My 6 and a half foot tall dark skinned Pakistani Muslim pal loves applying for jobs - he knows he is 100% certain of at least an interveiw, and usually gets jobs. This is possibly as he is a good Chemist, but also he ticks a lot of diversity boxes.

[Lysabild]

 I find that tanned people are way more popular here, I even get cussed at for being pale sometimes.

[Kay12]

Tan went "out of fashion" here in Finland about two years ago as the media decided to finally make a fuss about sunbathing and skin cancer.

Coincidentally, I spent that summer working with Linux, so I was actually fashionable for the whole time!

[Max White]

Tan went 'out of fashion' in a similar time frame to twilight gaining popularity... 

[GlyphGryph]

People always strive to look like whoever is "in charge", and in a lot of these places those in charge are whie people or, at the very least, people who probably don't need to work outside.

See people blackening their teeth and ruining their mouths so as to better look like the rich nobles who could afford things like sugar (and had the mouth disease to show for it)

Skin bleaching was actually very popular in the west for a long time (as the rich didn't need to labour all day in the sun). It was only when factories and offices started getting popular, meaning the average person became pale, and many of the rich took a liking to exotic vacations and lots of our door leisure activities, did the situation reverse.

Or something like that, maybe I need to go find some sources...

Anyways, I don't see how selling something people want is racist. It may enable racism, but it is not really racist in and of itself (though the advertising for such products could quickly become so!)