Racist and sexists beauty standards in Thailand

Beauty standards in Asia are kind of interesting... and by interesting I mean extremely racist and sexist.

Julia and I had fun at the drug store the other day taking pictures of products.  It's very hard to find lotion and deodorant that doesn't whiten your skin.

The desire to have whiter skin does date back far in Thailand.  It had been associated with wealth and status, and basically means you aren't working outside in the fields if you have lighter skin.

HOWEVER.. It's disturbing how normalized the idea of whitening your skin has become past few decades with increasing globalization.  

Hospitals are even in on it too, with all kinds of beautification treatments, including whitening and surgeries - all mostly for women to look more Western, but more recently following modern Korean beauty trends.

"In the past decade or two, it’s khaaw suay (“white-pretty”) that carries the day for most Thai women. Lest anyone thinks Thai women want to look ‘white’ like Caucasian women, a Thai female ideal type of late is: khaaw-suay-muay-X (“white-pretty-Chinese looking-sexy”). In the last few years this type has been modified somewhat with more preference for the Japanese and now Korean type–with big, ‘innocent’ eyes (often made possible by oversized colored contact lenses), small chin, rosebud lips, and porcelain white skin."

Korean-style ‘pretty’ that is all the rage in Thailand - Source: play.kapook.com

Beauty trends/culture in Asia  <-- Interesting article about beauty 'fads' in Thailand.

"Products promising to lighten the face, body and armpits are already available across the country, with skin-whitening pills and diet supplements claiming to pick up where the cosmetics leave off. But this is the first time that a vaginal whitening wash has hit the Thai market."

Plus sized contact lenses are also a thing.  Some people in my program got a few pairs of contact lenses that make their irises look bigger.  Apparently that's illegal in the US. 

Here's some pics:  

Same Same.

In South Korea and Thailand too "double eye-lid surgery" is very popular for women.  This makes women's eyes appear more westernized.  This is extreme.  

I went to the Art Center at CMU (Chiang Mai University) the other day. Here's some pictures of art from the undergraduate students that go along with this theme.  

I think the mainstream culture is increasingly racist and sexist with the increase of globalization, but the art students (always) know what's up.

"Fashion"

"Fashion"

"Technology"

Oh yeah by the way, our generation in America gets so much grief for being attached to our devices all the time...  I think it's worse over here.  If you ask some Thai kids what their hobbies are they have no shame in telling you "facebook."