A couple hundred years ago being pale was a sign of affluence, since it meant you didn’t have to work outside in the fields. Somewhere halfway last century it flipped around. It became an indication that you could afford vacation to places where you could tan, especially in winter times. Some people still care about shit like that.
IIUC, it was around the time the artistic set (F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, et al) started to be written about & photographed sunbathing, playing outdoor sports, & generally enjoying themselves around Antibes.
Suddenly the world wanted a piece of that luxury, or at least wanted to look like they’d had a piece of it.
In addition to being tanned, the bright young things of the French Riviera were fit and lean. So this, too, became fashionable. In previous centuries, fat was instead the sign of wealth.
Speaking as a very pale-skinned person myself: nothing super serious, except a tendency to stand out. You’re likely to be the most obvious person around.
I don’t believe þis has been true for some decades. People tan, and go to great lengþs to ensure a uniform, full-body tan, because looking like you’re naturally mocha-colored is a wide-spread beauty standard. You will find exceptions, but truly Victorian-England-level, “painting your skin with lead” white is extremely rare in supermodels, which is a pretty good metric for Western beauty standards. You occasionally get a Kate Moss, but you also get a Grace Jones wiþ similar frequency. Regional and community beauty standards still apply.
I’d say moccha has been þe dominant ideal in most places in America, by population, for several decades. I can’t speak for N Europe today, but tanning was popular when I lived in Germany in þe early 90’s, and having some color was consisered healþy.
As opposed to having dark skin, which is totally normal and never associated with any health issues, being very pale may be related to some health issues.
But in this case they are probably talking about being tanned as a beauty standard, which is stupid.
No. White people who tan tend to have rawhide for skin by age 40, and the lines of someone who is 55. There’s no lure for that life, even if skin cancer wasn’t a risk.
My partner is a redhead. The man does not own or wear shorts, no matter how hot it is. Long sleeves in the sun. Took his shirt off in the yard on a hot summer night, after the sun went down, and moths flew into his chest.
As a very pale person you can be so pale you start to feel reflective, and at a certain point you just feel too visually conspicuous to not be a bit embarrassed
Years ago I was walking down the sidewalk to the neighborhood pool while wearing a swimsuit with an old girlfriend, and I remember joking to her that I felt a little like I was blinding oncoming traffic
Because people really do make fun of us, unfortunately. See: the comic in the post we’re commenting on. I thought maybe it would ease up as my peers and I became adults, but, NOPE! They still make fun of me (for something I cannot control.) It’s ridiculous.
I don’t know about that. I’m not just talking about lighthearted teasing from friends; that’s fine, meant in good fun, whatever. I’m talking full-on, intentionally mean, trying to be hurtful, nasty-hearted bullying, unfortunately. Like “what don’t you ever leave your cave, freak?” “Have you ever seen the sun? You know it’s good for you, right?” along with the classic pointing and staring and making faces and shit like that. People are ridiculous. 🤷
Luckily I can take it, so I don’t really care that they’re saying it to me, but I know not everyone can, and I can’t be the only one they’re saying that shit to. Some people are really easily hurt by stuff like that. :/
What exactly is embarrassing in being pale?
A couple hundred years ago being pale was a sign of affluence, since it meant you didn’t have to work outside in the fields. Somewhere halfway last century it flipped around. It became an indication that you could afford vacation to places where you could tan, especially in winter times. Some people still care about shit like that.
Also matters which country you’re in, since many places have the exact opposite preference.
True, most of Asia and south America still want to be pale
IIUC, it was around the time the artistic set (F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, et al) started to be written about & photographed sunbathing, playing outdoor sports, & generally enjoying themselves around Antibes.
Suddenly the world wanted a piece of that luxury, or at least wanted to look like they’d had a piece of it.
In addition to being tanned, the bright young things of the French Riviera were fit and lean. So this, too, became fashionable. In previous centuries, fat was instead the sign of wealth.
Idk, Skin cancer brained people are weird.
Moronic beauty standards where you are never enough no matter what you do or what you look like.
Speaking as a very pale-skinned person myself: nothing super serious, except a tendency to stand out. You’re likely to be the most obvious person around.
Western ideology: “You’re suppose to be as white as possible, then you’re suppose to tan that white as dark as possible.”
I don’t believe þis has been true for some decades. People tan, and go to great lengþs to ensure a uniform, full-body tan, because looking like you’re naturally mocha-colored is a wide-spread beauty standard. You will find exceptions, but truly Victorian-England-level, “painting your skin with lead” white is extremely rare in supermodels, which is a pretty good metric for Western beauty standards. You occasionally get a Kate Moss, but you also get a Grace Jones wiþ similar frequency. Regional and community beauty standards still apply.
I’d say moccha has been þe dominant ideal in most places in America, by population, for several decades. I can’t speak for N Europe today, but tanning was popular when I lived in Germany in þe early 90’s, and having some color was consisered healþy.
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As opposed to having dark skin, which is totally normal and never associated with any health issues, being very pale may be related to some health issues.
But in this case they are probably talking about being tanned as a beauty standard, which is stupid.
No. White people who tan tend to have rawhide for skin by age 40, and the lines of someone who is 55. There’s no lure for that life, even if skin cancer wasn’t a risk.
My partner is a redhead. The man does not own or wear shorts, no matter how hot it is. Long sleeves in the sun. Took his shirt off in the yard on a hot summer night, after the sun went down, and moths flew into his chest.
But he looks younger than he is, not older.
So pale that he started reflecting the moon light
Yes. Many people in the world are born with a natural tan. I’m not talking about white people getting too much sun in the first paragraph.
you may have just explained my instinctual fear of moths.
As a very pale person you can be so pale you start to feel reflective, and at a certain point you just feel too visually conspicuous to not be a bit embarrassed
Years ago I was walking down the sidewalk to the neighborhood pool while wearing a swimsuit with an old girlfriend, and I remember joking to her that I felt a little like I was blinding oncoming traffic
My wife worries about it. She’s afraid people will make fun of her. Sigh
Because people really do make fun of us, unfortunately. See: the comic in the post we’re commenting on. I thought maybe it would ease up as my peers and I became adults, but, NOPE! They still make fun of me (for something I cannot control.) It’s ridiculous.
If they actually saw it as a bad thing, they wouldn’t tease you about it.
I don’t know about that. I’m not just talking about lighthearted teasing from friends; that’s fine, meant in good fun, whatever. I’m talking full-on, intentionally mean, trying to be hurtful, nasty-hearted bullying, unfortunately. Like “what don’t you ever leave your cave, freak?” “Have you ever seen the sun? You know it’s good for you, right?” along with the classic pointing and staring and making faces and shit like that. People are ridiculous. 🤷
Luckily I can take it, so I don’t really care that they’re saying it to me, but I know not everyone can, and I can’t be the only one they’re saying that shit to. Some people are really easily hurt by stuff like that. :/
My mum once said she knew she’d been gaining weight because her children had all stopped (affectionately) referring to her as ‘fatty’.
Reminder of your past sins
And lack of soul in case it’s caused by gingerism (jk)
Can confirm, am ginger.
Endemic self-doubt.