Black and White and Ideas about Beauty

Written by Aaron on June 10, 2006 - 19 Comments Download audio file (lerato.africa.mp !

at "arl #n t$is con%ersation, &ar' as's (erato a)out w$ere s$e $as )een in Africa and t$e* +et tal'in+ a)out ideas of color and t$e mutilation of t$e )od* in t$e name of )eaut*. &, -o (erato, w$ic$ countries in Africa $a%e *ou )een to. (, (lau+$s! &, #/m sorr*. 0ou are tr*in+ to eat toast at t$e same time. #/m sorr*. #s it +ood toast. (, #t/s %er*, %er* nice (lau+$s!. &, We/re 1ust sittin+ $ere. #t/s -unda* afternoon in an old Japanese $ouse. We are sittin+ on t$e tatami and we are loo'in+ at a map on t$e wall and it/s an old map of Africa. #t/s 2uite an old map. 3en *ears old ma*)e4and # t$in' t$e map of t$e world $as c$an+ed 2uite a lot. W$ic$ countries in Africa $a%e *ou )een to. (, 5m4(esot$o, -wa6iland, 7otswana, 8im)a)we, &o6am)i2ue, 8am)ia and &alawi. &, &alawi4 (, 9mm, and #/d li'e to +o to :ami)ia ne;t, to +o and see t$e sand dunes. &, <i+$t. (, And *ourself, w$ic$ countries $a%e *ou )een in in Africa. &, #/%e )een to =+*pt. 3$at/s in Africa isn/t it. (, (lau+$s! 0es, it is. W$* were *ou a)out to as' w$et$er it counts or not. &, #t/s funn* in t$e mind, t$ere is a difference )etween nort$ Africa and )lac' Africa. (, Well, t$e* are all )lac', aren/t t$e*. &, Well, in :ort$ Africa # ima+ine t$e people are more )rown and Ara)4and4 (, Well, actuall* no)od* is )lac'. 3$e*/re )rown aren/t t$e*. &, =%er*)od* is )rown. (, =%er*)od* is )rown (lau+$s!. &, 9a%e *ou e%er seen an*)od* w$o was reall* )lac', li'e reall* )lac'. (, 0es, # $a%e. 0es. 0es. & , W$ere. ( , #n -out$ Africa, )ut t$e* were from :i+eria, # t$in'. A lot of people t$at come from

west Africa sometimes >$ana, Cameroon, >a)on, t$e* $a%e %er* dar'4 &, -'in. (, 4comple;ion. 0es, t$e* $a%e a %er* dar' comple;ion. And t$en # t$in' people closer towards t$e sout$ and ma*)e towards t$e east? t$eir comple;ion is a little )it li+$ter. &, # li'e dar' s'in. # find it )eautiful. (, Well, # don/t 'now. # t$in' e%er*)od*4e%er*one $as a nice s$ade. &, We all $a%e, li'e, cultural )a++a+e a)out color. &, &mmm4 &, #n 3$ailand to )e dar' is loo'ed down on, and for some people4 (, #t/s li'e t$at e%er*w$ere. #t/s li'e t$at e%er*w$ere. 0ou 'now, # mean, for a lon+ time, # am not sure if it is still $appenin+ now, )ut # 'now t$at around t$e ei+$ties and t$e earl* nineties, t$ere were t$ese products t$at were produced )* =uropean companies and t$e tar+et mar'et was African women and it was li'e soaps and creams so t$at t$e* could, *ou 'now, )asicall* )leac$ t$eir s'in so t$at t$e* could loo' li+$ter )ecause it was percei%ed, t$e li+$ter *ou loo' t$e more )eautiful *ou are, t$e dar'er *ou are t$e u+lier *ou are. And # t$in' in parts of #ndia and Du)ai people +o to, *ou 'now, do plastic4 cosmetic sur+er* w$ere t$e* +et t$eir comple;ion li+$tened. &, &mm4 (, # t$in' in America also *ou find a lot of popular models and popular actresses t$at feature in mo%ies amon+st t$e )lac' communit*, man* people t$at $a%e li+$t s'in, and %er*, %er* few of t$e women actuall* $a%e dar' s'in. And if t$e* do, t$e* are usuall* cast in roles t$at are not %er* important in t$e mo%ie. (i'e *ou wouldn/t )e cast as a leadin+ woman @ or not t$at *ou wouldn/t @ )ut it is rare to $a%e a dar'-s'inned woman cast in a leadin+ role. &, &utilation in t$e name of an a)stract idea of )eaut*. (, &mm-$mm &, #t/s mutilation, isn/t it.. (, #t/s mutilation, *es. &, And some people $a%e t$e nose )one done, and t$e )reasts. (, And t$e )reasts, *es (lau+$s!. &, And t$en w$en t$e* +et older t$ese silicone pads (t$e* put! in t$eir c$ee's and t$at, t$e* can slip, and t$e* can turn t$e face into a monstrous t$in+. (, And *ou $a%e to 'eep +oin+ )ac'. &, &mm4 (, 0ou 'now, # mean loo' at w$at $appened to &ic$ael Jac'son w$en $e tried to li+$ten $is s'in wit$ all t$at cosmetic sur+er* t$at $e did after $is 3$riller al)um, or around t$e time of $is 3$riller al)um. And loo' at t$e side effects t$at $e $as now. #t loo's li'e a, *ou 'now, a messed-up ca'e. 9is face loo's li'e a messed up ca'e.. &, 0ea$, it/s a s$ame. (, And all )ecause *ou $ated w$o *ou were, )ecause t$at/s den*in+ w$o *ou are, don/t *ou t$in', in some wa*. &, 0ea$. (, 4to +o to t$at le%el of c$an+in+ w$o *ou are. 0ou are c$an+in+ some +enetic stuff a)out *ou, arenABCABCABCt *ou. &, # t$in' most people don/t reall* 'now w$o t$e* are and t$e* are clin+in+ to somet$in+. 3$is ideal of )eaut*, out of $ope. #t/s4t$e moti%ation is not )ad, # don/t

t$in', it/s 1ust4it/s a s$ame t$at people feel t$e need to do t$at and t$e* can/t 1ust lo%e w$at t$e* $a%e. (, &mm, # t$in' soABC4(si+$!4=;cess (lau+$s!. &, 3oo muc$.