After a controversial skin-whitening ad made rounds on social media, we Pinoys have been up in arms to defend morena skin, including proudly morena celebrities Chai Fonacier and Bianca Gonzales.
Chai Fonacier was the first to voice out her disdain against the ad on Twitter, saying that she is “alright with my brown #KutisPinas and I’m still in the showbiz business.”
She then went on to explain what makes the ad problematic in the first place.
The point is, at this part of the learning curve, we hold nothing against people who want to be fairer skinned. Their body, their choice. But when a brand deliberately insults an entire subgroup of people to make money is exploitative.
— Chai Fonacier (@bansheerabidcat) April 14, 2019
“There are no other parts. They’re not out to educate, they’re out to sell. Because for the longest time, brown skinned people are aware of the discrimination already. It’s pointless to try to excuse the campaign by focusing on a fact we already know,” she wrote in a Tweet. “The point is, at this part of the learning curve, we hold nothing against people who want to be fairer skinned. Their body, their choice. But when a brand deliberately insults an entire subgroup of people to make money is exploitative.”
Meanwhile, Bianca Gonzales shared her thoughts on the issue.
Just a note from a Filipina with brown skin since birth:
There is no problem AT ALL sa mga gustong magpaputi. The problem is when whitening brands make us look “kaawa awa” dahil lang maitim kami. Kasi, hindi po kami kawawa, maganda ang kulay namin.
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) April 13, 2019
She said, “There is no problem AT ALL sa mga gustong magpaputi. The problem is when whitening brands make us look “kaawa awa” dahil lang maitim kami. Kasi, hindi po kami kawawa, maganda ang kulay namin.”
She also went on to mention a few other morena celebrities, Angel Aquino and Tweetie de Leon, who she looked up to because of their confidence in showing off their brown skin. She said that because of them, she grew up to love her own brown skin as well. “I did not need to compare myself to fair skinned girls. It need not be a “battle” of maitim versus maputi.”
I grew up loving my brown skin because of beautiful women like Angel Aquino and Tweetie de Leon who proudly flaunted their brown skin. I looked up to them. I did not need to compare myself to fair skinned girls. It need not be a “battle” of maitim versus maputi.
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) April 13, 2019
Bianca also hopes that her daughters don’t grow up conscious of how they look just because of societal pressures. “When they grow up, choice nila kung magpapa-tan or magpapaputi sila. But what I will teach them is that being brown is not something “shameful”, and being brown is not something that makes them less beautiful than others.”
I now have two daughters, and both of them are morena. When they grow up, choice nila kung magpapa-tan or magpapaputi sila. But what I will teach them is that being brown is not something “shameful”, and being brown is not something that makes them less beautiful than others. ❤
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) April 13, 2019
What are your thoughts on the controversial ad?
