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Final verdict on why are Asians are conditioned to think pale white skin is the most attractive and Westerners conditioned to think tanned is the most attractive.
Summary of replies from my original thread:
looksmax.org
Some credits where it's due: most of this information was copy and pasted from:
@BucketCrab @johncruz12345 @Gandy 's replies
History:
Pale skin was popular in the west until the last 20s where it became a status symbol to be tanned. So reminder than tan being preferred in the west is a very recent phenomenon.
A few example of pale skin being considered ideal from history will clear things up regarding how widespeard the "pale = noble / tan = farmer" concept really is:
1. Its different amongst the majority skin colour.
It stands out, its different. people get bored of the same thing
2. Aesthetics
- Tanned skin looks better on the undertones of white people. And pale looks better on the undertones of asian people
- Tan looks good with western features i.e blonde hair, light eyes. It doesn't with asian features i.e dark hair, dark eyes.
- Asian men can look good with pale skin for reasons laid above: good contrast with their natural face shapes, coloring and features.
- It's all about contrast.
- Pale skin on whites is seen as unhealthy or a sign of bad health.
- Tan on whites hides blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles
3. Class system & higher status conditioning taste in beauty
Note: white people come from cold countries with not much sun. Asian people come from hotter countries with more sun.
Both ideas are the same. One skin tone associated with being rich, the other with being poor.
Asia:
- It's not a status symbol to be tanned in asia because you are born naturally tanned and you dont need to spend lots of money to travel to be tanned so there is no good thing about it, it just shows you are a regular person.
- In asian society nobility hardly went outside in the field so pale skin = wealth. This was amplified when whites took over many Asian societies.
- In ancient China, rich people could stay inside and avoid sun. They didnt really have to do manual labour
- Asian countries still have the very colonial mentality where the paler you look, the better (not necessarily visually- its the social implication thats the reason.)
West:
- In the west its the wealthy people that can afford to go on vacation so they can tan and poor people who stay inside all day. Therefore because just rich people can do it. It became a status symbol
- Pale skin used to be ideal in europe. as the royalty would stay inside and lower class would work under the sun on farms. This changed after the industrial revolution. Now the lower class workers would stay inside in factories, which would cause them to be pale instead.
- If you are pale you are seen as a shut-in
- The social implication that the person doesn't have to work on a rice field or outdoors in general is no longer relevant in the west as having a shut-in office job is not a point of prestige. Going on holiday to warm destinations is. In the past travelling on planes was very expensive. Only the very rich: nobility, businessmen etc were even able to travel.
- Pale guys will be mocked as shut-ins, geeks etc.
These things are still a deeply ingrained concept in most people's heads. When you think of a rich businessman, what image comes to mind? A man with tanned skin, or with white skin? Obviously white. We still immediately associate whiteness with richness, centuries if not millennia of social conditioning cannot be undone in a few decades.
4. Social conditioning from media
Portraying all good looking people to be of a certain colour
The answer is a mixture of all 4
Summary of replies from my original thread:
Why are asians conditioned to think pale white skin is the most attractive. And western white people conditioned that tanned skin is the most attracti
Why are asians conditioned to think pale white skin is the most attractive. and western white people conditioned that tanned skin is the most attractive? 1. is it just to peacockmaxx amongst the majority skin colour? 2. is it because tanned looks better on the undertones of white people...
looksmax.org
Some credits where it's due: most of this information was copy and pasted from:
@BucketCrab @johncruz12345 @Gandy 's replies
History:
Pale skin was popular in the west until the last 20s where it became a status symbol to be tanned. So reminder than tan being preferred in the west is a very recent phenomenon.
A few example of pale skin being considered ideal from history will clear things up regarding how widespeard the "pale = noble / tan = farmer" concept really is:
- Victorian England: ladies would walk around with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun and avoid getting a tan.
- 18th century France: nobles would literally powder their faces white to appear as pale as possible.
- 19th century Germay: ever heard of Snow White? she was the ideal beauty, with raven hair and porcelain skin.
- Renaissance Europe: white skin with rosy cheeks was considered ideal, especially for women.
- Pre-medieval mythology, both ancient greeks and scandinavians: the most beautiful heroes, gods and goddesses are always depicted as fair-skinned, both in art and writing.
- Gothic literature from the 18th century onwards: vampires are always depicted as sexy and rich from the 18th century onwards.
1. Its different amongst the majority skin colour.
It stands out, its different. people get bored of the same thing
2. Aesthetics
- Tanned skin looks better on the undertones of white people. And pale looks better on the undertones of asian people
- Tan looks good with western features i.e blonde hair, light eyes. It doesn't with asian features i.e dark hair, dark eyes.
- Asian men can look good with pale skin for reasons laid above: good contrast with their natural face shapes, coloring and features.
- It's all about contrast.
- Pale skin on whites is seen as unhealthy or a sign of bad health.
- Tan on whites hides blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles
3. Class system & higher status conditioning taste in beauty
Note: white people come from cold countries with not much sun. Asian people come from hotter countries with more sun.
Both ideas are the same. One skin tone associated with being rich, the other with being poor.
Asia:
- It's not a status symbol to be tanned in asia because you are born naturally tanned and you dont need to spend lots of money to travel to be tanned so there is no good thing about it, it just shows you are a regular person.
- In asian society nobility hardly went outside in the field so pale skin = wealth. This was amplified when whites took over many Asian societies.
- In ancient China, rich people could stay inside and avoid sun. They didnt really have to do manual labour
- Asian countries still have the very colonial mentality where the paler you look, the better (not necessarily visually- its the social implication thats the reason.)
West:
- In the west its the wealthy people that can afford to go on vacation so they can tan and poor people who stay inside all day. Therefore because just rich people can do it. It became a status symbol
- Pale skin used to be ideal in europe. as the royalty would stay inside and lower class would work under the sun on farms. This changed after the industrial revolution. Now the lower class workers would stay inside in factories, which would cause them to be pale instead.
- If you are pale you are seen as a shut-in
- The social implication that the person doesn't have to work on a rice field or outdoors in general is no longer relevant in the west as having a shut-in office job is not a point of prestige. Going on holiday to warm destinations is. In the past travelling on planes was very expensive. Only the very rich: nobility, businessmen etc were even able to travel.
- Pale guys will be mocked as shut-ins, geeks etc.
These things are still a deeply ingrained concept in most people's heads. When you think of a rich businessman, what image comes to mind? A man with tanned skin, or with white skin? Obviously white. We still immediately associate whiteness with richness, centuries if not millennia of social conditioning cannot be undone in a few decades.
4. Social conditioning from media
Portraying all good looking people to be of a certain colour
The answer is a mixture of all 4
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