"It's a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some," Sosa said. "It's a cream that I have, that I used to soften (my skin), but has bleached me some. I'm not a racist. I live my life happily."
Sammy Sosa showed up to the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas last week raising more than a few eyebrows. The lovable former Major League slugger, shunned for his use of performance enhancers a few years back, was always more amiable than his one-time big-boppin' counterpart Mark McGwire; another PED abuser. Still, the condition he came to Nevada in was completely bizarre. A European company has asked Sosa to 'try out' their new skin bleaching product, which they claim functions as a skin moisturizer to lessen the effects of sun damage and soften the skin. What they forgot to mention was that it would considerably lighten the aforementioned slugger's face, giving him an almost Casper-like quality; "mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of..." Okay okay, we got it already.
Interestingly, it does not appear as though the European company has any interest in selling or promoting their totally racist product outside of Sosa's native Dominican, since laws governing both beauty products and procedures in parts of Latin-America are not nearly as strict. And even though Sosa acknowledges he is using a 'skin bleaching' product, he does not see a problem with it, claiming "I'm not a racist". Say it ain't so Sammy. What are the millions of your fans back in the Dominican gonna think of you when come home looking like some French Count? They are going to think you've been had.
Sosa is free to do as he pleases and accordingly, he is apparently in negotiations to become the skin product's chief spokesman. Anything for money I guess.
Defender Telegraph, page 8, No. 001
Very interesting post. I'm especially intrigued by your comment that "Interestingly, it does not appear as though the European company has any interest in selling or promoting their totally racist product outside of Sosa's native Dominican".
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as to why a skin-whitening cream gets your stamp of disapproval on grounds of racism... What about the flip side? Bronzer creams and tanning beds have been used for decades by millions of people to appear darker. It seems to be done for the same reasons (superficial alterations of one's appearance). Admittedly, the cream makes people whiter, and racism usually (but not always) flows from light to dark, but rarely flows the other way. Also, the cream seems permanent while even the darkest tan fades over time.
Thoughts?
Ron Ansara
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting comments Ron.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, people have been artificially darkening their skin for decades as either a reflection of their personality or a recent vacation. But, it's an aesthetic choice - one that comes from wanting to extend their 'vacation appearance'. On the other hand, when someone uses a skin lightening cream as powerful as the one Sammy Sosa is promoting, it immediately raises eyebrows because this effect cannot be attained naturally like a tan. To me, it simply seems like just another European company trying to impose/market its cultural values on people of colour. It's a type of neo-colonial strategy because the company is using an actual Dominican citizen to sell its racially bias product from afar.