This just forwarded by Ben Wood…

In India’s Huge Marketplace, Advertisers Find Fair Skin Sells
By Rama Lakshmi, Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, January 27, 2008

“MUMBAI The TV ad shows an Indian movie star walking on a beach, flaunting his brand-name sunglasses and his six-pack abs. A white woman in a black bikini drops on the sand from nowhere, and then another woman drops down. Soon, a bevy of white models literally falls from the skies, and the movie star runs for cover. A green-eyed model from Iceland puts her arms around him and whispers seductively, “The fall collection. . . baby.” more

Ben asks: As we ready ourselves for the potential influx of goods and products from a burgeoning Indian economy, what will we really see?

In responding, I pointed out to Ben that I was struck by, when visiting India recently, the large number of “skin whitening creams” commercials on television. Very disturbing. I would posit that this is a leftover from the dominance of western culture, or what is perceived as such. Let’s hope a more balanced vision is what lies in store.

Geotypografika says no to skin-whitening-creams, and yes to an infinitely more diverse future.