General News 'Racist' Thailand skin-whitening advert is withdrawn

That advert is definitely controversial and has racial connotations due to the "blacking up".

I think when people think of skin-whitening products it is often assumed to be down to Western racism when, like the article states, it is often a lot more complex than that.

White Victorian women (in particular) used to use similar products and avoid the sun for similar reasons (to avoid tanning which was seen as lower-class/unladylike).

With the Thai example, is it really any different from prejudices and negativity towards paler white people in the Western world (assumptions of ill health, "pasty" "ghostlike" comments, assumptions of poverty due to lack of foreign holidays). Here tanned skin is equally prized and favored. I think the only real difference is that most tanning products (bronzer/self-tan) are less harmful than bleaching products - although tanning by sun or sunbed can be more harmful to health.

I don't quite understand why we discuss skin lightening by asian or black people as being automatically problematic or racist, but do not consider white skin darkening in the same way. I think all are essentially social trends being expressed via inwardly directed racism (i.e. within the same group).