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Does Sammy Sosa think ‘white is right’?

November 17th, 2009, 5:00 am · 18 Comments · posted by Colin Stewart

sammy-sosa-300w-may-nov-09Former baseball slugger Sammy Sosa, 41, says he has been using a bleaching cream each night, but why?

The bleach explains the change in Sosa’s skin, which has occurred from May (the left-hand photo) to this month (the photo on the right).  It doesn’t explain why he would want to bleach his skin.

Sure, he wants to moisturize it, but plenty of moisturizers don’t change the skin’s color. Sosa’s choice of a bleaching agent might suggest that he has bought into the attitude that lighter skin is more attractive.

It’s an attitude that is pervasive in many cultures, and not just ones that are predominantly white. Among of natives of many Caribbean islands, lighter skin is often preferred.

In the Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, for example, the definition for “light-skinned” is illustrated by this quote: “In Toronto, he would have called her ‘mixed,’ but at home, here, she would be regarded as one of the sought-after light-skinned women.” And this one: “In such a milieu, the light-skin guy … was an Adonis.”

A headline on  “The Root,” a Web site that presents “a variety of black perspectives,”  states that “Sammy Sosa’s new vampire complexion is a jarring reminder that, from the Dominican Republic to Dakar to New Delhi, white is still right, yellow is still mellow and if you’re black, get back.”  That article by Shiwani Srivastava adds:

To be fair, it’s certainly not just Sammy Sosa, the Dominican Republic and India. It’s Japan, Malaysia, Cuba, Iran, Britain, Singapore, Mexico, Sri Lanka … the list goes on and on. The skin lightening cream industry is a $432 million a year industry in India, $7 billion a year industry in China—and it’s growing globally.

A similar attitude is present in the United States.

In a blog elsewhere on “The Root,” writer Jada F. Smith states:

Black entertainment has made little progress in the last century when it comes to colorism. Both dark- and light-skinned blacks continue to be cast in roles that perpetuate stereotypes within our own community. Light-skinned people are good; dark-skinned people are bad. Light-skinned people live comfortably; dark-skinned people live in the projects.

Don’t believe that colorism is still seeping into our psyches? Read Monique Fields’ piece about her 4-year-old daughter who told her, “Brown people drive old cars.”

Smith sees the same attitudes cropping up in the highly praised film “Precious” and elsewhere in popular culture, where blacks sometimes discriminate against people whose skin is darker than a “brown paper bag”:

Call it overanalyzing, but is it a coincidence that Precious’ dark-skinned mother is physically and verbally abusive, her dark-skinned father is a drug addict who rapes her, and the main character herself is a dark-skinned 16-year-old mother of two? Meanwhile, the teacher, social worker and nurse who uplift and bring positivity into her life are all light-skinned. …

Pretty much every other Tyler Perry film has a dark-skinned male aggressor and light-skinned male savior (Shemar Moore vs. Steve Harris in “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and Blair Underwood vs. Boris Kodjoe in “Madea’s Family Reunion.”)

When a character gets replaced on a sitcom, their complexion usually gets lighter (from Janet Hubert-Whitten to Daphne Maxwell-Reid on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Jazz Raycole to Jennifer Freeman on “My Wife and Kids.”)

And the biggest black entertainers right now could probably all pass a brown paper bag test (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, Tyra Banks, Alicia Keys).

Plastic surgeon and blogger Dr. John Di Saia of San Clemente and Huntington Beach thinks Sosa has gone too far. “He is likely using hydroquinone with a good sun screen. Dramatic results (maybe too dramatic). … I would have liked it maybe half as light, but he didn’t ask me,” Di Saia wrote on his blog.

In an interview, Sosa told NPR that he might help the the product’s manufacturer with marketing. That would be a change from the typical pattern of denial that Srivastava cites:

The thing is, despite the popularity of skin lightening creams, no one wants to admit that they use them. …

Now it turns out [Sosa] may want to endorse the cream as a spokesman. Oh, Sammy. If he does, he’ll join the ranks of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (think South Asian Tom Cruise, minus the Scientology), who came under fire for his advertisements endorsing a new skin lightening cream for men in India.

This would be yet another blow in the long line of attempts to spread the word that some people happen to like dark brown skin, thank you very much, from the Black Is Beautiful movement in the U.S. in the ‘60s and ‘70s to the recent Dark Is Beautiful campaign in India.

But Srivastava thinks Sosa’s acknowledgement of what he’s doing could be a positive step.

It might “start an important dialogue about what hydroquinone actually does to your skin, about treating skin conditions that really do affect people of color and about the difficulty of finding makeup as a brown woman—even today,”  Srivastava writes. “Maybe we’ll start talking honestly about our deeply rooted preferences and prejudices that make skin lightening a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide.”

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 18 Comments

  • scorekeeper says:
    November 17, 2009 at 6:21 am

    You look great Sammy, keep doing what ever you are doing. Maybe a Jacko inpersonator is on the way.

  • Knucklehead says:
    November 17, 2009 at 7:23 am

    being white must be cool or something

  • eviltwin says:
    November 17, 2009 at 7:31 am

    recent pictures of sosa’s wife indicate she is also on the white track.

  • Marcus says:
    November 17, 2009 at 8:41 am

    Can anyone believe anything this guy says?

    He’ll just spin the truth as him being a ‘victim of society’ - like everyone else.

  • SicknTired says:
    November 17, 2009 at 8:48 am

    Dark skinned people bleaching to get lighter and light skinned people tanning to get darker.

    Women with small assets getting bolt ons and larger endowed women getting reductions.

    Botox, liposuction, face lifts, tunny tucks, and hair extensions.

    Self esteem is becoming more rare and is being replaced by vanity.

  • logicisourfriend says:
    November 17, 2009 at 9:16 am

    “It’s an attitude that is pervasive in many cultures, and not just ones that are predominantly white. Among of natives of many Caribbean islands, lighter skin is often preferred.”

    Um, Colin Stewart, that’s your OPINION. Many millions of dollars are actually spent by predominantly white people to get dark. You can’t pass a strip mall without seeing a seedy tanning salon.

    • Colin Stewart says:
      November 17, 2009 at 9:28 am

      Hi, LogicIsOurFriend,

      You and SicknTired are right to point out that many whites work hard to make their skin darker. Maybe the tendency is something like what SicknTired suggests — people want to be whatever they’re not. I’m not convinced that there’s some universal ideal of a “cafe au lait” skin color that everyone subconsciously seeks.

      All the best,
      Colin Stewart, blogger

  • Shakti says:
    November 17, 2009 at 9:20 am

    You mentioned Shahrukh Khan getting flack for his ad that ran in many countries a few years ago for men’s skin whitening cream.

    Just last week they released a NEW ad with him for Fair and Handsome cream and it’s online at youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXbVxYQRRLQ
    It’s a really well made ad and very cleaver with how they get their message across.

  • Shakti says:
    November 17, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Don’t know if you can post pictures here ….but if so here is one from SRK’s new skin lightening cream ad that shows him with the product
    [img]http://img7.hostingpics.net/pics/361397snapshot20091106190216.jpg[/img]
    BTW he himself used to be much darker skinned which you can easily see if you watch any of his movies made before 1998.

  • frombackeast says:
    November 17, 2009 at 11:24 am

    In a blog elsewhere on “The Root,” Jada Smith states:

    “Black entertainment has made little progress in the last century when it comes to colorism. Both dark- and light-skinned blacks continue to be cast in roles that perpetuate stereotypes within our own community. Light-skinned people are good; dark-skinned people are bad. Light-skinned people live comfortably; dark-skinned people live in the projects”

    Little progress? Bill Cosby, Oprah, Tyler Perry and Will Smith to name a few of those who have made “little progress”. It’s easy for her to say when she’s living in Bel Air in one of the expensive enclaves in Los Angeles. She’s doing nothing more than keeping racism front and center. She probably feels guilty.

    • Colin Stewart says:
      November 17, 2009 at 11:46 am

      Hi, FromBackEast — I believe she’s saying that little progress has been made on “colorism” (stereotypical roles for light-skinned vs. dark-skinned blacks), not that blacks have made little progress in American society.
      – Colin Stewart, blogger

      • frombackeast says:
        November 17, 2009 at 3:08 pm

        I understand what she was saying, however all the black people I mentioned in the post are dark skinned entertainers. I don’t buy it. I see it as just another attempt at increasing the racial divide. Besides many movies I have seen recently all have dark skinned black actors (Blood Diamond, a Don Cheadle movie for instance).

        The fact that darker skinned blacks are bleaching themselves is no different than whites who tan themselves to excess. It’s not about the color of one’s skin, it’s about low self esteem and (pun intended) being comfortable in one’s own skin.

  • Jake says:
    November 17, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Everyone wants to be white. White is right now and the “in” thing in Hollywood. Look at Sammy’s wife. Either she’s using the bleach stuff too or she must have seen a ghost.

  • dominicangirlinusa says:
    November 17, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    In D.R. the majority are very racists. The “light skinned” citizens even consider themselves “white”. They look down on “dark skin” citizens, and is very normal to make “black” jokes. It is something that’s been going on forever. S.S. has issues. He wants to be seen as the “white” man. With all his money, he should consider donating his time and $$ to real issues in the world like: hunger, child trafficking, poverty, education, etc.,etc.,etc………not trying to look different from what he really is.

  • neworleansgirl says:
    November 19, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    I agree with many of the comments posted above, most people are suffering from low self esteem and have no idea who they are, which is an individual. As individuals, we all are different and are perfectly and wonderfully made. My opinion is “God doesn’t make mistakes” and when you attempt to change yourself because you are displeased by your features (or in most cases, allow others’ opinion to destroy the positive image you have of yourself), you basically consider your creation a mistake. THAT’S SAD and a huge problem!!!! Sorry, but I hope you don’t have children so that you do not contribute to raising another generation with the same issues.

    I also do not believe that we have reverted in terms of the progress of African Americans. However, I believe our progress seems to be at a standstill. Not considering superstars, how many of your friends volunteer monthly or yearly, for that matter, in their communities with the satisfaction of uplifiting their fellow African Americans. How many of your friends aren’t afraid to where their hair natural. How many people do you know, are concerned with reaching the inner cities in any way possible.

    I don’t measure progress “solely” by a few rich black people who are successful and have found a great bleaching product (joke). I measure it by the efforts and advancement of a race as a whole, which is dwindling now due to gangs, lack of education and teen pregnancy. Yes, blacks have done well for ourselves but we can do better. I would appreciate not only celebrities but everyday people showing concern and respect for those struggling to survive and not a bleaching product. This is my first blog post, haven’t had time for such things but sorry its so long. It seems like once you start, its hard to stop.

  • Chad says:
    November 22, 2009 at 9:39 pm

    Truth: From discriminating Associations to biased media outlets and judgmental individuals projecting the idea that whiter is brighter, however, to be tan makes the man image distorts the truth which is:
    God and your parents gave each of us our own beautiful shade, tone, features and knock out looks so celebrate what was given to you and respect and enjoy individuals who are different from you. I guarantee you will live a more exciting, rich and joyful life.

  • fcprop says:
    December 27, 2009 at 9:56 pm

    Very good points. Same goes for the hispanic culture, how many Indian-blooded hispanics do you see on Univision or other media outlets? Hardly any, it’s all the one’s with Spanish Blood.