And, in America, lots of whites do not believe being white is beautiful. Note the abundance of overly tanned and orange colored people.

Maybe this is about self-acceptance?

People will always manage to be unhappy about something.

She looks weirdly photoshopped.

@1 - The fashionability of tanning had less to do with race than it did with social class. When there were still a significant number of people working outdoors, it was not fashionable to be tan, as it demonstrated your working class. Later in history (when working outdoors for survival was not as widespread), those that had the time and finances to go abroad to warm places in colder months developed tans that were considered fashionable. The history of ideal weight has a similar dynamic, with the idea of class being more important than any perceived health benefits associated with it.

This sort of thing breaks my heart.

"Whiteness" is more of a social construct than it is about skin anyway. It's a shame we've created a global society that encourages this.

@5 Very true. Our diet is another class symbol which has reversed itself in fascinating ways over the years. In medieval Europe white bread was actually a sign of wealth and aristocracy, as it meant you could afford milled wheat (mills being typically owned and taxed by the local lord.) Poor peasants were forced to eat inferior dark breads made with the whole grain.

When I went to Vietnam I was saddened by so many women wearing sweaters and sweatshirts, even on the beach where it was hot and humid.

I asked what was up and was told that many Vietnamese women want to be lighter in order to get a man to marry them.

Women who are whiter are valued more than those who are darker.

Sad.

Man, and I thought it was weird when I see black women (here in Chicago) with their hair dyed reddish. I think there are definitely some body image issues at work here.

Ancient Romans painted their skin white because tan was lower class. But the make-up was lead oxide so their vanity destroyed their sanity.

I wonder what she tells those two kids she's holding?

Hey, Africa, cultural appropriation is NEVER ok.

Amirite?

@12 - What the hell do you see as wrong with a Black woman with reddish hair? Do you think that Christina Hendricks has "some body issues" because she dyes her naturally blond hair red, or is it okay for her because her skin is very light?

Maybe it's your expectations for other people's appearance that's the real issue here.

My heart breaks when I think of all the people endangering their health to lighten their skin.

@16: Thank you! Not only do some people just like red hair, many have it naturally (gasp), black women included, and Zulu women have been using red clay to color their hair for millenia. Red hair is not just a white thing.

@5,

What makes you think skin lightening isn't also a matter of social class? White(r) people are also presumed to be wealthier. That's true in many societies; India and the Dominican Republic are two examples that immediately sprang to mind.

QUICK ! Alert the GOP and Christian Right that we now can prove that being black is a "choice". Let the legalized discrimination begin !

@16: It's like white people with perms/afros (after the fashion of Bob Pinciotti). It's two phenotypic traits that are very rarely found together naturally, so it looks a bit odd.
I never said "wrong", I said "weird".