Onslaught - 2007 - 2023

Well of course I love this next commercial and the values it stands for, but as I've said in the comments over here and here, and indeed to the client Unilever (the owners of the Dove brand), I don't think it's honest for a multinational to put 'keep-it real-credentials' in the 'Campaign for real beauty' while they sell skin whitening creams to among others, Indian subcontinent and South East Asian countries that are by nature blessed with dark skin.

Just doing the focus groups for these kind of products can be quite tough for those of us who think a bit about the effects on the culture of the societies that we make advertising for. Take Thailand for example, based on qualitative research, some office secretaries (for example) will choose who they take to lunch in a group based on the whiteness of skin.

The darker skins are considered too 'rural' for those who want to climb the whiter skinned ethnic Chinese communities that effectively run S.E. Asia in business terms.

The aspiring English classes also used to take a dim view of darker skin in previous centuries because it indicated an agrarian lifestyle working in the fields. So I'm not trying to speed up cultural and media literacy development in these countries (or maybe I am), but I am suggesting to Unilever that specifically on it's skin whitening creams, it puts a disclaimer on ALL those products that Unilever embraces skin of all colours.

Otherwise its a bit hypocritical to be a campaigner for real beauty, when it's fake beauty and discrimination that powers one of the fastest growing skin care categories in many parts of the developing world.

Update: I see that the original video was pulled for copyright reasons but that a remix is now resurfacing for the same issues of resource exploitation but this time the targets are Nestle.

Shakin' Stevens - It All Comes Round

Imagine banging out your best work three decades after fame and fortuitous times carried you with just the rising warm air, intriguing lyrics and very good looks.

I was astonished when I asked the radio One DJ who made this music, and she replied Shakin Stevens - It All Comes Round. 

His voice is very touching. You won't recognise him.

Facebook Fascists

I'm into my sixth consecutive month long ban on Fakebook for explaining the reality about our terrorist buddies/crisis actors we nearly destroyed Syria with.

The oldest Christian capital in the world is Damascus.

Who would benefit from that?

The White Helmets are our Jabat al-Nusrah slash Jaysh al Islam partner terrorists in Syria. 

They were set up by British Military 'Intelligence' James Le Mesurier, who should be knighted by the Queen for his treachery, aimed squarely at the long term interests of the British people.

Sickle Cell George Monbiot & The White Helmets

Would someone please ask @GeorgeMonbiot as he has "muted" @VanessaBeeley . Thanks. Would they also please ask if Monbiot endorses implicit death threat against @EvaKBartlett, we should keep asking until he responds. This is an all-time low for Monbiot. pic.twitter.com/TQPeO4Iydj

— charlesfrith (@jizzclone) February 16, 2018

Louis CK - Are White People Aliens

Douglas Rushkoff - Present Shock

Douglas Rushkoff: Present Shock. When Everything Happens Now

Douglas Rushkoff is on to a bigger idea here with contextual time rather than industrialised time. I haven't heard all the points but the two or three talks I've heard so far have all been excellent.

Thai Women Go Crazy For A White Vagina

Most people in Thailand are dark skinned but as the Chinese plutocracy run the country the advertising reflects their fairer skin. I've written extensively about the pernicious effects of skin whitening creams because if you ever do advertising focus groups you can listen to impressionable young office women choosing who they go to lunch with based on their skin colour as money, career progression and hanging out with the right people is all that matters in the dog eat soi dog world of commercial materialism.

More over here

Update: Original video censored.

Onslaught

Well of course I love this next commercial and the values it stands for, but as I've said in the comments over here and here, and indeed to the client Unilever (the owners of the Dove brand), I don't think it's honest for a multinational to put 'keep-it real-credentials' in the 'Campaign for real beauty' while they sell skin whitening creams to among others, Indian subcontinent and South East Asian countries that are by nature blessed with dark skin.

Just doing the focus groups for these kind of products can be quite tough for those of us who think a bit about the effects on the culture of the societies that we make advertising for. Take Thailand for example, based on qualitative research, some office secretaries (for example) will choose who they take lunch with in groups, based on the whiteness of skin.

The darker skins are considered too 'rural' for those who want to climb the whiter skinned ethnic Chinese communities that effectively run S.E. Asia big business.

The aspiring English classes also used to take a dim view of darker skin in previous centuries because it indicated an agrarian lifestyle working in the fields. So I'm not trying to speed up cultural and media literacy development in these countries (or maybe I am), but I am suggesting to Unilever that specifically on it's skin whitening creams, it puts a disclaimer on ALL those products that Unilever embraces skin of all colours.

Otherwise its a bit hypocritical to be a campaigner for real beauty, when it's fake beauty and discrimination that powers one of the fastest growing skin care categories in many parts of the developing world.

Update: I see that the original video was pulled for copyright reasons but that that a remix is now resurfacing for the same issues of resource exploitation but this time the targets are Nestle.