The Whitewashing of Korean Artists
From SuperM to BTS, Whitewashing is still a problem.
The fact that in the year 2020, whitewashing is still a thing…why!?! Any person whose skin is darker than eggshell is in danger of being photo-shopped. Of course, this isn’t the only thing that’s edited in photos but this discussion is very important.
A terrible reminder of whitewashed skin and over-edited photos occurred on April 8, 2020, when TMRW revealed their surprise photoshoot with SuperM. Normally, fans are excited when new content is released. But the celebration was cut short when Novas (Spermies, Mpire, Supporters; whatever our fandom name is) started pointing out mistakes in the photos. The SuperM Idols now had pale white skin and they even edited Kai's Jawline!!
Fans even attempted to fix the photos themselves. A lot of the comments seemed to be focused on Kai.
Even groups like BTS have their fair share of skin bleaching edits. There are plenty of jokes about fansites that whiten their Idols' skin.
Many global beauty standards are high and wrong. South Korea is no different.
Lightly tanned skin can be acceptable but white, glass skin is still widely praised and preferred. It’s not just an issue in South Korea, but globally. You have many idols getting their photos edited immediately so they have lighter skin. Fansites seem to be the main perpetrators but magazines, Photoshoot editors, the Press, stage/music video lighting, etc are culprits as well.
Another Example:
Han Hyun-min (한현민), a Nigerian-Korean model, has been whitewashed on a few occasions.
Here are more examples:
Some photos could be created due to certain lighting choices, but that still wouldn't explain why Kai and Lucas's skin is so white. Then add in the fact that they smoothed out Kai's jawline unnecessarily.
For most Idols, their appearance is everything. From having a round face and big eyes, tall thin bodies to white clear skin. Many fans are upset about it.
But some fans feel that people will darken an idols’ skin a little too much to fix the bleaching.
“I think some of the non-whitewashed photos are darker than their normal skin colors. Some people re-edit the whitewashed pictures, making them a lot more tan than they originally were.” -Foreign netizen
There are fans who become very upset in Idols’ comment sections when other fans criticize their edited white skin. To be honest, some “fans” are a bit harsh because they make fun of the idol’s picture. They should instead help them understand why editing their skin is unnecessary and can be harmful. But the fans who are against the critics make false equivalences like “Lightening your skin is the same as getting a tan. It’s okay if they don’t like it and want to edit it. Let them do what they want.” It’s possible that those who say this are light-skinned individuals and thus don’t understand why idols shouldn’t edit, hate, and/or make fun of dark skin. We've seen the videos of idols making jokes about dark skin and even picking on their darker-skinned members. Some have even been called the N* word, dirty, and compared to monkeys on the internet.
Now, many of you may think tanning your skin is the same as bleaching your skin. "If someone wants their skin to be lighter, why is that bad? People tan their skin too." The problem with this is wanting a sunkissed glow to your skin isn't created due to the universal thought that your light skin is inferior compared to dark skin. The belief that "white skin is better" has created colorism/racism around the world for years. Fair-skinned people are advertised as more educated, clean, peaceful, desirable, etc. Lighter-skinned persons are not pressured to heavily darken their skin due to the extreme hatred & criminalization of their skin. Wanting to get a tan is not the same as trying to live in this world with dark skin, especially when you have non-European features on top of that. While tans are fine and can be natural; some darken their skin just for trendy aesthetics, costumes, and comedic purposes. (For example: Blackface, HipHop/Rap videos, etc.)
Those with a darker complexion are seen as dirty, ugly, evil, uneducated, poor, inferior, and much more. They are compared to monkeys, rats, roaches, etc. This can cause them to hate their appearance thus destroying their self-esteem. Plus, this has caused negative perceptions of darker persons; creating unfair/unjust judgments and treatment throughout the years. These people deal with racist/colorist harassment, both verbal and physical. Many countries still heavily produce and advertise Skin Bleaching Products that can contain harsh chemicals which can damage your skin/health.
It seems like we've tried everything and have been waiting for change. Most places have made little to no progress. The little progress we've made took so long to achieve. So much fighting and sacrifices had to be made for us to be where we are now. We must continue to take a stand and uplift. Let companies know we no longer need skin bleaching products and stop advertising them. Don't support creators who promote the use of these products. Darker-skinned POCs (People of Color) need more representation in the media. They shouldn't be harmed, erased, nor fetishized.
What do you think about whitewashing? Colorism/Racism? What are some solutions to eliminate this issue? Is it even possible to get rid of it?
What are your thoughts? Let me know on my socials: https://linktr.ee/sharvastudio
Here are some articles to check out:
TMRW Magazine's tweet about their SuperM photoshoot:
https://twitter.com/tmrwmag/status/1247495780564377600?s=20
A Kpop fan wrote an article giving their opinion about Whitewashing Idols:
https://aminoapps.com/c/k-pop/page/blog/white-washing-in-kpop/5gIV_ue5zYop05WzqqwN41Gp6K1Lj4
Korean Fans VS International Fans Over Color of Idols' Skin:
Sam Okyere talks with Han Hyun-Min about being Black in South Korea:
Han Hyun-min’s Makeup artist used a foundation that was too light:
An interview with Taylor, Being a Black model in South Korea:
https://travelnoire.com/the-black-expat-being-a-black-model-in-south-korea
About the Creator
SharvaStudio
Black (Content Creator)
Fan of Music, Food, Art, & Culture
Dyslexic/Bipolar Disorder | INFP
Learning & discussing different topics. My hope is that my writing can inspire interesting conversations.
My Socials: https://linktr.ee/sharvastudio
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Too Much, but Not Enough
Some will have an issue with us enjoying anything that is not "for Black people”. In my experience, you’re “too Black” for NonBlack folks but “not Black enough” for Black people. This can be such a chore and damaging to your mental health. Some of us just want to enjoy something without having to think about the color of our skin or deal with attacks from racists. Regardless of our feelings and trying to just live our lives, we still end up being “stuck between a rock and a hard place”.
By SharvaStudio3 years ago in Humans
Comments (1)
Stop speaking ill of my country. My Koreans have never been mad with whitewashing. Their skin colour isn't just darker than that of native Southeast Asians or Indians with dark skin, while these SE Asians and Indians are all crazy with buying much amount of whitening cream, wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers not to be tanned any more, to make themselves look like overseas Chinese in each country of theirs. Indians also buy whitening cream for social success! Look at those overseas Chinese born in SE Asia. Their skin look like that of Koreans, and they're also dying for whitewashing, eh? Even I haven't bought any sort of whitening cream since birth, as this is exactly my skin colour, and I truly loved myself, not ever being interested in Caucasians' appearance! I'm not a Caucasian for ever, and what's useful with that I buy whitening cream? In reality, that whitening cream is sold endlessly more and more in India and SE Asian countries. My father's generation worked too hard, not to hand over any sort of poverty to their children in the past time, but now, those lousy "Asian" neighbours are slandering all S Koreans without end, calling S Korea nouveau riche. Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam used to get much amount of foreign aids from the United States for a long time, while S Korea couldn't enough get that amount. What did they do, while S Korea was becoming a developed country? Did they really help S Koreans as the same goddamn "Asians". when my country was still developing one! They're all lazy and gready racists, so that's why they cannot dare to say anything in front of Japanese and Caucasians, but they're bullying my Koreans just for fun! Have they really treated Koreans as truly equal Asians! They used to look down on my country, although their countries were also poor!