Friday, May 16, 2008

Not A Beach Bum? No Problem.

Here in Texas there is rarely a discernible shift between spring and summer; except spring is hot, and summer is hotter. Of course, we natives learned long ago the secret to knowing the seasons: the day the soles of your shoes melt against the asphalt parking lot and your seatbelt can be used as a branding iron, summer is on its way. But with the rise of modern technology, a third method has developed for determining the time of year: the skin tan.

You’ve seen them. Women, friends, sisters, coming out of the woodwork with noticeably darker, more freckled, or orange skin. People who never set foot outdoors suddenly start sporting the “sun kissed” look.

Cancer-causing UV rays aside, I don’t see anything explicitly wrong about going tanning. I’m not making a case against it. However, it does cause me to consider the quirks of human nature. Isn’t it interesting how “the grass is always greener on the other side” applies to skin tone—that women will pay money to bake in a toaster in order to change the way they look?

Tanning also reminds me of how much of what we consider “beautiful” is a cultural thing. Did you know that while we sell sun-tan lotion in North America, China sells white-skin lotion to bleach skin whiter? Or that throughout Africa, heavier women are more esteemed than skinny ones? Or that in not-so-distant history, different ideals of beauty were cherished in even the United States?

All things considered, tanning is just another culturally-specific beauty ideal. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I wonder if it’s worthwhile.

What do you think?

  • Do you know of any beauty ideals that are different in other cultures?
  • What do you think about tanning and other beauty treatments?