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Sammy Sosa's Great White Hope
Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images; Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The former baseball star plans to market a skin-lightening cream that worked miracles on him. Mansfield Frazier says it's self-hatred in a bottle.
The brouhaha over the changes in former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa’s skin coloration cuts to the core of an issue that has been around since European powers first colonized darker-complexioned peoples.
The Dominican-born Sosa, who was photographed last week with a noticeably lighter face, first denied using a bleaching cream—or having vitiligo, the skin condition that Michael Jackson claimed caused his skin to lighten. But the Sosa did an abrupt about-face and not only acknowledged using a bleaching agent for a number of months, but also endorsed the product and said he plans to market it in South America.
“Obviously Sammy Sosa has found a way to make gold out of people not wanting to be black.”
The dark-skinned American hip-hop performer Jahhi, who has lived in several countries around the world and for extended periods in Jamaica, noted sadly that Sosa, 41, might be on the verge of making additional millions. “It’s not even about trying to be white, it’s about trying to move up the color/caste social system,” said Jahhi. “In every country that I’ve lived in that was colonized for over a long period of time, darker-skinned people equate light skin with beauty, success, and wealth.”
Bhaswati “Bebe” Bandyopadhyhy, a native of India who has lived in the U.S. since 1991 and works as a data systems manager, recalled her own childhood. “My grandmother was very fair-skinned, and so was my father, and she used to think nothing of joking that I must have been found by the side of the road because I was so much darker than other members of the family,” she said. “My sister is fair-skinned also, and she received much more fawning over than I did.”
The most popular bleaching cream in India is Fair and Lovely, and it still sells well in India, said Bandyopadhyhy. “It’s not as bad for males as it is for females being darker…the stigma isn’t as great, but it’s still present to some degree,” she said. “Things are changing in India in terms of color prejudice, but very, very slowly.”
Jahhi was shocked, he said, to hear rumors of a “brown paper bag test” to get into the NAACP during the organization’s early years. (If your skin was darker than a brown paper bag, went the rumor, you could not get in.)
“As the Spike Lee film School Daze portrayed, there's still lots of inter-race prejudice among American blacks, and even the new film Precious is now being criticized because all of the dysfunctional characters are darker-skinned, and the characters who help them out are played by lighter-skinned blacks,” said Jahhi. “This is something that has been whispered about for years in the entertainment field.”
The issue gets even more complex when Michael Jackson is injected into the conversation. “Some people who look down their noses at blacks who hate themselves over their skin color still give Jackson a pass for what he apparently did to himself,” said Jahhi. “It’s really kind of hard to understand.”
Bandyopadhyhy says that money plays a big part in the color paradigm: “A fairer-skinned woman in India is prized, and because of the custom of arranged marriages they can bring a bigger dowry. Additionally, the companies that make the bleaching creams are getting rich off of people’s negative images of themselves, and that’s very sad.”
“Obviously Sammy Sosa has found a way to make gold out of people not wanting to be black,” said Jahhi.
Mansfield Frazier is a native Clevelander and former newspaper editor. His regular column can be seen on CoolCleveland.com. An avid gardener, he resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
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Mansfield Frazier is a native Clevelander and former newspaper editor. His regular column can be seen on CoolCleveland.com. An avid gardener, he resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
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Mansfield Frazier is a native Clevelander and former newspaper editor. His regular column can be seen on CoolCleveland.com. An avid gardener, he resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
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Mansfield Frazier is a native Clevelander and former newspaper editor. His regular column can be seen on CoolCleveland.com. An avid gardener, he resides in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Brenda and their two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.
Many of the patents are held by American pharmaceuticals who promote and sell these products around the world. Many salons in the US offered "Bleaching" as a service around the 20's but the practice was driven out by early black activist.
Being from DR, Sosa is likely not aware of that history or have understanding of the Black is Beautiful movements of the 60s/70s or maybe he just doesn't care and ready to make a huge profit on the backs of peoples race based insecurities.
Some people have said, its "his business" or he should do what makes him feel good. Sorry, given the history of the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism and Jim Crow this can not be put in same category as tanning those are cosmetic changes... this is an attempt to have another identity with the belief that something is wrong with your current.
Devaluation and self-hatred has consequences and is one of the root causes of issues plaguing communities of color in the US and abroad.
"Devaluation and self-hatred has consequences and is one of the root causes of issued plaguing comunities _________ in the US and abroad."
case, please note, that you can leave out the "of color" reference, because the issue really isn't specific to race. On the other hand, this ongoing problem of self-esteem can be traced directly to the television.
Just think of all the various and sundry ads we can sponge up, while sipping a cool one from our Lazy-boy recliners. Without ever leaving the comfort of our living room, we can learn about how we are too fat, too impotent, too stressed out, too far gone to even try to turn it around.
We need to have our eye's permanently "eye-linered", wrinkles removed from our faces, have our boobs enlarged, reduced in size. We need to have tummy tucks, and cellulite removed via vacuum suction machines, we have eating disorders that make our skinny bodies look fat in the mirror, noses that need to be reshaped. Lips that scream out for tatoos of lipstick pink, so we don't have to worry about that important part of the make-up face.
Oh, and don't forget, that since most of us are not professional athletes, we can mull over ways to get our hands on steroids, so we can build our physiques.
We need newer cars, larger testicles, bigger brains, fewer calories, and we need these things like yesterday, because tomorrow will be on us like a bird's wet dropping from the sky.
And, not only will be HAVE our cake and eat it too, we will try to get er done, without having to make any effort beyond paying off the credit card charges for the services.
This is a very old story! We could sit here all day and give example after example of how non white people have been conditioned over the centuries to believe that white is better! Dark skinned people using skin lightening cream, Jews getting getting noses jobs and changing their names to fit in better with Anglo! I have even seen reports of Asians getting plastic surgeries on the eyes to give give themselves a more rounded European look! Europeans weren't able to conquer the globe simply through force of arms they had to convince their victims of their superiority! The affects of that conditioning still lingers in many people and obviously Sammy Sosa is one of those people!
Sosa's always been a jackass.
Now he looks like one, too.
Agreed that he looks awful and what kind of guy sells face cream? Doesn't he have any self-respect?
I would love some for my age spots that bother me.
I didn't think this was even possible with a cream. I'm actually glad to hear it. It shows how many dark people actually accept themselves.
is it kind of condesending way of saying, isn't it? same thing with fat people like to make fun of how dumb skinnier girls are,
What?is this true? surely, he doesn't learn anything from Micheal Jackson. Skin complexion is not that important, no matter white, black or yellow we are all the same, why some people cares so much about it.
There has always been markets to exploit people's vulnerabilities, insecurities, and self - loathing. This is just one of the many attempts, albeit disgusting as it is, to further pad the pockets of the beauty industry. Jahhi so astutely captured the essence of self-hatred " ....every country that was colonized equates light skin with beauty, sucess, wealth ....". Colonization objective was the acquisition of wealth at the expense of others considered "lesser than". Sammy wants to cash in like many of his biracial and lighter skinned fellow professional athlethes. I see this no different from the "weave" crave that also exploits black women's insecurities of their hair and appearance, generally. The bottom line of this craziness is the health risks, not yet fully known. Most of these products are manufactured outside of the U.S. and sold primarily in poor, minority neighborhoods. While I am dissappointed in Sammy, I am not suprised. He looked much better as a "chocolate" Sammy!
To StLBoy
You are absolutely correct!! ROTFLOL!!
The joke's on Sammy & he seems happy to parade that around.
But what about those eyes??? He still looks like he's sold his soul to the devil. They are just strange & weird looking. When you realize that brown hair & brown eyes are the DNA majority around the world, you can tell those aren't contacts. The devil really made him do it!!!!!!
He's going to regret this at some point & want to go back . . . too late!!
I would imagine that the amount of money darker skinned people pay for products to lighten their skin is a pittance compared to the amount of money lighter skinned people pay to darken theirs. Many lighter skinned people are willing to risk cancer to have darker skin. I really have no broader point other than to say that.
Some whites may want to be tan, that is a far cry from wanting to be Black. Also, this discussion can not be made without historical context. This sort of thing has a long ugly history.
That certainly is a comforting thing for white people to believe, I suppose.
You can't say that Blacks lighten their skin because they want to be White then turn around and say Whites tan but do NOT want to be Black. How do you know?
Both are doing the same thing, yet you CHOOSE to say their motives are different. YOU also have to put tanning into a historical context.
Through out history, lighter whiter skin has been associated with "beauty, success, and wealth" because rich people did not WORK. Literally. They inherited wealth and spent their time at home, in leisure activities and at parties. Only the poor and middle-class WORKED. The middle-class via business and trade. The poor worked outside in fields resulting in darker skin.
Everything started changing slowly after the industrial revolution where factory owners and businessmen started moving up the social ladder. Enter the world of leisure time also becoming available to the poor and middle class in addition to less work outside. By the 40's and 50's old money was dying out and new money was on the rise. New ways had to be formed to set the wealthy apart from the middle-class and the poor. Tanning became one of them. Being thinner was another. Being overly-tan/browner was a sign that your family had enough money for you to spend time laying around all day in the sun. Being "pale" was out. Being darker and tan was NOW the new sign of "beauty, success, and wealth." It initially started out in Europe and eventually made it to the U.S. by the 60's. The high rates of skin cancer started with that first generation.
Even now, being tanned is still considered a sign of good health, beauty and wealth.
**Sneetches & Other Stories** by Dr. Seuss has one of the best stories in it. "Stars Upon Thars" shows how people think they should "copy" others, when in fact, they should learn to live with what they already were given.
BUY THIS BOOK!!! Teach your children & yourselves to be happy with what you're born with. Yes, there's room for improvement, but you don't need to go out on a limb like Sammy to be accepted . . .
Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches
Had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches
Had none upon thars.
The snooty Star-Belly Sneetches decided that they were better than the Plain-Belly sort and would purposely exclude them from "frankfurter roasts or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts."
Wise to this stargregation, Sylvester McMonkey McBean entered the scene and "put together a very particular machine" that put stars upon the bellies of the Plain-Belly Sneetches for three dollars each.
So what do we soon have? All Sneetches with stars upon thars!
Clever McBean didn't end there, for he realized the original Star-Belly Sneetches became distinctly aware... with all sneetches now resembled alike, their upturned noses and sense of betterment could now take a hike!
What did entraprenuer McBean offer to the upper classes? A new opportunity to separate the masses. For ten dollars eaches, his new Star-Off Machine would remove the stars upon the upper-crust Sneetches.
(You see what's happening here, don't you?)
Its hard to argue that dark people with lighter skin tone will be more likely to gain employment, and attract the opposite sex. He will probably sells tons of it. The self-hatred issue aside, it will add to the bottom line. Now what can be done for those nasty neck tattoos?
SAMMY..SAMMY..
..must we? C'mon now..
I hope you are using your cream ALL over your body..if not.. your next get down.. to the get down with a female... is gonna be worst than the rocky horror show.. (Lol)
can we say Identity CRISIS?
sammy said...WHO the HECK am I.?. I don't know or remember!!! ..
..but I do know who I want to be and appear like.. a white male...yep that's it.. (what a poor mixed up soul)..
Sammy -Sammy-Sammy.. didn't you learn nothing from MJ 's death?..MJ hated himshelf so much even after bleaching and plastic surgery..he thought it would take away the MENTAL pain of shelf HATE.. (I don't believe that skin disease story MJ made up) ..MJ hated himshelf so much..he would put himshelf in a COMA to sleep by way of illegal injection.. which KILLED HIM..this is what HATE of any source from the HEART will do..it will torment you..and eventually kill you Sammy..
Poor Sammy Sousa.. WHY? WHY? WHY?
POOR Sammy? The guy is going to be making MONEY off the cream! You should feel sorry for the PEOPLE that are manipulated into buying his products, not him. The guy is already wealthy and successful as well as MARRIED to a very BEAUTIFUL woman. Don't cry for him.
Fame and fortune and the dumbass is still not satisfied
YA!
Change your skin color, change your eye color and change the texture of your hair. HELLO, what is so unusual about this. Multi billion dollar industries - tanning lotion, hair perms and color, colored contact lenses, is this new to you - I think not? Tanning beds, sun bathing, blue contact lenses and curling irons for the hair. Why is this such a big deal? Who has ever questioned this when someone white or someone who is light in color does this and it is done evey day. What am I missing here guys? What code of conduct in America says someone who is dark complexion cannot go light, when everyday if someone with fair complexion goes darker we say "Girl/Guy, you look great". Those hazel eyes make you sexy and those curls are so you - yesterday she/he had fair skin, brown eyes and straight hair. Help me, what am I missing? This is not a story, it is stupid.
I refuse to go for this version of the truth. What has happened to Mr. Sosa is more than your average bleaching cream. This is the result of serious drugs / medications (and probably expense). What . . . he put bleaching cream all over his body, his neck, hands. Is his chest still black? This makes no sense at all. This is not your regular bleaching cream momma used to buy. But it is a good opportunity for him to increase his wealth. There are probably many Dominicans with a similar desire to lighten their skin, as black is looked upon negatively in that part of the world.
Don't worry, I'm sure he will be more than happy to tell us HIS version of the truth as well as spill his dirty laundry. If he is selling the cream, he will try to get on every channel and do interviews just like the current crop of people trying to make a fast buck off the American people: Andre Aggassi, Palin, Prejean, etc. If Black Americans find his product offensive, all they have to do is call the news stations and demand a boycott of Sosa.
This isn't just a cream. The ones you can get only through your doctor contains 4% hydroquinone and no one can get those results with just 4%. I'm sure whatever he has concocted is filled with illegal and questionable ingredients that will not get scrutinized in South America and will surely disfigure some people. He'll make money alright and then people will sue the pants off of him.
In addition, he. looks. horrible.
W.T.F is this idiot doing? He looks like his gramma just smucked his face with baby powder!
ROTFL ROTFL ROTFL
I think he looks great!
My dream would be to see the reverand jackson and al sharpton show up white like this, then I would have to be hospitalized from laughing.
Thank you.
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