Episode 5: Brown Skin is Beautiful
In episode 5 of “CRACKING THE COCONUT” we dive into skin — specifically brown skin, and how it is frowned upon in the Filipino community. There is a classist idea that dark skin equates to being poor or disadvantaged because one is outside working in the fields all day, while being light-skinned equates to lux, money, and power. In the Philippines, skin color is used as a form of monopoly that has the possibility to open doors and opportunities, depending on how light one’s skin is. Maybe this is why Filipino parents try to lighten their children’s skin? So they are able to reap all the possibilities and make a great life for themselves.
The skin lightening industry is a billion dollar industry, and in the Philippines, there is a dermatologist named Dr. Belo who is known for her “Cinderella drip,” which is a $200 procedure where glutathione is injected into one’s skin in order to make them lighter. Not only is Cinderella a white princess, but the story is a rags to riches journey, further stamping on the idea of light-skin equating to money. If you’d like to check out the 15-minute Refinery 29 documentary on the Philippine’s skin lightening industry, watch the following video.
We also talk about the Filipino film “GLUTA” directed by Darryl Yap. While on paper this film seems like a progressive movie with great representation, it is also problematic. The film centers around Angel, and Aeta girl who dreams of becoming part of a beauty pageant. Aeta people have darker skin and textured hair. Instead of casting someone of Aeta descent or an actress with naturally darker skin, the production company casted 24-year-old Ella Cruz, who is a light-skinned Filipino actress and did blatant brown-face on her. If you are interested in watching the film, it is currently being streamed on VivaMax.