RelevanceTV Channel: The Forum; The Color Complex- Final Thoughts

[55555jtube]

You turn me on & I'm not even gay. Now I'm not so sure of myself. Haha!

[AveolarD]

why the fuck are people still talking about dark skin and light skin in this decade. niggas are too damn insecure. leave that shyt to the white man and expound on important black agenda items.

[sexymodelboy]

Dark Skin A-LIST Working Actresses Viola Davis, Rutina Wesley, Alfre Woodard, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Amber Riley, Naturi Naughton, Anika Noni Rose, Vivica Fox, Whoopi Goldberg, Gabrielle Union, Zoe Saldana (used to be dark). This list represents black A-list actresses that are currently seen in on the big screen, small screen, and on stage. Prestigious Industry nominations do hold clout in the entertainment industry. You are put on a pedestal with people of higher caliber means more $

[desertflow3r]

I grew up in the heart of color-complex central (New Orleans) so I know too well the pecking order dictated by your shade. My mother tried to shield me from it but I learned early on that being 'red-boned' put me right in the middle of the respect scale. I was less idolized than 'high yellow' folks but was still amongst an elite group because I wasn't chocolate. My mother taught me well. I see, in my adulthood, that my complexion is the smallest part of who I am. I am more than a color.

[nickelwindow53]

I am a brown skin gay man in Texas and its sad how I have heard dudes say I will let a light skin dude treat me worse and take me thru more than I would a dark skin dude. I have even heard lite skin dudes say I know everybody wants me because of my color and in the south that true! I wish us chocolate people could get just as much love! I have tried every bleching creamm and soap they make trying to make my skin as lite as it will get and I am just brown....

[bintasyllah]

@nickelwindow53 Not a brown gay dude from Texas, but surely you know the same happens in the straight world, I just think that gay men are more candid about sex, mores and class.

[nickelwindow53]

@bintasyllah yeah gay men are so into youth and beauty and the outer appearance to the point were they are shallow! Its sad and makes me really sometime wish I was str8....sigh!

[bintasyllah]

@nickelwindow53 why do you think so many of them have color complexes? Ex:. I def. see flames and transgendered with fem. personas, but when reduced to base human reaction (fear/anger) they revert back to a masculine instinct. I think theirs is often worse than that of black female adolescence. 1 Theory is that in addition to the enormous task of transforming to a feminine form that the process lends itself to obsession of the only [dramatically] changeable aspect of self, the exterior.

[bintasyllah]

@nickelwindow53 I worked in Senegal, Guinea + S. Africa where we taught about such creams. African nations sell unregulated creams that dramatically alter the skin at a very high price. Skin looses its moisture+ elasticity (so much for youthfulness) Sores/acne don't heal (so much for vanity), poisons the blood (anti-coagulant), toxic to skin (cancer); unpredictable: skin darkens w/ sun exposure. You are screwed if stitches are ever needed, as your skin'll be too delicate for that. Good luck!

[nickelwindow53]

I am so glad that you said that! I argue that point with my frends all the time and I say that Beyonce would get get the ground she walks on kissed and Barack would not be president if he was dark. A dark skin Barack would scare American! Sad but true how America hates dark skin black people

[bintasyllah]

@nickelwindow53 especially a dark-skinned woman.

[nickelwindow53]

@bintasyllah its the same woman are man honestly!

[cosmicviewer477]

I think it all depends on where we live. I am a dark-skinned brother, and though I've never experienced overt prejudicism, I have been given interesting looks when I walk into predominantly caucasian restaurants or stores and so on. Then again, I am 6'3" with a foot-ball player's build... Okay, nevermind. LOL. But, I do get what you're saying, though.

[abcdresky]

You aren't ignorant. Just because you don't experience what others experience due to pretenses out of your control that happened in history doesn't make you less of a "black person." It's nice to identify but at the end of the day you are your own. I'm pretty sure a dark skin person doesn't feel ignorant because they don't know what it feels like to be light skinned so why should you feel the opposite. Your struggle is your own no matter what color you are.

[amourpropre]

@abcdresky Ignorrant is not a negitive word by far, it simple means

lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics. uninformed; unaware. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training.

[abcdresky]

I get you. But do you feel that being ignorant of what hasn't happened to you personal changes something? Do you feel a change now knowing what happens to other people?

[sleekcartim]

Im color blind white guy. I think the "nicer than i thought" comments are coming from a ignorant stereotyping stance. light vs dark hate thing always confused me.  ...im all about community. always thought thats the way to see things. 1 LIFE

[chaos3813]

during those times when i was not in good shoes and a nice outfit that i would wear to work i was a target. I agree with you jared if you haven't lived it you wont know, but i think its up to people who deal with it to educate us lighter skinned people and it is on us to be aware of the pains of the darker skinned people my momma always said be aware of your surroundings and that includes the people...

[chaos3813]

I am light skin always getting asked if i am mix or biracial... i am not, at least not directly. I think no light skin black dont have as much but it does occur i havent been called a nigga but i can tell you i have been falsly mistaken for a thief and pulled over buy five police officer, accused of murder in a KFC because a white man over heard a conversation, falsely accused of endangering peoples lives with fireworks... i think it truly depends on where you live... i dress like a thug so

[sexymodelboy]

Brandy was the first Beyonce. She was the first black teen princess megastar. She's done everything Beyonce did back in the 90's. The Jacksons were the first black family. None of these people are light. Condoleeza Rice was the most powerful woman in the world during Bush's presidential terms. Oprah was the most influential person in the media. They are not light skin. Most top black actors are not light. Dark skin people are just as successful as light skin blacks (if not more).

[bintasyllah]

@sexymodelboy this is not true. Can you name 5 female, dark-skinned megastars in hollywood?

[sexymodelboy]

@bintasyllah All major actors are dark skin. Denzel. Viola Davis. Forest Whitaker. Samuel L Jackson. Don Cheadle. Sidney Poitier. Rutina Wesley (True Blood). Idris Elba. Jamie Foxx. Morgan Freeman. Alfred Woodard. Wesley Snipes. Danny Glover. Taye Diggs.Gabrielle Union. Whoopi. Gabourey Sidibe. Naturi Naughton. Amber from Glee. These are all megastars and a-list actors in film and tv. Most of the successful black actors are darkskin. So what the hell are you talking about?!

[bintasyllah]

@sexymodelboy Let's admit that you're stretching your list. I said to name 5 FEMALE, DARK-skinned MEGASTARS in Hollywood. I had to google too many on the list (or that you had to add a parenthesis by them) speaks volumes and thus eliminates them from Mega-stardom. Many of them also played opposite much lighter love interests and weren't much darker or ever portrayed as the darker/est black. Whoopi's the only current dark-skinned Mega Star (+ perhaps Cicely Tyson 20 yrs ago ) on your list.

[sexymodelboy]

@bintasyllah ViolaDavis is a dark skin A list Oscar nominated actress. RutinaWesley a dark skin actress on the most watched cable tv show in history. AlfredWoodard an Emmy winner and Oscar nom A-list actress. GaboureySidibe reached megastardom over the last 2 years, which has landed her an Oscar nom and cover of Elle Mag. AmberRiley a dark skin actress on the most popular television show in world GLEE.NaturiNaughton megastar landing lead roles in box office smashes Fame,Notorious, Lottery Ticket

[bintasyllah]

@sexymodelboy Dude. Are you kidding me? Nominations don't make you a mega star. Do you understand what a Mega-Star is? An Icon? Someone for whom you don't have to justify or ramble off a list of accomplishments? The most watched cable show in history, yet I'd never heard of it. A cable show doesn't make you a mega-star. Let's face it, with the exception of Tyra, Cosby + Whoopie, Mega-stars don't do much TV, cable or otherwise unless they write, produce, direct + STAR in it, like Oprah

[bintasyllah]

@bintasyllah Gabourey Sidibe - It's really too soon to tell. Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar, yet had to play a support role to a little white girl in the Secret life of Bees? Gimme a break. That alone speaks volumes....

[sexymodelboy]

@bintasyllah You are truly disturbed and foolish. Most successful black actors are not light skin.

[bintasyllah]

@sexymodelboy Foolish? LOL. I simply asked you to name 5 dark-skinned female mega stars in Hollywood, not ramble off a laundry list of irrelevant accomplishments of non-megastar black celebrities, most of whom you mentioned WEREN'T even female anyway! So after this back-and-forth, it's obvious that you can't answer my question which, if you could should have been as simple as 1-2-3-4-5. Lol. SHEESH!

[Backatwon]

Jared - I am a generation older than you and had the same experiences as you in college .....comments like .....why you the only light skinned guy with us dark people .............however, I have been subjected to the purse clenching and been called a nigger by white folks my mother was dark-skinned as well ..so my balance of that whole thing was not part of my experience to think I had more power or privilege.....................­...stay blessed !

[H8RbyN8URE]

Wow, well If in fact you've NEVER experienced being called a nigger in unprovoked utter scorn by a caucasoid nor have had said caucasoid lock their car door as you walk by, clench their purse, walk across the street, etc., then consider yourself most fortunate. As a dark skinned black, I on the other hand get the aforementioned prejudices directed at me about as regularly as the sun shines.