Dear Cameraman, Beauty is only Skin-deep!

I have seen still cameras, especially those attached to the smart phones, with auto option which clicks on its own when the person photographed is smiling. I find that there are many video cameras doing such ‘great’ jobs by continuously focusing on “pretty’ faces. We can see this in the video clippings aired by the news channels and in the TV shows and also in the videos of marriages and other functions.

Why do the video cameras focus only on the fair, “pretty” ones? We can be charitable to the underemployed neighborhood video guy who has been chartered to cover the marriage function focusing only on those who are naturally gifted to be of wheatish complexion or those who looked pretty in his eyes or those who are attired well!  But even mainstream media when they air entertainment programs or functions, one can see the camera suddenly stopping to capture when it sees a fair skinned person in the audience!

Live coverage of matches

This is obvious when we watch live matches. The cameras in charge of capturing matches live, zoom more on the “attractive” skins and curves in the audience than even the players, bats and the balls! Of course, people love to go in their most attractive attire, sometimes with a passion for rigorous ‘reductivism’ or clothe minimalism. This is fine and nothing wrong in it. But why those cameras have a momentary bias towards the whitish surfaces?

The White Obsession

The skin-color obsession of the world has promoted a multi-billion-dollar cosmetic industry. Media look for fair skinned presenters. Airlines look down upon dark skinned candidates as crew even when they are well natured and qualified. Matrimonial advertisements solicit grooms and brides with fair complexion. My dermatologist wife vouches the frantic attempts of people - young and old - to become fairer by experimenting all latest skin procedures. Professional treatments like peeling, lasers, facials etc. are not bad if that are tried to remove the scars, acne, sun burns, skin tags etc. and not exclusively aimed at whitening the skin.

Whenever I was invited for long TV interviews, I was subjected to a rigorous makeup prior to the program in the in-house beauty parlour at the studio. I felt embarrassed to see myself when the program got aired. I do apply moisturizer or mild cream to cover up dryness or the under eye darkness mostly after a sleep deficit night due to late night work and not because I am ashamed of my natural colour. 

The No-Make up Movement

‘No Makeup’ hash tags are becoming popular these days among some enlightened women who post photos in social media, especially Instagram. Many got inspired by Alicia Keys, an American singer-songwriter and musician, who started the No Make-up movement. She said that she does not want to cover up:  "Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing,".

Alicia Keys

Fathima Lodhi, a Pakistani woman started an anti-colourism movement named “Dark is Divine”. She wrote: “I never got a chance to become a fairy in my school plays because fairies are supposed to be fair-skinned!”

The First Step

Hope our video cameramen of the TV channels and the live matches will take the first step not to focus only on the ‘pretty’ and the fair skinned people in the audience, but zoom on people irrespective of their skin colour or their physical appearances. We would also like to see more of people who are good natured rather than fair and pretty among airhostesses too!

Let us remember the words of Martin Luther King (Jr) that “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“Good, is a fairer attribute than White,

Tis the mindes beautie keepes the other sweet:

That's not still one, nor mortall with the light,

Nor glasse, nor painting can it counterfet,

Nor doth it raise desires, which euer tend

At once, to their perfection, and their end”

(Sir Thomas Overbury, “A Wife”, Originally written in 1614 –Old English)

© Sibichen K Mathew      Views are personal

You might also like to read: Save the Jeans: Vulgarity is in the mind of the beholder

To feast or To fast?

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Johnny! Johnny!

Yes, Papa?

Eating sugar?

No Papa,

Telling lies?

No Papa,

Open your mouth,

Ha! Ha! Ha!

(Image: TripAdvisor)

Both humans and animals, eat to live and live to eat. But the privileged women and men carry a large amount of guilt for eating the stuff they liked the most. There is always a dilemma what to eat. (See my earlier article, “Tell me what to eat?” and click the links given there to know the dangers attributed to every kind of food!).

Following article is not about feasting, but about fasting!

Fasting was integral to many religious denominations. Most religions prescribe fasting as an important form of worship. Jains fast many days and sometimes months. Most Muslims fast  during the days in the month of Ramadan. Fasting on specific days in a week is very common among many Hindus. Several Christians observe lent before Easter and Christmas, which is not fasting as such, but avoiding non vegetarian diet. But they do fast on specific days. 

Mr Prashant Jain, a middle aged young professional told me that he does not eat any food after sun set. He also fast for many days continuously without even drinking water. Indian Prime Minister Narendra  Modi fasts continuously for 9 days during the festival of Navratri. There are many who fast occasionally especially after heavy indulgences during festivals.

Dr Jason Fung (the author of the book ‘The Obesity Code’) in his recent book “The Diabetes Code” talks about the health benefits of intermittent fasting. He suggests three things to prevent or reverse diabetes: 1) Get rid of sugar, 2) Burn-off the sugar in the body through exercise, and 3) Intermittent fasting. First two are well known strategies and third one worth exploring and experimenting.

According to him, as long as feeding is balanced with fasting, no overall fat is gained. He promises that, with intensive dietary management program, which includes at least three times of 24 hours each of fasting in a week, the diabetes status can be reversed. However, he cautions the patients to consult their doctor before entering into a fasting regime. He says that hundreds of patients could reverse their diabetic status to normal levels after they started intermittent fasting. Fasting works because it augments the metabolism. During fasting, when the food intake is stopped, the body opens up its internal storage and gets sufficient supply from its stored fat. Dr Jason Fung suggests low carb high fat diet on other days.

The moral of the story is that fasting can work wonders in life. I have not been a sincere practitioner of the above diet style, though I am fully convinced of its efficacy because whenever I tried this, I could see the difference. I continue to try intermittent fasting once in a while.  Researches show that intermittent fasting even for a shorter duration has several health benefits such as weight loss, lowering the BP and reducing the blood sugar levels.

One easiest way is to skip breakfast (though it is said that one should eat break fast like a king!), have early lunch and early dinner so that one can fast for about 16 hours. If one prefers intermittent fasting of about 24 hours, then ideal thing would be to fast from 6 pm to next day 6 pm. This can be tried once a week and then increase it to twice or thrice depending upon how you enjoy it based on your own analysis of benefits to you.

All the best, if you are trying this after the weekend binge!

© Sibichen K Mathew    Views are personal.

Following are some of my other posts related to this topic.

If you want to know whether 10000 steps possible on a day, read this: 10000 Steps: Is it possible?

To read an interview with someone who says ‘How to lose weight by eating food’, Click here: Eat well to lose weight: Tips from an enlightened foodie

To hear from a Heart Specialist on how to save your heart, read this: Save your heart: Answers for the Frequently Asked Questions

Read my dilemma here: Tell me, what should I eat?

Connect with me in Facebook (Sibichen K Mathew) or email (sibi5555 {gmail}). Comments welcome. To see all my posts: Click here. To access my website: www.sibichen.in