[READ MY OP]About the recent color controversy...

[Rene.]

It makes me sad to see conflicts inside the fandom, so all my fellow Ls please forget its NiNi and Kyungsoo we are discussing here and lets think that its X and Y . In fact this issue is not even about Kai or D.O, or a drawing, its more important than that.

 

So, I was sifting through the comments and as someone who has experience with the complexities of colorism I will express my opinion. My aunt didn't get married because of her skin color. She was ostracized every single time , because of which she tried several processes, pills, etc to lighten her skin.

 

As tragic as it is, in my country colorism is as problematic as in SK.

 So before commenting, I hope you think about what you say because it might hurt someone somewhere.

 

Because what is more serious is some of the comments which I came across, which are quite frightening TBH. I'll answer the issues:

First off, X doesn't have to accept his color at all. if he doesn't like it he has complete freedom to express his feelings which he has expressed previously  though indirectly. Just because its a cultural thing to joke about dark skin doesn't mean he has to accept these jokes.

 

Secondly, some pointed out that joking about dark skin is equivalent to joking about small eyes, shoulders, etc, which is completely false...In SK if you have small eyes, people might call it crab eyes and laugh but there is no CLASS associated with it. But the history of colorism is quite complex, people with darker color is looked down upon as poor, peasant( working in fields) , ugly,etc... which is partly their obsession with pale skins (that is equivalent to aristocracy), so yeah this joke is deeper fam.

 

And in my country as in SK, darker kids are teased and often bullied, like X said he was teased and called several names as a child.

Its no secret, that part of the reason he is so self-conscious is his color, he might get used to the jokes but its evident he is hurt by them.

So, its a request , please consider others' feelings before you further comment on this issue. And do not downplay the issue either.

This goes both ways, because antis who are using this opportunity to bash EXO or D.O, and threaten him, stop now

Peace

[kpopisnotmylife]

Okay I agree with the fact that these arguments are kinda unnecessary. But this

 

Because As an EXOL , I know the boys pretty well, so I know that what D.O drew was a joke, and meant to be taken lightly. 

 

 You don't know them though? And how do you know it was a joke? You can't just jump to conclusions like that. 

[xjendukiex]

colorism is not okay, I feel bad for kai so much, cause even though the boys are really close, they keep on doing this shit to him. and he expressed multiple times that he is not okay with that. at this point, I don't understand how they don't understand it

[Matthew]

can someone explain what happened?

[shocking blue]

Thanks for this. I'm not saying people should bash D.O. or drop him or anything like that, just accept that the joke was wrong and even though he may have meant no malice or ill-intent by it, it could have still hurt Kai and other people with dark skin. I feel like some people commenting that it's no big deal or it's a cultural thing might live in progressive cities where you are not discriminated based on skin color. It's easy to assume that, in a first world country like Korea, stereotypes are a thing of the past and we are all equal and therefore can afford to joke about things like skin color but it's not the case. 

[Deviandrepepe]

Secondly, some pointed out that joking about dark skin is equivalent to joking about small eyes, shoulders, etc, which is completely false...In SK if you have small eyes, people might call it crab eyes and laugh but there is no CLASS associated with it. But the history of colorism is quite complex, people with darker color is looked down upon as poor, peasant( working in fields) , ugly,etc... which is partly their obsession with pale skins (that is equivalent to aristocracy), so yeah this joke is deeper fam.

 

 

Preach the words of wisdom 

 

[Destroyer]

how do you know it was a joke?

[lyanna]

It makes me sad to see conflicts inside the fandom, so all my fellow Ls please forget its NiNi and Kyungsoo we are discussing here and lets think that its X and Y . Because As an EXOL , I know the boys pretty well, so I know that what D.O drew was a joke, and meant to be taken lightly. In fact this issue is not even about Kai or D.O, or a drawing, its more important than that.

Hhm

[Rene.]

...

[Athena]

well said OP.

 

@ Aereom, Goldfinch, and the others who weren't getting it

[Rene.]

how do you know it was a joke?

so what do you think it was...genuinely curious??

[Rene.]

Hhm

sorry wrong choice of wds...I meant we can only guess judging their interactions on videos, etc

[kpopisnotmylife]

sorry, wrong choice of words...I meant conjecture

You are right ofc we can only conjecture judging from their previous actions...Thanx

 

Also, please pay attention to the remaining article which is way more important than that one statement

I read the whole of your post and you made some good points tbh. Colourism shouldn't happen end of. But then again SK is a very homogeneous country and we can't take that away from them so yeah

[Septiplier]

The joke itself is old and redundant.

[MatchaG]

i've seen some people argue that the culture factor shouldn't even matter and that he should've known better. but i think we have to take culture into account. yes he's a grown adult but that doesn't mean he knows about every social issue such as colorism? especially since its so normalized in sk? BUT this doesn't mean what he did wasn't wrong. taking culture into account doesn't make it any less offensive. it doesn't excuse him of his actions, but we have to understand where he is coming from. i highly doubt he had any malicious intent and i don't think at all he was trying to make fun of him. he was merely trying to show jongin's distinctive features but unfortunately he presented it in a wrong way.

[ToujoursSistar]

Well said op

People should stop acting like colorism isn't real and problematic

[Channie Tatum]

You know what I'm so baffled about?

People going after Kyungsoo's neck after just A SINGLE PICTURE not even a video or a gif. How can we know the full context? Im not saying it wasnt Kyungsoo, Im saying it may or may not have been him

 

 

What were sure of is that someone in Exo did something colorist again but were not sure who

 

Everyone actively bashing, defending, and criticizing him please wait until they air the show.

 

But ye true they fucked up again

[Kpopwatcher]

Well said OP. Hope people are more open-minded with the incident.

[johnny's wifey]

i am sure kai doesnt feel comfortable with the joke about his skin, maybe they can joke about something else

[Rene.]

You know what I'm so baffled about?

People going after Kyungsoo's neck after just A SINGLE PICTURE not even a video or a gif. How can we know the full context? Im not saying it wasnt Kyungsoo, Im saying it may or may not have been him

 

 

What were sure of is that someone in Exo did something colorist again but were not sure who

 

Everyone actively bashing, defending, and criticizing him please wait until they air the show.

 

But ye true they fucked up again

correction...not people, antis and trolls mostly

 

And like I said in the OP, I hate when this happens, but this post is not about the boys, but rather about the seriousness of this subject in general, since many are downplaying it

And I said this before, I agree lets wait till it airs

[Channie Tatum]

correction...not people, antis and trolls mostly

 

And like I said in the OP, I hate when this happens, but this post is not about the boys, but rather about the seriousness of this subject in general, since many are downplaying it

And I said this before, I agree lets wait till it airs

I just felt like saying it since its the first time ive actually shared my thoughts about this issue lol sorry for going off course

 

They truly fucked up again. As much as I want an apology Im not expecting it because we know its not coming but by now I wouldve thought theyve already learned

[Rene.]

I just felt like saying it since its the first time ive actually shared my thoughts about this issue lol sorry for going off course

 

They truly fucked up again. As much as I want an apology Im not expecting it because we know its not coming but by now I wouldve thought theyve already learned

oh you don't have to apologise     I agree with your opinion

And I am glad that you shared it, it really matters to me what each of my fellow aeris think

[Juju Kansa]

After thinking about it for a while, and also based on the definition of colorism itself, I think the drawing itself is not colorist. Once again, I’m talking about the drawing here, not ksoo.

 

Colorism : discrimination based on skin color.

 

In what way the drawing discriminate kai?

 

----------------

Responding to OP's post, i actually write an essay for you. Please read it and tell me what do you think about it, OP! 

 

 

 

Aside from the drawing’s case I just want to share my opinion.

Back then, people realize that they prefer light skin bc it implied of high social strata. But do people nowadays prefer light skin over dark skin because they think people with light skin are richer? I don’t think so, because now rich people can also have dark skin. They just prefer it more because of the built up beauty standards after such a long time. So unlike in the past, people now don’t associate skin color with class anymore (I mean have you ever heard now when dark skin people are mocked, they are also being called as poor? I haven’t, at least not in my country). It might come as ignorance and insensitive that many people nowadays don’t know the history, but don’t you think of the possibility that they just want to move on from the “dark=poor†stereotype (but unfortunately, can’t move on from “light skin=pretty†stereotype)

 

What I want to emphasize is, when dark skin people are mocked (in this time, not in the past), do they get hurt bc they think “oh, they mock my skin bc of my social class†or they think “so do you mean my skin color is ugly?â€. If you think the answer is the later, then it’s just the same when people are mocked for their small eyes (like you said, being called as a “crabâ€), or for their short height. It’s bullying people’s appearances.

 

So my conclusion is, from kai’s point of view, if kai gets hurt because people mocked his skin, what he feels is just exactly the same when ksoo gets mocked for his height, or when someone being called as a crab bc of their small eyes. They indirectly being called as unappealing, ugly, etc, and of course people get hurt when they’re being called as ugly. The hurt feelings no longer have deeper connection to social class.  Remember, this is from kai’s point of view, not from people back then who actually got discriminated in “dark skin=poor, peasants, etc†way.

 

So yeah, okay, I will go just as deep as you do. If the really basic factor of colorism (in Asia) is about discriminating someone by their social classes, don’t we do the same thing? Now, if you have to choose : rich boyfriend or I’m really sorry for saying this, a poor boyfriend? Do you rather hang out in cool places with cool people or spend your weekend in orphanages for the poor? Don’t we judge someone’s classes now because of what they wear, what gadget they have (“that shirt looks so cheap, where did she buy it anyway?â€), etc? I can really predict what you will choose. My point is that colorism is just one of the form of social class discrimination. There are still more forms that we let just let go from our consciences just bc they don’t have the cool term yet like colorism.  

 

But if you think that people who mock dark skin ,indirectly mock the races who originally have dark skin as ugly, it’s once again also a beauty standard. White people prefer darker skin in this century, and you know when a preference is made, they consider the opposite as ugly, or at least unappealing (what tanned people say to people with paler skin “you look like a ghost! Go outside a lil bit). Please tell me, is a ghost can be considered as a pretty being?

 

So yeah, just like you implied, i think the only reason why I see people shouldn’t discriminate someone’s skin (in Asia, I remind you again) is for the sake of and respect the people in the past who happened to be victims of social injustice just because of skin color. But weirdly, you guys say “kai’s skin is beautiful†(it is VERY beautiful for people who prefer darker skin), “you hurt his feelings†(hell yes he gets hurt bc he indirectly being called as unappealing), bc if we use this definition of discrimination than we all discriminate bc don’t we all have at least 1 or 2 preference of what we call as pretty?

 

 

[zunho01ukgel]

ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

[Sanaazc]

Well said op

People should stop acting like colorism isn't real and problematic