This is where I become nerdy.

For this post I'm going to actually be an actual adult and reference a news story, then give my two cents.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/16/facebook.skin.lightening.app/?fbid=XzwfqFwFnhp

For those of you who didn't read the link to the article, which I'm sure is all of you, it goes a little something like this:

Vaseline introduced a new product specific to India's male population claiming it whitens skin. A social media campaign was launched in the form of a Facebook application. Users of the application would upload pictures of themselves, then virtually apply the cream to the uploaded photo and see how their skin would appear after use. A test sample application, if you will.

What's the big deal?

Well, I'm sure you are smart enough to think of a few ideas. I won't discount your intelligence merely because you choose to read about a young lady that manages to lose her keys on a weekly basis, but that's neither here nor there...

But my true questions is, why is it so bad? Michael Jackson did it, right? (bad example, sorry. still too soon.)

While the application wasn't created by Facebook (as many thought), Vaseline had the right motives, though it appears to a western audience as cruel or even racist.

The Indian culture values pale, fair skin as beautiful, just like American's view tan skin as beautiful. Get my gist, yet?

I say Vaseline made a smart move. This is clearly a market in India that Vaseline needed to tap into, just like the hundeds of thousands of sunless tanning lotions, foams and whatchamacallits available over-the-counter in America.

Vaseline is standing their ground on the creation of the product, (Who would seriously sue Vaseline?) and I think that's smart of them. I think they have the research to back up their product creation.

If India only knew people paid a ridiculous amount of money to resemble their country's natural skin tone. I guess the grass is always greener.

In any case, my pale skin would be a big hit over there. Anyone want to hop a plane to India with me?

-End marketing nerdiness-