Open Scene. Front row. Eighth grade chorus class. We had been preparing our piece from The Phantom of the Opera (how ironic) for the upcoming spring concert.
“Maggie you are looking quite pale, are you feeling okay?” my chorus teacher questioned me, looking terribly concerned. It was nothing out the ordinary. People always commented on the complexion of my skin, but this one took the prize.
“Someone please go get Maggie a wet towel now!” he screamed to the class, in fear that I may faint, as I insisted that I was feeling just fine and he didn't need to worry.
Before I knew it I was lying on the ground with a wet towel draped over my forehead, absolutely mortified. It was more than unnecessary, it was ridiculous. There was absolutely nothing wrong with me.
I have always been pasty, pale, and porcelain. I don’t think I have ever been tan my entire life. As hard as I try to keep up with the rest of society’s beauty standards of a sun kissed glow, it always comes back to me and my ghostly complexion. You understand me if you've ever experienced any of the following...
- Been in a picture where the flash goes off, resulting in your face looking like a big white blob while the rest of your friends look flawless.
- Struggled to wear white or cream shirts because you’re not exactly sure where the shirt ends and your skin begins- and yellow makes you look like you are about to throw up.
- Aggressively applied sunscreen during the summer to avoid becoming lobster red.
- Laughed when all your friends got a fake tan for prom and you just know if you did you would be a spitting image of those oompa loompas from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
- Cried because no makeup may ever be as light as your skin tone and because of this it can be hard not to look like Snooki.
- Eagerly await winter because finally the playing field is leveled and you fit in with the rest of society.
These are only a few difficulties of the pale life, and no, we are not all vampires. However, despite all these concerns, I truly do love the skin I’m in. Not to be cheesy, but I’ve learned to love my fair complexion for a multitude of reasons…
I’ll truly be forever young: While you all may be winning now with your sun kissed glow, fast forward thirty years and who’s the real winner now, huh? While you’ll all be looking like prunes, complaining about your wrinkles, I’ll be looking 25 again. This not only applies to my skin, but also my gray hairs will be fair less noticeable against a light canvas. Hah -- take that!
Pale is in: All the celebrities are doing it. Well some are… but for the ones who are, they’re rocking it. Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway, and Kirsten Dunst all know what’s up.
I’m Different. Yeah, I’m Different: I think 2 Chainz really nails it with these lyrics. A pale complexion stands out amongst a tan crowd, and it’s unique. Why strive for that fake tan when you can have unblemished skin that literally glows.
In all seriousness, our society has become obsessed with skin color. A tan complexion has become associated with a “healthy” glow as opposed to “sickly” pale skin, when really it is the other way around.
The obsession with “darker is better” has gone to such a dangerous extreme, when in reality there is more to life than the appearance of your skin. It is not worth the risk of tanning beds and the messiness of self-tanner. A simple solution is to just forget all that and embrace what you have, because trust me, what you have is good enough.
