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eight.a
Sun ripened beauty?
Cultures differ in their perspectives on tanning
Hope Williams, Chicago, junior, prepares for spring break by tanning at Sunkissed Tanning at 2540 Iowa. Tanning has became an obsession for many who feel that being tan makes them look better. Photo by Aaron Lindhera
Heidi Klum shows off her model tan. Although tanning is popular in the United States, other cultures find pale skin more attractive. Contributed photo.
"In Greece, social advance and status is basically based on education rather than skin and hair color." Vrahnos said.
social divisions like it is in other cultures, including the United States.
"In America, being tan is something that goes along with being attractive," said Amy Brungardt, Hays junior.
Like Metzger, several Americans perceive tanned skin as healthy and appealing.
James Shortridge, professor of geography and American studies, said it was obvious that younger generations in United States valued tanned skin.
"Despite all of the medical issues and warnings, tanning is still popular," he said.
Shortridge said he did not know why tanning was popular in the United States.
In other cultures around the world people with lighter skin tones are regarded as more attractive or given more respect.
Andrew Tsubaki, international theater and film professor, said that in Japanese cultures, people with a lighter skin tone were considered higher class than those with darker skin.
Tsubaki said this view was evident in the costumes and make-up in the Japanese theater.
"The ladies paint their face with white powder to try to appear lighter." he
said. "This makes them appear young and beautiful."
Tsubaki said the paler a person was, the higher their social rank. He said this has been a common perception in Japanese culture for centuries
"Noble people were indoors and were not suntanned," he said. "The workers had to be outdoors
If a Japanese woman remains pale throughout her lifetime, it reflects the type of lifestyle she leads, he said.
and, therefore, were tanned."
"Pale skin means that you were born into the high class," Tsubaki said. "You were maintaining highclass living. It is a reflection of high
birth and well-being."
Although Japanese women hope to stay pale, Tsubaki said it was not socially acceptable for Japanese men to be pale.
"If a man is too pale, he is looked at as a sissy," he said.
Although the United States is culturally diverse, Vrahnos said that Americans did notice the variation of skin tones within U.S. society.
Vrahnos said that he was surprised that American culture categorized people by their skin tone and that people did notice it right away on other people.
Shortridge said that for a country that has historically regarded lighterskinned people in a higher respect, it was a paradox that those light-skinned people today try to alter their skin tone toward a darker shade.
Whatever the status of tanned skin internationally may be, in the United States, tans are not only fashionable, they are big business.
"We're especially busy February through May, because people like to tan before spring break, and then keep their tans for the summer," she said.
Besides spring break, Wilson also said she thought there were other reasons why tanning was so popular and was such a big business.
Metzger has been tanning for spring break, but said she likely would tan even if she weren't going.
"I think that it makes me look a little bit less pale and a little more healthy," she said.
— Edited by Julie Sacks
-Jamie Knodel contributed to this story
Editor's note: This feature story is the continuation of a Friday broadcast on KUJH. The KUJH reporter teamed up with a Kansas reporter to complete the project. Look for more collaborations on future Hilltopics pages.
BIG MONDAY