Lightening of Skin

I thought it was interesting that black sitcoms such as The Cosby Show have been a way to overcome racial discrimination and bridge the gap. Through comedy this occurs but it has also been prevalent that many of the black actresses and actors in this show were depicted as having lighter skin than they actually have. “In these comedies, Black children are rescued from their dysfunctional families or communities by whites” (83). This issue with race and the fact that white is usually perceived as “better” in some way made me think of another prominent star who too changed his skin, conforming more to whiter audiences. Obviously Michael Jackson’s changing and lightening of his skin has been attributed to an illness but however it does beg to question if his race was an internal issue for him throughout his career. It makes me wonder the affect the media has on what is perceived as “better” and if these influences had an effect on the lightening of his skin.