Pale and Proud

Not that it's important as to how it came up, but  it's come to my attention that apparently I'm pale.  I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm slowly, and painfully, I'm coming to terms with it.  I guess I should have known, people diverting their gaze when I'd walk on the beach. The sun burns. If the lights went out I'd be asked to remove my shirt, and somehow I got the feeling it wasn't because they found me appealing (human flashlight).

I'm not sure as to why, but people honestly feel compelled to inform me that I am indeed pale (because I didn't fucking know already).  Who cares though?  It's a skin pigment.  I was born this way.  Nothing I can do about it, and why should I?  Years ago a man once had a dream that all pigments could live together in harmony (I'm paraphrasing).  Should I, or anyone else for that matter, be subject to discrimination cause we happen to be pasty white?!  Hell no!  It's time that we moved beyond that (ladies).


In fact I find it weird, with men especially but women are not excluded, that we strive for a tanned look.  It's all based upon a level of superficiality that MTV stated was "a good idea".  You can be attractive without lying out in the sun baking yourself.  And I know what you're thinking; "you just think it's weird because you physically can't."  And where that may be true, that's not the point.  Excessive sun exposure has been linked to causing skin cancer (and that wonderful leathery look).  It that worth the risk?  And don't give me that spray tan argument (you look like a fucking carrot and no one had the heart to tell you).  What's wrong with being pale?

Now I know there are different standards in place due to gender separations, but I find that it creepy when a guy has tanned legs.  Grant it I'm an individual against shorts that wears jeans and a t-shirt pretty much exclusively, but the male figure wasn't really designed for showing off their thighs (there's likely a bias there).  And while on the topic of apparel, for those you might argue in favour of speedos:  I don't wear a speedo,  I don't want to see you in a speedo, and most importantly, you don't want to see me in a speedo, 'nuff said.