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$200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

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Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#21

Post by ajju »

chaostheory wrote: post #8

This market is not really new... It seems a lot of E/SE Asians got cosmetic eye lid surgery to look more Western http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/1101020805/story2.html To understand it better all you have to do is walk around in a big Japanese city and look at the print ads (or hell just watch some of the commercials)... it still perplexes me to this day

This is not the same. It does not come out of a fascination with westerners and is a much older bias. See my other comments for an more detailed explanation.

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#22

Post by ajju »

alaskamiller wrote: post #4

If you can be a pornstar and make some money, would you still execute? If you can be a doctor that does abortion, would you still execute? (Conversely, if you're a doctor that doesn't do abortions, would you still execute?) If you can own a tanning salon and make some money, would you still execute? If you can make songs about selling drugs, pimping ho's, robbing people and make money, would you still execute? Everyo…

>If you can be a doctor that does abortion, would you still execute? >(Conversely, if you're a doctor that doesn't do abortions, would you still execute?)

I am quite sure all doctors are barred from executing anyone based just on "do no harm" if not the law of the land :P

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#23

Post by chaostheory »

ajju wrote: post #21
chaostheory wrote: post #8

This market is not really new... It seems a lot of E/SE Asians got cosmetic eye lid surgery to look more Western http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/1101020805/story2.html To understand it better all you have to do is walk around in a big Japanese city and look at the print ads (or hell just watch some of the commercials)... it still perplexes me to this day

This is not the same. It does not come out of a fascination with westerners and is a much older bias. See my other comments for an more detailed explanation.

yeah you're right

I forgot about ancient Egypt where it was looked down upon if a woman was dark (it looked as if she worked the fields during the day). It was alright for men though (since they have to command slaves/troops day or night)

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#24

Post by axiom »

ajju wrote: post #20
axiom wrote: post #17

I'm sorry to say, but it really seems like many people here are talking right out of their ass. For people who actually lived in India for an extended period of time: 1. what is the driving force behind this market? is it purely aesthetics, like tanning creams, or does race play into it? 2. how large is the phenomenon? is it something common that many people think about or just a fringe market? 3. how is it viewed by…

1) It is pure aesthetics, but the bias against darker skin, while not based on race, is deep rooted and does result in people with darker skin being discriminated against. It is not to the degree of dark skinned people not being allowed in X places, but it is bad enough that a groom would very often choose a fairer bride to a darker one. 2) It is very wide spread. 3) Not really. It has been around for thousands of ye…

Thank you for your response.

One more question, is there a movement in India to counter this trend? kind of like the civil-rights movement in the US 50 years ago?

Also, a related question, how prevalent is the caste system? are people discriminated against based on their caste? I hear it's not a significant factor anymore, but what's your experience been?

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#25

Post by juwo »

axiom wrote: post #24
ajju wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) It is pure aesthetics, but the bias against darker skin, while not based on race, is deep rooted and does result in people with darker skin being discriminated against. It is not to the degree of dark skinned people not being allowed in X places, but it is bad enough that a groom would very often choose a fairer bride to a darker one. 2) It is very wide spread. 3) Not really. It has been around for thousands of ye…

Thank you for your response. One more question, is there a movement in India to counter this trend? kind of like the civil-rights movement in the US 50 years ago? Also, a related question, how prevalent is the caste system? are people discriminated against based on their caste? I hear it's not a significant factor anymore, but what's your experience been?

1) I hate to say it but often lower castes have dark skin and african features. You will also find most of the brightest students in a University are brahmins - the highest caste - just ask your friends their caste and correlate with their intelligence. The caste system is racist. You cannot change your caste. Period. You were born with it. It is interesting but sad. Forced hereditary occupations lead to differences in appearance and even IQ across thousands of years. Low castes clean toilets - high castes are priests in temples (translation: the intellectual leaders today).

2) The caste system is very prevalent. It also leads to corruption similarly as Rick Warren found tribalism was the cause of corruption in Africa.

3) How many white-black mixed marriages do you see in America? Not many. Most kids up for adoption are biracial black-white. The prejudices remain over here in the USA - at least in relationships. Read the chapter on preferences in interracial dating in the book Freakonomics.

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#26

Post by rms »

juwo wrote: post #25
axiom wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for your response. One more question, is there a movement in India to counter this trend? kind of like the civil-rights movement in the US 50 years ago? Also, a related question, how prevalent is the caste system? are people discriminated against based on their caste? I hear it's not a significant factor anymore, but what's your experience been?

1) I hate to say it but often lower castes have dark skin and african features. You will also find most of the brightest students in a University are brahmins - the highest caste - just ask your friends their caste and correlate with their intelligence. The caste system is racist. You cannot change your caste. Period. You were born with it. It is interesting but sad. Forced hereditary occupations lead to differences…

This is because the higher castes are wealthier! Wow.

With what I know about the Indian education system, it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth.

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#27

Post by juwo »

rms wrote: post #26
juwo wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) I hate to say it but often lower castes have dark skin and african features. You will also find most of the brightest students in a University are brahmins - the highest caste - just ask your friends their caste and correlate with their intelligence. The caste system is racist. You cannot change your caste. Period. You were born with it. It is interesting but sad. Forced hereditary occupations lead to differences…

This is because the higher castes are wealthier! Wow. With what I know about the Indian education system, it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth.

"it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth"

you are mistaken. The best Universities are almost free - subsidized by the government. (However in high schools, those that are English speaking Western schools do require wealth). Only brains counts. The IIT Math entrance exam is said to be the toughest in the world (google for past qs papers).

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#28

Post by axiom »

juwo wrote: post #25
axiom wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for your response. One more question, is there a movement in India to counter this trend? kind of like the civil-rights movement in the US 50 years ago? Also, a related question, how prevalent is the caste system? are people discriminated against based on their caste? I hear it's not a significant factor anymore, but what's your experience been?

1) I hate to say it but often lower castes have dark skin and african features. You will also find most of the brightest students in a University are brahmins - the highest caste - just ask your friends their caste and correlate with their intelligence. The caste system is racist. You cannot change your caste. Period. You were born with it. It is interesting but sad. Forced hereditary occupations lead to differences…

This is interesting. What stops people from just lying about their caste? or is it something that's actually recorded right on their birth certificate?

Also, I wonder what it is that makes black-white marriages taboo, while asian-white marriages are almost becoming the norm in some places.

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#29

Post by ingenium »

juwo wrote: post #27
rms wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is because the higher castes are wealthier! Wow. With what I know about the Indian education system, it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth.

"it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth" you are mistaken. The best Universities are almost free - subsidized by the government. (However in high schools, those that are English speaking Western schools do require wealth). Only brains counts. The IIT Math entrance exam is said to be the toughest in the world (google for past qs papers).

Yes, but you can't get into the universities without a good education before that. I work with many people from India from all age ranges, from 22 to their 50s who are all MDs or PhDs, and they all tell me that before a child is even born they have to begin bribing school officials to get them into one of the better schools. This continues every time the child/student goes to a different school until the university level. Without going to a good primary and secondary school, there is no chance of getting into a good university. Even at the university level there is a lot of bribing that takes place.

When you have a society where bribing is the norm (nothing is possible without a bribe basically, and even then its not guaranteed), the people with wealth are obviously going to be the ones to benefit most and stay on top. No matter how intelligent, if you don't have the money for the bribes, you can't get anywhere.

Re: $200M market for a product catering to prejudice. If you had a similar product idea or implementation that could make you rich; would you still execute?

#30

Post by juwo »

ingenium wrote: post #29
juwo wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"it is impossible to make it into the best schools without a great deal of personal wealth" you are mistaken. The best Universities are almost free - subsidized by the government. (However in high schools, those that are English speaking Western schools do require wealth). Only brains counts. The IIT Math entrance exam is said to be the toughest in the world (google for past qs papers).

Yes, but you can't get into the universities without a good education before that. I work with many people from India from all age ranges, from 22 to their 50s who are all MDs or PhDs, and they all tell me that before a child is even born they have to begin bribing school officials to get them into one of the better schools. This continues every time the child/student goes to a different school until the university l…

the people you met were simply making excuses and misleading you. (there is always scope for corruption in school admissions everywhere).

It is like saying, if you studied in public school in small town america, you cannot get into Harvard.

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