Let me explain. I feel that Band-Aids may be the most racist product on the face of the earth right now. Not the Snoopy/Dora the Explorer/Neon Green type of band-aids mind you, but rather the straight up generic ones.
I hadn't really thought about this before, but how jacked up is it that "normal" band-aids are pretty much all Caucasian? As a white guy, this makes sense to me because when I wear it, it approximates my skin color, so that's cool. I guess the band-aid manufacturers are trying to make it blend in with my skin so that it is less noticeable. That works for me, but what about people of other races? Why should my band-aid blend in on me when it is going to clash with people with different shades of skin? Why are white people given this advantage?
I'm starting to get angry about this. I think we need multi-cultural band aids. Maybe they exist, and if they do, then never mind. However, this seems like one of those little things that needs to be adjusted for equality.
I want to be very plain about this too, often times I write tongue in cheek, or to try to elicit some humor by being ridiculous, but with this post I am dead serious. Band-Aids are not a big issue, but it seems to me that if I were a minority it would be something that would seriously torque me off. And since I believe in justice and equality, it is beginning to tick me off now. Having multi-colored band-aids would probably be a bit ridiculous too, but perhaps we should do away with the "flesh" colored ones that are only the flesh color to one race of people.
This may not be the right answer, but it at least strikes me as more
fair than the current band-aid situation.
3 comments:
hehe, that's awesome :) I like this blog, and I like the multi-color band-aid picture.
I'm a Black girl and I hadn't paid much attention to the band-aid color predicament until I got a hold of a clear bandaid, and I noticed that it blended in with my skin. This was when it dawned on me that band-aids were intended to do so, I just never knew that because it never happened for me. I'd just accepted that band-aids came in one weird color.
But yeah, they do have clear bandaids! And that'd probably be a better and more economic answer than coming up with bandaids of many colors- which wasn't a bad idea, just that clear works more easily b/c you can't go wrong with it.
I have been googling black band-aids for 2 days now, ever since I noticed a lovely black girl on my daughters volleyball team wearing a band-aid on her arm that was the normal tanish color. I thought to myself, OMG it never dawned on me before but there are not band-aids for people of color. Like you, I was astounded at 1) I had never thought of it before and 2) that in our day there hasn't ever been black band-aids for black people! It made me sad and angry. Something so simple that I as a white woman have taken for granted my entire life (42 years). I am ashamed. I looked on the Band-aid website because they are my band-aid of choice. I feel they work the best. Nothing. I sent a question about it to their "contact us" and am anxiously awaiting their response. I wonder what Oprah would have to say. I will try to e-mail her my concern. Seems crazy, but I feel very strongly about it. Thanks for your blog.
Tina, did band aid ever respond? What about Oprah?
Post a Comment