How do you feel about comments like this?

Some girl spammed a blog I was reading and linked hers, so I checked it out. She reviewed an asian makeup product and said this:

"If you think about it, there's a reason why Asian eye product are so good - it's because Asian women don't like the shape of their eyes, so make-up brands do the best to ... make it up "

if you can't tell, she's non-asian. I don't know if I would call that a xenophobic comment, but I do find it distasteful. How do you feel about non-asians and the general perception that all asians strive to look white? Do you agree/disagree?

Personally, I disagree. Mascara exists, it's not a "white-people" thing; and I don't wear it because I "hate my eyes". It's not like makeup didn't exist in asia before cultures mixed--makeup existed in the east long before it appeared in europe.

i'm not going to click on it and read. it would probably make me too angry. i think there's extremely ignorant people in this world. they don't take time out to get to know different cultures and just make assumptions.

i hate when youtube beauty gurus talk about bb cream. even the asian ones, i find that they don't know what they are talking about or they don't explain it well enough. when they don't explain it well enough, it makes asians look bad.

i think her comment is ignorant and misguided.

but, i don't think that it is false that some asians strive for a "more white" look--whether intentionally or not (i.e. it isn't necessarily that they want to look more of a certain race, but i think it's more so that they just want to have the appearance of larger eyes and whatnot).

i think some non-asians with smaller eyes also try to make their eyes appear larger too though, but perhaps there's less of an emphasis on eye size (unless they're buggy) among non-asians so it gets misconstrued that all asians strive to be white by making them larger.

i think this is the case for every feature involved in the makeup process though, and every race too.

just because asians stereotypically have smaller eyes and white people don't doesn't mean that asians try to be white by making their eyes larger, nor that white people try to be asian by making their eyes smaller.

i think in some cases, sure, some people may be trying to look like another race...but generally i don't think that's the case. i think people analyze their features and think things like, "my face would look better with a higher bridge or larger eyes or non-monolids." i know my sister is a little dissatisfied by having a shorter bridge and would like it taller, but not because she wants to look more of a certain race, but because sun/glasses sit better on a higher bridge (damn eyelashes always smear the lens or it constantly slides down the nose).

where these feelings of wanting to look different come from...i don't know if i can say for sure, but i suppose society's standards/media? sometimes it's practicality, other times it's just superficial. but, things of such content don't really just lie within one race/group of people.

ehh. i feel like i ran around in circles there, and typed too much...that's procrastination for ya >>;

point is: i don't think asian eye products are better because asians want to look white; this girl's comment is just plain...ignorant. perhaps my comment is too...we're all learning though, i suppose/: ...

Honestly, I think the socio-economic dynamics of Asian countries in relation to Western culture is complex enough that there is no cut-and-dry answer to this. Is Western society associated with wealth and social status? Yes. This is undeniably true. Whether you're looking at immigration patterns or advertisements, it's clear that Western society is associated with luxury and wealth in the Asian mind (in Asia). But I'm not sure if that automatically means that Asians want to be white. In fact, I would say most Asians want to stay Asian, and it's only the associations with wealth and social status that they want. That's probably why more Asians want to consume Western goods like buy a Chanel bag--but don't want to, say, get plastic surgery to look like Christina Hendricks.

I personally believe the widespread fanaticism about big eyes in Asia has more to do with social conservatism, fetishization of youth, sexism, and ageism than with wanting to look white. Asian countries are generally socially conservative and place a high value on marriage, low value on women's rights (Japan, Korea, and China have very few workplace protections for women--even though women tend to be highly educated), and very high value on female chastity and youth. All of these factors collide into giving certain types of women more social currency than other types of women. Specifically, women who look young, 'innocent,' and feminine will likely hold more currency than women who look like Pamela Anderson because the first woman's physical appearance reinforces and plays into certain cultural ideals.

But these trends say nothing more than this: women have a choice to either play into a certain cultural ideal or refute it--this cultural ideal does not mandate that all women in Asia want to look a certain way...it merely provides incentive to look a certain way. That means there is always going to be a portion of the population--and maybe even a majority of the population--that does not play into that ideal and does not want to play into it. This is similar to the West: we can have all these advertisements with skinny models and provide an incentive to be super skinny and tall--but that is all it is. At the end of the day, there are always going to be people who say, "I'm happy with who I am even though I'm not a size 2, even though all these advertisements provide an incentive to be a size 2."

I don't even think her statement makes sense... what does Asian women not liking their eye shapes have anything to do with how good a product is? O_o "If you think about it", the application of the product and the product's formula ultimately determines the overall performance and results of the finished look. 

But yeah, I agree with OP, it's not like makeup only exists in Asia. 

Her statement is just flat-out ignorant.

It's just sad how ignorant she is.

But then again, she's only 17, what more can we expect of a teenager?

that argument clearly fails the logical test.

therefore its a really poor argument.

Source: Phil105 - Critical thinking

Not saying I agree with her comment and Asian women hate their eyes, but her comment isn't so ignorant and illogical if you look at Asian entertainment. Magazines, especially Japanese, are filled with steps and make-up techniques to make your eyes bigger, and in Asian dramas and pop videos a lot of the actresses/singers have had eyelid surgery. And let's not forget the circle lens that many Asian girls won't take pictures without. In other words I'm saying that it's rare to look at Asian media and pop culture and see the natural East Asian mono-lid eye being desired and glamorised as much as bigger, rounder eyes. A lot of non Asians would see this as insecurity or even self hate.

Really? .__. I like eye make-up because it puts emphasis of my eyes. I love my eyes. She's having a misconception - and generalization - on Asian women and Asian make-up.

She has her point though, and as an Asian I don't find it offensive, just a little ignorant. Asians prefer bigger, cuter eyes in general (especially in Japan), so I can somehow see where's coming from. But she could have omitted that from the review, it's unnecessary, really.

If we go by her logic, anyone that uses mascara must hate their eyes right? Lolololol no.

Mascara is just used to enhance a person's features, which is typically the purpose of all makeup. Seventeen or not, this statement is just completely irrelevant and unnecessary to her review.

Funny, because not all Asians have monolids and/or small eyes.

The rest of the Asian population who don't have monolids and/or small eyes has just been generalised here!

i hate when youtube beauty gurus talk about bb cream. even the asian ones, i find that they don't know what they are talking about or they don't explain it well enough. when they don't explain it well enough, it makes asians look bad.

I agree. Most makeup gurus are not professional makeup artists, dermatologists or had never studied any degree related to what they make videos about. Which is why sometimes, I don't take what gurus like Michelle Phan (who has no formal qualifications in beauty) has to say seriously, when she had obviously googled the information (or information is based from a very limited amount of sources in a small amount of time) or are basically reading from the product labels . Point is, most of them are basing unreliable information from their uneducated point of view - not a professionals'. Watch them for the wow factor, but in terms of information - I'm sure you're better off doing your own research or seeking a true professional.

Not saying I agree with her comment and Asian women hate their eyes, but her comment isn't so ignorant and illogical if you look at Asian entertainment. Magazines, especially Japanese, are filled with steps and make-up techniques to make your eyes bigger, and in Asian dramas and pop videos a lot of the actresses/singers have had eyelid surgery. And let's not forget the circle lens that many Asian girls won't take pictures without. In other words I'm saying that it's rare to look at Asian media and pop culture and see the natural East Asian mono-lid eye being desired and glamorised as much as bigger, rounder eyes. A lot of non Asians would see this as insecurity or even self hate.

you have a very good point there.

I don't consider it wanting to look white as opposed to just certain standards of beauty. Whether they stem from globalization or not is another thing. Plus it's not like only white people have those features...

ps. I happen to be black and I freaking love Asian skin care. Especially their beauty masks... I have an Asian store right near my house and I'm always popping in there. This does not mean because I like Asian products I am also supposedly trying to be white...(considering the logic that Asians are trying to be white, smh)

Plus black people tend to wear a lot of weaves. Does not mean we're trying to be every other race. It just means kinky hair is just not very manageable...

Funny, because not all Asians have monolids and/or small eyes.

The rest of the Asian population who don't have monolids and/or small eyes has just been generalised here!

She never even said anything about small eyes or monolids. What do you just assume small eyes and monolids are ugly or the only type of Asian eyes an Asian would dislike and try to hide? Your comment is just as distasteful as hers.

lol I feel kind of bad for putting that blogger on blast, she's pretty young

She never even said anything about small eyes or monolids. What do you just assume small eyes and monolids are ugly or the only type of Asian eyes an Asian would dislike and try to hide? Your comment is just as distasteful as hers.

I thiink what she just meant to say was, everyone assumes asians have small eyes, but in reality asian eye shapes/sizes are just as varied as caucasian eyes. but if she meant what you think, I totally agree

I don't agree with her, and I don't think it has that much to do with the eurocentric idea of beauty (white skin and large eyes have been documented to be considered beautiful before they had even made contact) but I mean, c'mon now. You guys surely can't be serious when you say that asian women aren't typically too happy with their eye shape? Isn't there a reason why there's such an astronomically large market for eye-changing products and procedures in Asia? Circle lenses? Eye tape? Eye surgery? There's always TV shows, magazine articles, etc. about ways to make your eyes, essentially, look less inherently east-asian. Honestly? Just look at Soompi's very beauty forum.

Just look at asian media, for one, especially in Korea where the beauty standards are made in which they force the majority of the women to dislike what they were born with, striving for an image that requires surgery, not that I am against plastic surgery in any shape or form, just emphasizing how much of the extent it is like. It's really not hard to, nor is it ignorant to acknowledge, these cultural issues that are found in Asia.

^ what does looking "inherently east-asian" even mean?

The thing is the features asians like (big eyes, tall nose, V shaped face) can be found in black people, asians, hispanics too, not just in caucasion features. I dislike it when people only say "asians try to be white" rather than hispanic, or black. ( I'm not sure what I wrote it makes sense but..yea...)

The way she said it IS ignorant and generalized but I think what she means to say is that Asians want to make their eyes bigger thats why they have the "best products"

It's like how Asians are all for the pale/smooth/flawless natural skin look so that's why the Asian products we find that you can't find in America work much better. There is more demand on it so there are more companies doing research to find the best kind of "miracles" for the skin. I'm sure people wouldn't be offended by this cause I see people all over soompi admit it all the time and pride in it, so I don't think we should get too offended by her comment. She didn't even say anything about asians wanting to look more western or white. She simply said Asians didn't like their eyeshape -- which is a very ignorant comment with no basis -- but I think it's funny that people jumped on her comment assuming she's saying we want to be white.

Not saying I agree with her comment and Asian women hate their eyes, but her comment isn't so ignorant and illogical if you look at Asian entertainment. Magazines, especially Japanese, are filled with steps and make-up techniques to make your eyes bigger, and in Asian dramas and pop videos a lot of the actresses/singers have had eyelid surgery. And let's not forget the circle lens that many Asian girls won't take pictures without. In other words I'm saying that it's rare to look at Asian media and pop culture and see the natural East Asian mono-lid eye being desired and glamorised as much as bigger, rounder eyes. A lot of non Asians would see this as insecurity or even self hate.

This ^