In the 1960s, there was a brand that dyed your hair blonde and asked if blondes have more fun?
Considering all the sexual harassment charges going on these days that have exposed a pressing social issue, being blonde could be hell for a woman.
Sexist Lady Clairol alleges that blondes have more fun.
In Finland in 2017, blonde, blue-eyed women are used in ads to personify racial purity. One Islamophobe, who indulges in racism and bigotry, Laura Huhtasaari, embodies white Finland to the point of ad nauseam.
Why is she obnoxious?
Apart from her racism, whiteness for Huhtasaari is all about power and privilege. Her image and persona constantly remind us which ethnic group calls the shots in this country.
The ideal blonde in Finland appears in a Finnair ad.
Laura Huhtasaari, the “extreme-blonde-white” Perussuomalaiset* party presidential candidate.
White Finnish privilege #45
An EU-MIDIS II report published on Sunday reinforced what we have known all along in Finland that people of Sub-Sharan Africa and their descendants suffer from discrimination and social exclusion. The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, Kirsi Pimiä, was quoted as saying that Finland is one of the most prejudiced countries in Europe.
In this backdrop, where racism and discrimination have grown in recent years, being blonde and idealizing whiteness has a double meaning. For one, whiteness is used to feed a strong sense of “us” at the cost of oppressing and excluding “them.” Thus “us” is “beautiful” while “them” isn’t.
For me, as a non-white Finn, the images of clean blonde women in ads and Islamophobic politicians masquerading as white goddesses raise a lot of questions. One of these is why are they excluding me?
Whenever ethnic background and power join hands to oppress other groups, there is nothing beautiful or innocent about it.
See also:
- Defining white Finnish privilege #1: I have it and you don’t
- Defining white Finnish privilege #2: Third culture children versus “pupil with immigrant background”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #3 No history, no doctrine, no heroes and no martyrs
- Defining white Finnish privilege #4 Holding the short end of the stick
- Defining white Finnish privilege #5 It’s ok to be a racist
- Defining white Finnish privilege #6 Not having a voice and the media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #7 A definitive guide
- Defining white Finnish privilege #8 Underrated and less intelligent
- Defining white Finnish privilege #9 Mohammad Ali’s insight
- Defining white Finnish privilege #10 I can victimize and make up any story I like about migrants because I’m white
- Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #12: Case Tom Packalén
- Defining white Finnish privilege #13: Case Matti Putkonen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #14: Losing sight of the real issue
- Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-ago on the PS
- Defining white Finnish privilege #16: Rosa Emilia Clay and my history versus yours
- Defining white Finnish privilege #17: The Perussuomalaiset and our civil rights
- Defining white Finnish privilege #18: Labeling others according to your prejudice
- Defining white Finnish privilege #19: My rape statistics about your group
- Defining white Finnish privilege #20: Labeling Others to strengthen “us” and “them.”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #21: Who can be a Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #22: From racist, fascist to politician without memory
- Defining white Finnish privilege #23: Greater police powers to monitor migrants and minorities
- Defining white Finnish privilege #24: Becoming a heartless accomplice in wars and people’s suffering
- Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this isn’t your land
- Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #28: Are you an ethnic Finn (Part 2)?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine
- White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
- White Finnish privilege #31: The Soldiers of Odin and the Finnish media
- White Finnish privilege #32: The white Finnish police and “them”
- White Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege
- White Finnish privilege #34: Building a political career on privilege and nativist nationalism
- White Finnish privilege #35: Case Sampo Terho and the ministry of (dis)culture
- White Finnish privilege #36: Hate speech and censorship
- White Finnish privilege #37: The master of near-everything
- Defining white Finnish privilege #38: Cultural appropriation and racism are quaint discussion topics between white Finns
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #39: The Hollywood ending of racism that will never happen in Finland
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #40: To whitewash or to disenfranchise
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #41: An Islamophobic politician and gender equality
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #42: Labeling and shaming
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #43: White versus dark skin
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #44: Defending Nazis’ rights to march is ok as long we agree on the common enemy
* After the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity. One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic.
A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.