It is no secret that more than half the images floating in the online beauty universe are of white skin women who are lithe and light-eyed, while the men are tall fair-skinned muscled hunks, flaunting six-pack abs. In a country obsessed with fair skin (slang — gori chamdi) and ‘foreign figures’ (slang — videshi maal) an (un)healthy trend has crept into the power corridors of the rich and famous. Many private yacht soirees, high-end clubs, car show events, realty project launches, foo-foo fine dining restaurants, and the whole wedding shebang are hiring foreigners from the UK, France, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Central Asia as ‘white eye candy’ ushers, entertainers, human tables, bartenders, and dancers.
The unhealthy gaze of some uncouth wealthy desi men can be repulsive but the money is good and hard cash. Many event managers opine that white-skinned men and women raise the ‘oomph factor’. While the quick dough generated through wine and cheese tasting ‘human table’ or gyrating on desi songs is prevalent, the underlying reality highlights the need to sustain oneself in a low-paying industry.
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