When and why did tanning becoming normal?
Why has tanning become such an obsession? Women actually lay in plastic containers with lights for fear of being pale. What the hell happened? Since when was burnt orange hip?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
28 Answers
Because men drool over Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated models, all of which are tan.
I tan, but I’m not “orange”.
I actually do it more or less to look good, but also to get a little bit of vitamin D. ( I work mostly at night. And am an admitted hermit.)
I think it might have been more of an “obsession” in 2006. (see, literal ORANGE people and celebrities.)
I agree with lilikoi.
Im very pale and I can tan very easily and thats just what guys like right now.
@meagan But why do you think you look good? When did this become the “good look”?
@silverfly It makes you look more slim and healthy. Besides, I’m naturally disgustingly pale.
And as many men there are that say “tan is sexy”, there are just as many that like pale.
But I’m not going to be one or the other just for some dick.
It started becoming the ‘good look’ when more people started working inside than outside. When most people had to work out in the sun, the desired look was pale, untanned skin.
It seems that whatever is harder to get/maintain is the desired effect.
Peasants used to be tan, royalty was pasty. So tan was bad.
Peasants turned into factory/mine workers who were pasty. Wealthy people vacationed in sunny locals so tan was good.
@meagan I think you missed the point of the question. The color of your skin has nothing to do with how skinny or healthy you are. Guys don’t just decide that tan is sexy and it becomes the norm. Check out the article @jaytkay posted. That’s good stuff.
@silverfly Gemiwing just solved your problem. haha.
But what I’m saying is that it isn’t that big of a deal. “What the hell happened”? Uhh… Women feeling the pressure to look good for Men… Are you new here? ;P
They’ve been doing that since the 70’s. It’s white people wanting to look less white. Little more.
Centuries ago, being fair meant that you could afford not to work in fields and earn your living. Pale skin was for the rich. As we progressed, that change to an ideal of being tan, we are generally more tan if we have time to sit back and enjoy the weather.
…just realized @gemiwing summed it up.
Oh well.
I don’t much care about the why’s of it nor do I like to be tan because men like it. I am tan because I am outside a lot so it’s inevitable. But I must admit, I like the way a tan looks on me.
Normal is whatever you are naturally. People feel like they look better with their skin tanned so they do this to themselves. I can’t imagine paying to sit in a tanning bed when the real sun is, well, just outside your front door. When I was younger I spent weekends in the sun to stay tanned. I don’t do that anymore, but understand why people do. A little of it is healthy, but of course, we always tend to go overboard. I haven’t had skin problems because of it, but many of my friends have.
@thriftymaid Well its hard to for some people to just have time to sit outside. I’ve got to pay for a tan because I work nights and am so fair skinned that I can’t just go outside without having a severe burn. Its so much better when I can control how much time I’m in the bed and know how much of a tan or “burn” I’ll get.
I personally dont like tan at all. I dont understand how it can be seen as attractive either.
Oh how I cant wait to watch this generation grow up and see a mass outbreak of skin cancer from the obsessive tanning.
@uberbatman I’m sure that people who work under the sun their entire lives are more prone to skin cancer than people that frequent tanning beds every now and again.
That being said, where are the large outbreak of people with skin cancer because of working in fields all day?
@meagan Do you wear synthetics so you don’t have to iron? Are you happy with imitation vanilla? The real thing is always better. You could figure out how long to stay in the sun. Everything I read says the tanning beds are much worse for your skin than the sun.
@meagan tanning beds are much worse for you than the sun.
Coco Chanel in the 1920s started the trend. By then, most working people toiled in dank, dark factories where they stayed pale, and not in the fields. Tans gave off that “Binky, darling! Yes, well, I know I missed your old thing at Drury Lane, but I was just down a fortnight at Biarritz with David and the cousins!” look of money.
@uberbatman Youre telling me that me going to the tanning salon will be worse for me than working outside in the hot summer sun for YEARS? Are you high? Someone tanning for a few hours a year is worse than being in hundred degree weather for months?
@thriftymaid I’ve already listed my reasons for not tanning in the sun ;P
Do you wear designer everything? It is the best, you know.
I’m walking away from this. ;P
The burnt orange tan is from the latest fad spray tans.
@meagan: You’re getting the tan equivalent of a full day in the sun concentrated in light down to a few minutes. I’d say you’re fucked.
@meagan I know quite a few people who go tanning 3 times a week. Heres how I see it, 10min session x 3 times a week x 52 weeks = 1560 minutes/60= 26 hours. 26 hours spent cooking under heat lamps. You want to tell me this isnt bad? And these bulbs are far brighter than the sun, as asmonet said, a full day of sun down to 10 minutes.
I actually prefer being pale. I don’t mind a bit of a tan, but tanning beds are horrible for you. At least the sun provides some real benefits!
Answer this question 
