Too dark to host? Uproar from Kenyans on social media following 'Light skin' requirement in TV host audition

Kenyans have once again raised their voices against alleged discrimination after a casting call was made online by Invogue Management.

The agency which deals with talent management of models announced that a client was looking for a TV food show host.

“Our client is urgently looking for a fun, energetic, adventurous, charismatic, male or female personality/aspiring host that loves cooking and all things food,” the advert read in part.

But the ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications; First and foremost, he/she should be of light complexion.

"This makes me understand why vera sidika bleached, I have all the qualifications apart from being light skinned," lamented one Allegrace Muthama after seeing the casting call.

But one of the users who had also shared the post came out to defend the criteria.

"Don't hate people... has it occured to you that the target audience goes wider than just for black africans? Every adverts has a target market & audience. Thats why a coke will often look different than a safaricom ad for instance... Next time ask why rather than hating! It always wise to approach a situation that you don't understand or feels unfair to you. The WHY is always better than the HATING. We learn everyday," Nina said.

She also got support from Lawrence who reiterated that each job has its own character requirements.

“Nothing racist or discriminating about the post each job has it's own character requiments. Especially in the world of advertistment and media.. So you only fail when you victimze yourself. When you complain you are only looking down on your ownself..” he pointed out.

But this only infuriated the users, with media personality Ciku Muriuki giving her two cents;

So the implication herein, according to Nina's deeply condescending rebuttal, is that dark skin is only suitable for an African audience. Any audience wider than that would be horrified at the sight of any skin tone darker than the lightest caramel. Got it.

This uproar comes at a time when skin lightening use is not only rampant but also accepted and even celebrated. Cases of women and men changing their skin tone to ‘acceptable’ shades has become a norm, among them celebrities and media personalities.

Socialite Vera Sidika has proudly become the poster child for skin lightening in Kenya after she sensationally underwent a drastic tone change. A change she has said makes her happy and has helped her business. 

Nigerian-Cameroonian singer Dencia went a step beyond just lightening her skin, she created a line of skin lighteners called Whitenicious. A line she had insisted is not a bleaching agent but a dark spot remover.

South African singer Nomasonto "Mshoza" Mnisi, now several shades lighter, says her new skin makes her feel more beautiful and confident.

But it's not just the women who are lightening their skin. Congolese singer Francois Matumona known to many as General Defao shocked many Kenyans when he debuted his bleached skin during a visit to the country last year. 

We contacted the agency who promised to give a statement later today.

Tell us what you think, is this just a job requirement or does it point to the various forms of discrimination in our society?

Here are more of the reactions;

Ange Ngoy: Please don't be shallow about target audience ....no one here is victimizing themselves if you think melanin plays a part with talent then please enlighten me

Shiro Gikandi: lightskins lol I once attended interview had all the qualification only one was missing iam dark skinned n so my gud sistas with less qualification but lightskinned got the job n was left outbut life gotta move on. so lightskinned chefs tokelezeni

Wanjiku Muhoho: Why the colour grade?? How does that make a good character for tv? This is too short sighted. Black is black. African is African. Stop spreading discrimination by putting casting calls that perpetuate the stupid state of racist affairs in the world. Im sure your client can be better than that. What if the perfect host is a pretty dark lady with an amazing personality and you settle for a light skinned boring person? Light or dark if you are gifted it will not depend on how you look. Geez. Tell your client to get a clue. This is not good tv. Im sorry its harsh and I am not attacking you but its exhausting to see these shallow briefs from kenya. Don't underestimate the intelligence of the target audience because the client has a misguided vision in their minds that audiences hate darker people. Be good to your show cast the net wide. White people dont say this person is too pale and that one is too tanned for this role if the person nails the role. Why do we?

Charles Kibinda: Do you really have to be light skinned to talk about ugali and mathaagiro? Ama they are shooting in a dark and smokey kitchen and they'll need to search for you from time to time?

Alison Nyawira Kariuki: Guys....all audition alerts are normally very specific based on the client's needs. This one is not the first.

Kevin Maina: In today's society, this is utter rubbish, and plain stupid. Let all skin tones come audition, and call back whoever you feel is attractive enough.

When you do such a casting call, basically you're pushing the mentality that the world had been trying to break for decades... That dark skin isn't attractive. Have you imagined what such a casting call does to the psyche of people that are not light skinned? It tells them they're not attractive enough. And where is the gauge? What levels of light skin are required here? At what point am I not light enough?? Is there a meter to measure it, then I can know if I qualify? I can't believe how nonsense this is.And that, in post-colonial Kenya, which is in Africa... and in 2016.... Is shameful and appallingly stupid.

Elizabeth Asiko Wanyanga: denying people opportunities because of their skin colour is discrimination/racism.

Zahra Bowden Thioune: I'm mixed race and African, not sure I know my way around a kitchen though - which of these two things is actually relevant to the role?! Silly. Also who decided that being light skinned is a good thing in the first place? Pretty sure it was the coloniser not the colonised, but clearly the brainwashing did the trick.

Karanja Nzisa: Pray tell, what's the link between the reception of your audience and the complexion of your host? You're all but saying that your audience might be uncomfortable with a dark skinned host and you think it's best to placate them with something more digestible than negro skin. You should be ashamed of yourself.