We all know that women have a lot of pressure, by the media, by those around them and internally, to look a certain way i.e. gori chitti. But what we don’t really talk about is how Pakistani men who are dark skinned face their own kind of pressures. The books may tell you to admire the “tall, dark and handsome” man but the people in Pakistan only love gori chamri.

Here’s what happens when you’re a dark skinned guy in Pakistan:

1. You’re teased for not looking like the rest of your family members who have fairer complexion

2. If there’s load shedding, they’ll say you’ve disappeared in the dark

3. They ask you what your mother ate when she was pregnant with you.

As if they’re light skinned because their mothers ate lots of chalk.

4. They ask you to show your teeth then laugh at how “white” they are

5. If you have a girlfriend/significant other they’ll ask how you managed to snag such a “gori bachi“

6. If it’s an arranged rishta they’ll ask if the girl even saw you first

7. They call you khaandaan ka nazar watoo

8. If there’s a thunderstorm they say lightening is attracted to darker things so you should save yourself

9. They give you skin whitening tips

10. Some may even gift you a pack of Fair and Lovely

11. On days you’re dressed up, they’ll wonder if you’ve put makeup on to “look good”

12. They’ll pretend to be scared of you if you walk behind them because “itna kaala hai ke laga koi jinn agaya“

13. If all else fails, they’ll ask you when you’re going to meet the rest of your “actual” family in Africa

If you’re tall, check out this hilarious video:

Cover image via: Zambeel Films / The Crew Films