Spray-on tanners are the equivalent of Boca Burgers – meaty to the point of disconcerting. Or, put another way, “healthier” facsimilies of things which, in original form, are bad for us, but which produce no real behavior change.
If we are serious about getting people to apply sunscreen, wear hats, and avoid midday sun in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer, shouldn’t we be also working to establish pale(r) skin as the aesthetic ideal? Human nature being what it is, people are much more likely to do something because it is cool and hip than if it is good for them. We are not a logical species, Mr. Spock would say.
I embrace my blindingly white skin, slathering it with sunscreen year-round, wearing hats when gardening, long sleeves while canoeing.
Likewise, I prefer veggie burgers where the vegetables are evident, and any similarity to an all-beef patty is solely in the shape.
I prefer to think that my ode to paleness is useful in that it blinds my enemies when I remove my shirt!