To think blue eyes are both a blessing and a curse

[Lewishamsally]

Blessing: Nations and western worlds favourite eye colour.

Curse: I forgot my sunglasses on a day out with dc and I could barely see in the sun. (Probably added about a million wrinkles around the eye ).

I don't doubt that no offence was intended but that doesn't mean it isn't offensive. Op could have said I like my blue eyes but it's a pain to have to wear sunglasses. Fine. Would just have been a thread about sunglasses which op says was what was intended. It's the 'blessing, favourite, best bit' which gets backs up. Op might well be meaning the (racist) beauty myth but doesn't say this. If I posted that my pale skin was annoying because it burns but I don't mind because it's everyone's favourite skin tone and I feel so blessed, I think folk would be shocked. On the other hand it fine to say I like my Celtic colouring as not comparing it to anything else or saying or implying it is better.

Do people actually understand what racist means?
Apparently not.

well i have green eyes and I need sun glasses more than other people seem to. my eyes water without them. so i don't think it's the paleness of your eyes.

OP you've told us how it's a 'curse', I'm curious to know the 'blessing' part?

What are the things having blue eyes bring/do for you?

Genuine question because I find this thread genuinely interesting - if it's not ok to say blue eyes are something one is 'blessed' with or lucky to have etc, is it not ok to praise someone with red hair / Celtic colouring? Like I said I have a mixed race dd who I find gets 'admired' a lot for her appearance and there's something to be said for her mixed race background influencing that, but my other two are bright red haired & blue eyed and they too get complimented for their appearance and I see a lot on mumsnet that people say they wished their child had been 'ginger' or comforting a poster who has had some anti-redhead remark by saying its beautiful and they wish they'd had red hair etc. I know anti-gingerism (ha) isn't racism because red haired people aren't a race but I don't know, do people not see it as the same thing as saying blue eyes are better or is it just because red hair stands out people desire it?

My blue eyes have been sun-damaged,due to living in a hot country as a child. I can't wear contact lenses,as the edges of the iris are scarred.

Mami to say having blue eyes is a 'blessing' surely suggests that not having blue eyes is not especially when further supported with, Nations and western worlds favourite eye colour

If OP had simply said she loves her blue eyes, nobody would take issue but complimenting blue eyes as the favourite and preferred of nations before gushing about how you need to protect your lovely blue eyes from the sun is going beyond that. Surely you can see why many posters have taken offence at the inference that their eye colour is not a blessing.

I think OP just worded it badly, justownit, and doesn't deserve the flak she is getting. People bandying the word 'racist' is just ridiculous.

Totally agree. Don't believe OP intended to cause offence for a minute but just didn't think it through properly before posting. Problem is once you've posted you don't get a second chance to rethink and readers can only judge by what you've typed.

Completely not relevant to what's being discussed, but thought I'd share

Whilst looking on the Internet about eye colour, after reading this. I wanted to know what my sons eye colour was.

I came across this article. Half way down there is their own survey of most attractive eye colour done by 66,000 people visiting their site.
green came out top. But a few also commented that's not about eye colour anyway

I think if you look hard enough you can find any survey to back up anything you want.

www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-color.htm

Twartface Opening paragraph of survey you linked: Eye color often is the genetic trait that fascinates parents the most as a child develops. Will the child's eyes be black, brown, blue, gray, green, hazel or some combination of colors?

Wrong! Only if you're white or mixed race does this have any basis. I've never met a black person wondering about their child's eye colour. That is because the majority have the same eye colour, brown. I know there are some occurrences of black people with different eye colour, but they are not the norm in fact I'd say rare.

I'm White but find it interesting how many surveys are usually biased in favour of whites or from a white persons point of view but stated as a 'universal view' which calls the credibility of the survey into question.

I doubt the OP was unaware that the thread would be provocative. She did also point out that blue is especially popular amongst Ukip voters.

Like others, I am curious as to the design of this piece of research (and why anybody would waste money funding it). I also wonder why the OP has taken it seriously enough to consider herself blessed to have the alleged favourite eye colour.

Everyone in my family who has blue eyes own multiple pairs of sunglasses because we are all really sensitive to light. All the people with brown eyes are not bothered by the sun.
I have blue eyes and I'm very sensitive to light but have a high threshold for pain so I've learned something new today, 2 things in fact.

fascicle said:

Alleged favourite eye colour

that just made me laugh hysterically.

So pale green and pale blue would not be the same regarding sensitivity to the sun, or would dark blue eyes compared to pale green eyes be more sensitive? Don't believe that for a second, very stupid thread

I think OP just wanted to say something amusing about forgetting her sunglasses.

However she did not subject her post to rigorous "how could this be read by MNers" testing before posting.

KABOOM!

I have hazel eyes.

All the people with brown eyes are not bothered by the sun.

All the brown eyed people where? The ones in your family?

that's nonsense. i am blinded without sunglasses. my eyes are far more sensitive tothe sun than mny blue eyed friends' eyes are.

it completely depends on how bright the sun is.

Oh my gosh! A lorry load of woodchips has just been spilled!

Be glad you are not struggling with Albinism in a fiercely hot country.

Most upset by this thread! I am a green eyed, blonde with big boobs..I thought that gave me most favoured status in the West!

I wear sunnies constantly, I get raging headaches from bright sunlight. I had no idea it was down to my light coloured eyes!

Surely the same could be said for green/grey eyes? (and all the mixtures of blue/grey/green).

I've no idea which eye colour is the nation's or western world's favourite.

I like green eyes - very rare.

This has probably been said I haven't read every page, but my optician has always told me that short sighted blue eyed people are more at risk from eye problems such as detached retinas. I have proved him right :(

I actually agree with the OP on the light thing. Of course no one can stare directly at the sun, but people with darker eyes can at least walk around in the sunshine without squinting their watery painful eyes, or having to walk in the shade!

Favourite eye colour though....seems pretty dubious. And fairly pointlessly vain as well.

Silver just to rub it in....at the last eclipse, brown-eyed me, I looked at the sky as the moon covered the sun, when it started to shift, I stared straight ahead as the sun rays reappeared. Such is the strength of brown eyes...no 3D glasses for me.

Not 3D...eclipse glasses!