Proud bleacher says women go crazy for his look

Up-and-coming entertainer and proud 'bleacher' Dwight 'Vibesmachine12span' Johnson, says women are falling at his feet because of his 'white' complexion.

"Mi a gyalis, enuh, but the cream now make it easier. All you hear people a talk, 75 per cent of the women dem in Jamaica love man weh bleach out, I swear to yuh. When mi touch di road, di females dem go crazy and dem come up to mi and say mi clean. Dem all a tell mi say dem want mi number. Mi don't even look woman because from dem see di 'Whita dan di white' pull up, a bare tings," Johnson said.

As he spoke from his base in Portmore, St Catherine, three females took turns holding an umbrella over his head. And athough the sun was scorching, there was hardly any sign of perspiration on him as one of them constantly used a handkerchief to wipe his face while another held a portable fan to cool him down. According to the 32-year-old, who dubbed himself the 'whitest man in Jamaica', this type of treatment is not for the show.

"A just my ting dat from ever since, female just always deh round mi with umbrella," he said.

Johnson has been intensely bleaching his skin for a little more than a decade. He said he is naturally light-skinned but was motivated to start using bleaching products after seeing how popular one of his friends became.

"Mi say 'Dawg dis weh yuh do mad, and yuh know mi ago try it out' and him tell mi weh fi buy and from mi try it, a wah tell yuh say mi viral before now because mi did get so super white. So people always a come up to mi and a say weh mi use," he said.

"About a year now mi just go hard inna it because mi a sell bleaching cream and people from all over the world always a link mi say dem wah mi cream, so mi start go hard fi people see di result a it," he added.

He said that his fast acting cream, Whita Dan White, which he mixes himself, has a special secret ingredient.

"Mi have to keep it a secret like KFC recipe. Mi cream ... it well sought after because if you use it today and go a yuh bed, by tomorrow you lighter, you skin start strip off," Johnson said.

Years ago, the Ministry of Health and Wellness launched a major anti-skin bleaching campaign to discourage the practice, and placed a ban on the sale of skin-bleaching creams. However, this has not prevented wholesalers and retailers from stocking the products at the front of their shelves. There are also various studies that link the use of skin lightening products to skin cancer.

"Mi hear say it happen but mi never see it yet and there is so many people weh mi know a bleach long before mi and mi never hear dem complain about skin cancer," he said.

Johnson dispelled rumours that bleachers do not take daily baths or showers or that people bleach because they hate themselves.

"Bleaching is just style and mi nuh have low self esteem. Mi have on a million tattoos and mi in the entertainment field and mi wah mi tattoo dem fi show, suh mi just rub on sumpn so it nuh have nutten to do with self hate. A lie dat. Yuh haffi bathe to apply another new dose of cream. We bathe inna warm water because it make the skin smoother," he said.

Flattered by the reaction to his complexion, Johnson took his experience to the recording studios and released a track titled Pinkwall.

"People hate what dem don't understand. It enhance mi music and you can see say mi go viral. Mi music a gwan good now, suh respect to di haters, I love you all," he said.

"Yuh ago always have people who don't love weh yuh a do fi your life, but life a the most greatest ting to mi, suh people can do or say whatever. A time ago come when mi stop bleach but I don't think it is going to be for now," he added.