The current trend of artificial tan in the USA : "instant bronze = gold" (2007)

Abstract

In a culture with a continuously growing obsession with physical perfection, the hard, tan, beach body is the most coveted. Yet the days of sunbonnets, parasols, and giant floppy hats are not so long past. So why has the trend moved so strongly to the opposite direction since the latter half of the 20th century? A number of different cultural and historical movements provide background to shed light on the answer.