Re: What is this obsession with light skin??
Light-skin has also been a sign of status. People with fair skin are those that haven't had to labor in the sun all day. Its association with status is one of the reasons it's become a desireable quality when searching for a bride (and groom).
I think there's nothing wrong with preferring one look over another. You can't really blame someone for a personal preference they have no control over.
HOWEVER, what I find in the older generation is that it's not about personal preference. There's a belief in a universal standard of beauty. In order to be considered beautiful or even pretty, light skin has to be present. Darker girls may be considered "attractive" or "charming," but to the older generation, they are RARELY ever described as "beautiful" or "pretty." I think it's problematic to have this universal notion of beauty.