Perceptions of Beauty
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
A friend of mine posted the video seen below, and I thought it was a good example of how distorted our sense of beauty is.
I've written before about the false images of beauty that are pushed on women of all ages and how those images are damaging. Here's a quote from an article I wrote... oh, years ago: "We are sold cosmetics, hair dye, teeth whiteners, hair gel, bikini wax, diet pills, anti-wrinkle cream, lip sticks, self-help books, exercise videos and scary looking tools to make us beautiful. We are told that beauty is only skin deep, and you can buy that skin at $19.95 a bottle. We hear that beauty is pain and starve ourselves to feel that pain."
Since I wrote that, the image of beauty has only gotten harder to maintain. So few actresses, singers, or models are larger than a size 4. But it goes beyond weight -- far beyond. Perfect skin, perfect teeth, big eyes, plump lips, perfect nails, perfect hair, subtle yet striking makeup, modest yet slutty clothes -- the list, as the road, goes ever on and on. Yet, no one has all of these things. No one. As shown in the video, air brushing makes perfection possible. Does it matter if the wrinkles are brushed away from the models eyes -- even if the product is wrinkle cream? Everything can be fixed by the computer -- except the perceptions.
Fat = ugly, unpleasant, stupid? Not really. Fat doesn't even alway equal unhealthy. I'm "plus sized" and yet I can spend forty-five minutes doing a hard core elliptical workout, while the size 2 girl next to me is panting and dropping out after ten. I can probably bench press half of them. My body fat percent is actually in normal female ranges, yet I'm not healthy, but the girl starving herself must be? You can kiss my size 14 ass.
Let's face it. Beautiful perfection can only be found in the airbrushed images in the pages of a magazine. So why torture ourselves and waste money on products that don't work anyway. That new shade of lipstick is not going to make that hot guy from class walk up to me and ask me out. Some confidence and a smile might do it, but I can't actually buy those at the store. Sure, a pair of pretty panties make me add a little sway to my step (or for the southerners, some hitch to my giddy-up), but that confidence must come from me, not the clump-free, extending, thickening mascara I just bought.
Even plastic surgery does not live up to hopes. Think of it like a genie in a bottle: you make a wish, and it comes true. You wanted bigger boobs, you now have bigger boobs. However, you forgot to specify that you wanted life to get better for you when you got the bigger boobs, and the genie is a trickster, and is not going to give it to you unless you ask... and you will never ask. When women lose weight, some find that their lives improve, but others begin to question those around them. "Would he have liked me if I was still fat? Would she be so nice to me if I was still fat?" When people are suddenly nicer, does it make you feel better about yourself, or worse about humanity?
Last, I would like to leave you with this "Fat Rant" found on YouTube. Some people have responded with, "You go girl!", "Thank you so much, you really inspired me." "You're hot!" "I would totally go straight for you!" and the like as well as, "Stupid fat bitch, go purge." and "You're killing yourself because you're so fat. Fat is not ok." and "Fat is ugly and gross." I'll let you decide what you think.
I've written before about the false images of beauty that are pushed on women of all ages and how those images are damaging. Here's a quote from an article I wrote... oh, years ago: "We are sold cosmetics, hair dye, teeth whiteners, hair gel, bikini wax, diet pills, anti-wrinkle cream, lip sticks, self-help books, exercise videos and scary looking tools to make us beautiful. We are told that beauty is only skin deep, and you can buy that skin at $19.95 a bottle. We hear that beauty is pain and starve ourselves to feel that pain."
Since I wrote that, the image of beauty has only gotten harder to maintain. So few actresses, singers, or models are larger than a size 4. But it goes beyond weight -- far beyond. Perfect skin, perfect teeth, big eyes, plump lips, perfect nails, perfect hair, subtle yet striking makeup, modest yet slutty clothes -- the list, as the road, goes ever on and on. Yet, no one has all of these things. No one. As shown in the video, air brushing makes perfection possible. Does it matter if the wrinkles are brushed away from the models eyes -- even if the product is wrinkle cream? Everything can be fixed by the computer -- except the perceptions.
Fat = ugly, unpleasant, stupid? Not really. Fat doesn't even alway equal unhealthy. I'm "plus sized" and yet I can spend forty-five minutes doing a hard core elliptical workout, while the size 2 girl next to me is panting and dropping out after ten. I can probably bench press half of them. My body fat percent is actually in normal female ranges, yet I'm not healthy, but the girl starving herself must be? You can kiss my size 14 ass.
Let's face it. Beautiful perfection can only be found in the airbrushed images in the pages of a magazine. So why torture ourselves and waste money on products that don't work anyway. That new shade of lipstick is not going to make that hot guy from class walk up to me and ask me out. Some confidence and a smile might do it, but I can't actually buy those at the store. Sure, a pair of pretty panties make me add a little sway to my step (or for the southerners, some hitch to my giddy-up), but that confidence must come from me, not the clump-free, extending, thickening mascara I just bought.
Even plastic surgery does not live up to hopes. Think of it like a genie in a bottle: you make a wish, and it comes true. You wanted bigger boobs, you now have bigger boobs. However, you forgot to specify that you wanted life to get better for you when you got the bigger boobs, and the genie is a trickster, and is not going to give it to you unless you ask... and you will never ask. When women lose weight, some find that their lives improve, but others begin to question those around them. "Would he have liked me if I was still fat? Would she be so nice to me if I was still fat?" When people are suddenly nicer, does it make you feel better about yourself, or worse about humanity?
Last, I would like to leave you with this "Fat Rant" found on YouTube. Some people have responded with, "You go girl!", "Thank you so much, you really inspired me." "You're hot!" "I would totally go straight for you!" and the like as well as, "Stupid fat bitch, go purge." and "You're killing yourself because you're so fat. Fat is not ok." and "Fat is ugly and gross." I'll let you decide what you think.
