Analysis Of The Ugly Truth About Beauty By Dave Barry

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In "The Ugly Truth about Beauty" (1998), Dave Barry argues that ". . . women generally do not think of their looks in the same way that men do"(4). Barry illuminates this discrepancy by juxtaposing men's perceptions of their looks ("average-looking") with women's ("not good enough"),

by contrasting female role models (Barbie, Cindy Crawford) with male role models (He-Man, Buzz-
Off), and by comparing men's interests (the Super Bowl, lawn care) with women's (manicures). He

exaggerates and stereotypes these differences in order to prevent women from so eagerly accepting society's expectation of them; in fact, Barry claims that men who want women to "look like Cindy
Crawford" are "idiots" (10). Barry ostensibly addresses men in this essay because

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