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Beauty standard and gender inequality
Causes and effects of mass media on body image
How the media portrays body image
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America is also known as the universal "melting pot", where diversity is welcomed with open arms. This nation as a whole re programmed itself to be more accepting and more tolerable of what is out of their form of ‘the norm’; but, to what extent? According to Google definitions: beauty is a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight. So, speaking of technicalities, beauty varies in the eyes of the beholder or the individual’s opinion. In today’s society, beauty as been fabricated and has somehow molded into different categories depending on appearance, gender, race, and age. If that individual does not ‘make the cut’ or falls short, they are considered unappealing. Yes, America has accepted different types of beauty, but is only tolerant to a certain extent. The same hand that pats us on the back is the same hand that pushes us away for being different.
Appearance makes us who we are to the outer world, mostly the way we present ourselves. Our genetic makeup (skin, hair, eyes, nose, ect) makes up the factors of what consists of beauty. We hum the song of love of diversity and tell people to stay true to who they are, but its preached not practiced. For example, the ongoing problem women and even men have is their weight. As humans, we gain weight it is part of the circle of life but, they have associated extra weight gain or plus size as ‘ugly’ or not as appealing as petite. If you look through magazines, commercials, and other sources of the media, all you see are petite models. The industry has grown to have ‘plus size models,' but that is just it. Why can they not be called just ‘models’? Here is the reason; the addition of the word plus size is just a reminder t...
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...uty is in the eye of the beholder’ is a famous quote used from time to time. America is very tolerant in diverse beauty but only to a certain extent. Subliminally we feel that people have embraced different types of beautiful but in reality they still want them to conform into what ‘their’ definition of beautiful. With appearance, there is a certain look that has to be put together in order to be presentable. Depending on the gender there is a guideline to what every sex should look like. Age is a blessing but a curse to the outer body; developing wrinkles and not looking youthful. The definition of beauty has been tampered with and has been battered to the core; it is up to the individual to live by the invisible bylaws’ or break the rules.
Works Cited
Brooks, David. “People Like Us.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, September 2003.Web.
4 November 2013
The way our culture has a tendency to view other individuals by there appearance will probably never change. In some way everyone has it set in his or her mind what makes a person "perfect". These characteristics include personal appearance, wealth and intelligence. We do not always get the chance to get to know a person, but rather make assumptions. Two poems, which reveal different perceptions of someone, include Richard Cory and The Barbie Doll.
The ideal female beauty in American culture is predominately white (Bankhead & Johnson, 2014). Throughout U.S history, women’s mainstream beauty ideal has been historically based on white standards such as having blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, a thin ideal body, straight hair, and thin lips (West, 1995; Yamamiya, Cash, Melynk, Posavac, & Posavac, 2005; Leslie, 1995). Therefore, the features of African American women tend to be viewed as undesirable and unattractive compared to the European standards of beauty (Awad, Norwood, Taylor, Martinez, McClain, Jones, Holman, & Hilliard, 2014). According to Ashe (1995), “African beauty, body and hair have been racialized, with slim/”keen” European features being the accepted standard of beauty since enslaved Africans was forcefully brought to the Americas.” The physical characteristics of Black women such as having broad noses, brown skin, full lips, large buttocks and course hair has been looked down upon throughout United States history (Byrd & Tharps, 2001). In effect, the standard of beauty of European features that were forced on slaves are internalized and currently seen in the standard of beauty of African Americans (A.A) (Chapman, 2007). These standards include African Americans perceiving light-skinned as being more favorable than dark-skinned (Maddox & Gray, 2002; Perdue, Young, Balam,
What is beauty? How do human beings decide who is attractive and who is not? Society is full of messages telling us what is beautiful, but what are those definitions based on? Do we consciously decide whom we are attracted to, or is biology somehow involved? The issue of beauty and how we define it has been studied for centuries. Scholars from all fields of study have searched for the "formula" for beauty. Darwin in his book The Descent of Man wrote, "It is certainly not true that there is in the mind of man any universal standard of beauty with respect to the human body. It is however, possible that certain tastes in the course of time become inherited, though I have no evidence in favor of this belief." (1) Science has tried to look at beauty beyond the conscious level. It has tried to determine what roles biology plays in human attraction. Scientists have discovered that symmetry and scent play a role in defining human attraction. (3) But while this can begin to explain beauty on the most basic of levels, what accounts for variations in the standard of beauty? The idea of beauty varies within different societies and communities. Do these cultural preferences have a biological basis? What is the relationship between biology and society in relation to the idea of beauty? How do they relate to each other, and how do they differ? In particular what role does science play in the preference that many societies, (in particular South Asian, East Asian, and North American Cultures), have for fairer skin?
Black is beautiful. Skinny is beautiful. A lack of knowledge is beautiful. The world that we live in is indulged with the concept of what people find beautiful. From the color of skin to the idea of what weight is the most attractive, we have taught ourselves to judge others based upon what we believe is ideal. This concept varies across the world, as is discussed within the novel Scheherazade Goes West, as well as within different upbringings and cultures, as discussed in Adios Barbie.
What is beauty? It seems like a simple enough question, yet it has an extremely elusive, ever-changing answer according to American society. What is “popular” or “stylish” at the moment could be completely obsolete the next. This question has plagued societies for ages and continues to motivate women all over the world go to drastic lengths in their search for beauty. As women in remote Asian villages search to attain beauty by stretching their necks with heavy metal coils (Anitei) and women in America lie in enclosed melanoma-inducing tunnels of light so they can emerge gloriously tanned (Is Indoor Tanning Safe?), God has another, far more fulfilling plan for true beauty. Beauty in American society is so fluid, elusive, and superficial that it doesn’t possibly equate to the plan that God has for women to view themselves. Real beauty comes from character, confidence, and an identity in Christ.
The subjective element of beauty involves judgment, not opinion. Many people feel beauty is only something seen by the eyes. St. Thomas Aquinas views beauty in both the supernatural and natural orders. Aquinas lists the attributes of beauty to be found in nature. These are; unity, proportion, and clarity. We will see how these attributes of beauty are seen through the eye and felt by the heart.
Since the dawn of time, beauty or what it should or should not be has been influenced by civilization. “Beauty” depicted what is or is not acceptable. No matter what one person prefers, people still struggle to reach the ideal image set forth by varying factors. “Beauty” according to Dictionary.com is “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else,” if this is the case why do people not abide by that? () “Beauty” is an intangible obsession that has yet to be explored properly. Is “beauty” really in the eye of the beholder?” Why do women feel the need to be “beautiful?” “Beauty” is a strong factor in women’s lives, but they do not control it; nature, race, and society depict what “true beauty” is, and because of those things a great percentage of women are insecure.
For centuries mankind has unsuccessfully attempted to define beauty. Greek philosophers, including Plato, tried to define beauty as if it were as simple as any other law in nature. However this cannot be so because the idea of what is beautiful has varied throughout cultures and the ages. In the 1800s women who were pale and rather plump were considered objects of desire; but in today’s society, desirable women are slender and tan, among other things. The fact is that today, beauty is as unobtainable as it is indefinable. All of today’s supermodels, as seen in millions of advertisements, have been modified, airbrushed, and photoshopped. Women desiring this beauty have turned to various sources of false remedies, spending thousands of dollars, in hope that they too can be beautiful. The media has twisted and warped our ideal definition of beauty into something that does not exist naturally and is simply inaccessible.
Nevertheless, while we as humans might be somewhat prone to look for beauty in our surroundings, the modern standards have become out of hand and are completely unacceptable. As Confucius said, “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”. True beauty is not what is on the outside, but what is on the inside. America’s youth needs to learn to differentiate between the two, and they will never learn how until something is changed in the daily messages thrown out at them.
Glowing caramel tan on flawless skin, voluptuous breasts and butt on a stick-thin model, long lashes, silky hair with volume, 5’7 or taller, white perfectly aligned teeth under big lips, a hairless body, and on top of all that the latest fashion produced by designer brands that leave little to the imagination. That’s the American beauty perception for women in a nutshell. Men? Biceps, broad shoulders, large chest, six-pack abs, whatever screams manly and won’t scare off the ladies. However there young girls who go crazy over pretty, metrosexual boys nowadays. At least these beauty standards are possible to belong to different races. As expected of the melting pot America is.
Throughout history there have been many claims about what is beautiful and what is not on the face and body. America’s idea of beauty in the past changed many times from the fragileness of the Steel-engraving lady to the voluptuousness of the Greek slave. The ideal beauty in America is not so different from the ideal beauty of cultures around the world and follows many of the traditions practiced throughout history. The widespread of advertisement and technology is something that’s said to be the contributing problem to the ideal women phenomenon, but I believe history and trend plays the bigger role.
Beauty, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the qualities in a person, or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind. If asked to describe beauty, there’s no doubt that a great number of minds would fly straight to the images of the countless women whose elegant faces and long, slender bodies have been plastered everywhere from Times Square to the fashion magazines on their coffee tables. So what does that really mean and why is it that everyone’s perception of beauty is the same? It means that image of beauty has been altered in the minds of not only today’s youth, but in every generation. The improbable ideals that have been engrained into the minds of people worldwide have left the human race feeling like they will never be good enough. The culprit is the advertising industry, and Photoshop is their weapon. Many activists have begun to take a stand and make it their mission to stop this phenomenon before the damage spreads.
There is a saying “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” What one individual considers beautiful may not be beautiful to another. Many people in this world have their own definition of what beauty is. Beauty can come from inside or the outside. To me, beauty is not only something that pleases the eyes. Beauty is a quality that pleases or delights the senses or mind. Unfortunately, society makes it nearly impossible to see our own beauty. Most girls are inclined to take a quick look into a compact mirror or run a few fingers through their hair, sizing themselves up with the nearest advertisement featuring a flawless bottle blonde. Some may go a bit further, running an endless list of insecurities
There are over seven billion people on earth and every single one looks different. No matter how much people say that being different is unique, they are wrong. Society has set a beauty standard, with the help of the media and celebrities, that makes people question their looks. This standard is just a definition of what society considers being “beautiful.” This idea is one that mostly everyone knows about and can relate to. No one on this planet is exactly the same, but people still feel the need to meet this standard. Everyone has two sides to them; there is the one that says “you are perfect just the way you are”, while the other side puts you down and you tell yourself “I have to change, I have to fit in.” There is always going to be that side that cares and the one that doesn’t.
Here in America, the conventional definition of beauty is what is perceptible in any form of our popular culture. This includes television, movies, music videos, billboards, fashion blogs, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), as well as anything ran on print and in mainstream media. The business strategy that is often used in these forms of media is that, women’s bodies are often used as a tool for advertising products that are entirely not related to the items in play, for instance, fancy cars, liquor, as well as guns (Kitch 56). Much as utilizing women’s bodies as a tool for selling the products that are totally unrelated