Referring to: The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World - Beauty
Page 52 & 53
KEY-WORDS: Beauty, Women, Image, Suffering, Companies, Cosmetics, Surgery's, Conform, Standard, Contests.
KEY-PHRASES: "A white western standard of beauty", "there are now few places in the world untouched by the commerce of beauty", "women undergo a staggering amount of suffering in the pursuit of beauty".
KEY-IDEAS: There are many types of beauty that span all across the world. Does beauty have to be about how others see you or your attractiveness, what you like about yourself, what others like about you, or a combination to feel accepted. Most models come from Brazil. Brazil has many modeling schools. All across the world beauty is the essential ideal, body image or look is affecting almost everyone around the world. In 2007 there were both surgical and nonsurgical procedures to conform people of what they see as fit or the right way to look. All of which consisted of: (Surgical)- eyelids, nose reshaping, face lift, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction. ( Nonsurgical)- botox injections, chemical peel, microdermabrasion and laser hair removal. Americans alone spent about 13 million dollars on cosmetic procedures in 2006. Brazil and the USA have the highest numbers of winners for the Miss World/ Miss Universe winnings. The USA has the highest percent of the cosmetic market from Japan being second in line with 30 billion dollars the USA has 50 billion dollars.
KEY-NAMES: Women/Girls!
QUOTES: "The average US model is thinner than 98% of all US women", " 81% of 10-years-old girls are afraid of being fat", " 42% of girls in grades 1-3 want to be thinner".
QUESTIONS: What is beauty to you!? What makes you feel pretty or handsome? What is the Portrayal that Brazil may be giving off? Why do you think the USA has the highest craving for beauty? Why is it so important for our country compared to others? What do you think of larger, or pulse size models, why do we not see them often? Do men have power over women to make them feel "unpretty", and the desire or need to change their apperance? Do women do the same to men? Do you think people will ever feel satisfied with themsevles, or feel comfertable in their own skin?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ejX0q3s0yY
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Hi Jenica,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting article and what you took from it is really helpful for me. I feel like I got some contemporary body image/beauty issues from your blog that I was not familiar with before. I have a few questions that came from reading your blog, especially with respect to many of the issues that we have discussed in this course. You mention that "eye-lid reshaping" and nose reconstruction are popular cosmetic procedures. My question is, what does this say about racial oppression in our society? Why is it that people should feel that they need for conform to a certain (perhaps aptly called white) standard of beauty? Does this take us backward in our progress towards racial equality? To me, it seems that it does, because regardless of changes in our understanding and acceptance of diversity in the education and work world, creating a constant stream of images that construct women and men as a certain physical standard removes the idea that it is alright to be different and unique. It is like not practising what we preach; or actions speak louder than words. Especially within the education system for young children, why is it that the children you mention in grades 1-3 who want to change their bodies are not communicated with on that level? These are just some additional questions that might be interesting to consider.
Thanks
Candice E.
To me beauty is being comfortable with yourself; being comfortable with your body and having the heart, the personality, the values that allow others, as well as yourself, to realize they are beautiful as they are. It is compassion. It is confidence in yourself and others. It is the beauty that isn't skin deep, unlike the commercial beauty that many people try to acquire. In USA beauty is skinny girls, buff guys, expensive clothes or lack their of, expensive cars, nice hair, big lips, etc. Ideal beauty in the US is what you see on tv and magazines.It is more important here in the US because it is advertised 24/7; it is mainstream. This social contruction is forced on the people; forced to compare themselves to the "beautiful" people in the media. To some degree all countries prize beauty, they just have a different idea of what beauty is. Like here in the States being tanned is beautiful, but for people in the Philippines fairness is beautiful. A person who is fair suggests that they are wealthy, those who work in the fields are darker. Since the Philippines is a very poor country, mainstream Philippines view beauty as wealth. That is why skin whitening products are advertised sold throughout the country. Also other places in the world believe people on the heavier side are beautiful, again this suggests wealth. It always traces back to wealth, and this is also the case for America. People see models and celebrities as beautiful because they want to be like them; they want to be successful and rich. Although there are many other factors besides money that may make a person want to be "beautiful." Advertisements everywhere suggests this is what the opposite sex wants, so both men and women play into these perceptions.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. Your questions allows the reader to think critically about beauty.