Could it be an epidemic, beauty? How far would you go to be "perfect" by societies standards, media, what your lover thinks, what you think, family and friends., strangers. What is your idea of being beautiful or desirable? With all these shows like Entertainment Tonight and magazines like People what more could you expect, but the publics eye starting to stare at you and you back at them. I feel the need to address a subject that I feel is starting to cause a major flaw in most individuals. The constant need for splendor and what we are told is "it" and how "it" is distorting our view of confidence.
I was reading today that Tyra Banks has put on 30 pounds in the last 5 years of her career. The editor wrote "Host of America’s next top Wobble" as his opening line. He went on to write about how she has lost her "sexy credibility" and that it would explain her lost status as a model, now turned TV host. According to him, the extra pounds has made this Victoria Secret model just another women he would rather see with clothes on. I know that many women would have been outraged to read his insults, and then there would be some who would agree. Some men would still find her stunning, maybe even more beautiful and others would laugh at the mockery. I wonder however what the percentage would be?
Considering these magazines have been published for many years I am sure that the amount sold for each issue is a hefty share. TV shows like Insider are being aired at prime time hours, so you know the ratings are high. This would mean that a very large portion of people are fixated on celebrities and reality TV shows that only help fuel the fire. We have them in our commercials as well and advertisements telling us "I use Proactive skin care and that is why my face is flawless! Yours can be to…"[Jessica Simpson] They are the center of what we base our beauty and style off of. It is everywhere and fed to us over and over until you notice yourself paying attention to what you eat, drink, what shoes you buy and how your new haircut is like Cameron Diaz’s.
It seems to me that beauty is now defined as material, skin deep and your social status. Then the old question does come to mind, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" Was it our constant interest in the media or the media that started the frenzy? I think both played a part really. I have even fell victim to it at times. I have looked through magazines at models and thought, I wish I had her body. Yes, it’s not just celebrities it’s models as well. I do understand that people are drawn to what is attractive, but sometimes it can really damage one’s confidence. Here I am, 5’5 and weigh 120. I go try on a pair of jeans and get distressed when they feel tight in the thighs and I think, "I should diet." I try on a swimsuit and see my stretch marks and think "I’m gross!" I try on a shirt and view it from the side and see my stomach isn’t flat and think "I have to start doing sit ups." I leave the store feeling like shit with no jeans, a swimsuit or shirt. It’s crazy considering I went in feeling great. I am sure a lot of other women have felt this way and men alike.
Another story of how Jennifer Aniston had a nose job recently because she felt it "stood out." I was especially sad to read this because I always loved that about her. She was an original beauty in my eyes because she had something that was not considered a "Hollywood" nose and she still was lovely and confident about herself. Now it seems to be otherwise and I wonder what she will think about the procedure tomorrow. I have hated my nose, my brother used to tease me about it all the time. I thought once, if I had the money I would change it, but you know what, I have really come to love it because it makes my face and I am happy with that.
Plastic surgery scares the shit out of me. I once saw this show on MTV called "I want a celebrity face" and all these people got tons of surgery done to look like someone else entirely. I mean, It was disturbing to me that they felt so insecure with themselves they had to look like a whole other person. One girl said she was doing it because her boyfriend thought Jennifer Lopez was the sexiest women alive! I was really disappointed in the surgeon who allowed her to go through with that. She was 20 years old and who is to say that in a year he would leave her and she would be left with this new face that she may come to hate. Before getting surgery, get a counselor. Ashley Simpson is no stranger to plastic. I didn’t even recognize her one night on a late night show while flipping through the channels. I thought it was Hillary Duff, and have you noticed that Hollywood only seems to be interested in women and men that look like all the others. It’s a cookie cutter world. Its young girls doing it as well that are influencing other girls that look up to them, that is a really scary thought.
Photoshop, don’t get me wrong, I use it and love it, but sometimes I look at pictures and think, "yeah right!" Now, as a user I can notice what is photoshoped and what isn’t, but do other girls? Or do they develop false expectations of what they need to look like to be pretty. Does it give men false expectations when they see a photoshoped image of a women or man in whatever form? I am almost certain it does.
I know that this has been going on forever and there is nothing that can really change it, but it really seems like something that we should all try not to pay to close attention to. Beauty IS skin deep and not in the designer pants you just bought. Attracting the opposite sex is important, but it is more important to sell yourself and not an image of what is believed to be sexy. I’m not saying eat a box of Ho Ho’s because it’s what you like, that would be unhealthy, but don’t beat yourself up if your body isn’t like Jessica Alba’s. Also, if you want a better body do it for YOU. Love the imperfections that make up your individuality. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you wake up with a zit tomorrow. Learn to love the things that really matter about you, your personality, character, intelligence and quirks. At the end of the day if some editor wrote nasty things about you and you had read it, could you laugh and carry on the rest of the day? I hope you could, just like I hope she did. Besides, the people who love you for who you are could have written a book, not some short article, about all your lovable traits. That is beauty.