The quote, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a well-known phrase world-wide, meaning each person see's beauty in a different way. There is not only exterior beauty, but also interior beauty. The idea of beauty is defined in different ways around the world. What one country primarily see's as a normal beauty regimen, another country may not have ever heard of.There was a show that debuted on the VH1 channel called "The Price of Beauty" starring Jessica Simpson, who is a well-known American pop star, along with her two friends. The trio traveled around the globe to places like France, New York, Uganda, Brazil, Thailand, and Morocco. Jessica often interviewed women and men to find out what the cultural standards of beauty were in that country.
The show really opened my eyes! In France, Jessica had an interview with the famous French model Isabelle Caro and discussed her fight with anorexia because, like the common beauty standard in America, women are seen as more beautiful and of a higher class if they are skinny. In contrast, when the crew went to Uganda, being more full and voluptuous is more desired. For example, two months before a woman's wedding day, she is placed inside what is called a "fattening hut" to in fact fatten up before her wedding day to please her man. The show continues to address skin whitening creams, plastic surgery, clothing, extreme expectations of wives and daughters, and so many other issues.
The idea of beauty in the United States isn't just black and white. We are all different. It varies from generation to generation. From person to person. In the U.S. the stereotypical idea of beauty is thin, tall, and tan. This idea has changed over the years. Women, even in the 60's, were seen as the ideal woman if she was curvy. This meant she had money to eat and even more "fertile" looking. Even being tan in today's society is more recent. This means you have more money and leisure time to spend looking like you
spent the weekend at the beach instead of working.
Even though our society is becoming more progressive in terms of beauty and beliefs, others who do not fit the norm are criticized. On a more personal note, I have my ears stretched which is a process most common in Africa and other parts of the world, where a person takes a pierced area of the body and gradually over time continues to stretch out the hole to whatever their desired size might be. This is not painful if done correctly. I loath the criticism I get for having them. People tell me that I won't get a job for having them done or "what are you going to do when you get old?". Honestly, I feel like saying, "I wouldn't hire you because you look like you starve yourself." or "How are you going to stop looking like a dried up orange peel?", but someone would really need to push me for me to say that. But, having bright pink hair and piercings helps me express who I am.
I think what is most important is for parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings, and so on to be good self-esteem enforcers. Trying to allow kids to see that their mom thinks she's beautiful or that their sister loves her curly hair and doesn't straighten it.
I love who I am and I want to pass those beliefs onto my children. Why not be proud of who we are and not judge others? We're all beautiful in our own perfect way! Embrace it!
The show really opened my eyes! In France, Jessica had an interview with the famous French model Isabelle Caro and discussed her fight with anorexia because, like the common beauty standard in America, women are seen as more beautiful and of a higher class if they are skinny. In contrast, when the crew went to Uganda, being more full and voluptuous is more desired. For example, two months before a woman's wedding day, she is placed inside what is called a "fattening hut" to in fact fatten up before her wedding day to please her man. The show continues to address skin whitening creams, plastic surgery, clothing, extreme expectations of wives and daughters, and so many other issues.
The idea of beauty in the United States isn't just black and white. We are all different. It varies from generation to generation. From person to person. In the U.S. the stereotypical idea of beauty is thin, tall, and tan. This idea has changed over the years. Women, even in the 60's, were seen as the ideal woman if she was curvy. This meant she had money to eat and even more "fertile" looking. Even being tan in today's society is more recent. This means you have more money and leisure time to spend looking like you
spent the weekend at the beach instead of working.Even though our society is becoming more progressive in terms of beauty and beliefs, others who do not fit the norm are criticized. On a more personal note, I have my ears stretched which is a process most common in Africa and other parts of the world, where a person takes a pierced area of the body and gradually over time continues to stretch out the hole to whatever their desired size might be. This is not painful if done correctly. I loath the criticism I get for having them. People tell me that I won't get a job for having them done or "what are you going to do when you get old?". Honestly, I feel like saying, "I wouldn't hire you because you look like you starve yourself." or "How are you going to stop looking like a dried up orange peel?", but someone would really need to push me for me to say that. But, having bright pink hair and piercings helps me express who I am.
I think what is most important is for parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings, and so on to be good self-esteem enforcers. Trying to allow kids to see that their mom thinks she's beautiful or that their sister loves her curly hair and doesn't straighten it.
I love who I am and I want to pass those beliefs onto my children. Why not be proud of who we are and not judge others? We're all beautiful in our own perfect way! Embrace it!
I agree one hundred percent that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have definitely been attracted to many men that my friends believed were just repulsive. However, as this video clip shows, in all societies, the the popular idea of beauty is always that associated with wealth and class. In America, many men with nice cars are considered attractive because it symbolizes that they have money. In Asian countries, as we learned, even though most are born with dark skin, those with lighter skin are considered more attractive because it shows they can afford the cream to make their skin that way. I don't know why wealth and a high social status are, for the most part, considered most attractive. Maybe it is an instinctual feeling humans have, to want to be with the ones who we believe could provide us with the things we need.
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