The Beauty Standard Essay - 712 Words

The Beauty Standard Does this make me look fat?† Everyone at one time or another has experienced this iconic question in some way. Your best friend may have asked it, as she was getting ready for a date or maybe you muttered these words to yourself as you stared disapprovingly into a mirror; either way, this six-word question alludes to a standard of beauty that everyone strives to meet. A standard of beauty that is almost impossible to meet. The definition of beauty has evolved greatly over the years and it differs from culture to culture. Today, western culture idolizes the woman who is â€Å"thin, large breasted, and white (tanned, but not too brown)† (WVFV, pg. 220). This woman is one that millions of women strive to look like in†¦show more content†¦Many women will participate various forms of cosmetic and body sculpting to reach their desired appearance. Other women may even develop an eating disorder in order to lose weight. Both of these actions are extremely harmful to the human body in that they put the body under extreme stress and that they are life threatening. In Western Society, more and more young women are affected by an eating disorder or have undergone cosmetic surgery. It has been shown that â€Å"up to 20 percent of people with serious eating disorders die from the disorder† (WVFV, pg. 230). If people did not feel so obligated to reach a level of perfection in order to feel accepted by society then the numbers of how many people die from eating disorders or cosmetic surgeries would not be as high as they are today. How can we lower these numbers? Together, we can lower the numbers of people dying from eating disorders and cosmetic surgeries by resisting the beauty ideal. We can choose â€Å"to not participate in the beauty rituals, to not support the industries that produce both images and products, and to create other definitions of beauty† (WVFV, pg. 232). The most crucial and easiest solu tion is to create other definitions of beauty. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide what is beautiful. What if someone decided that the only thing that could contribute to one’s beauty is who someone is on the inside? Wouldn’t our world be a completely different place? Instead ofShow MoreRelatedThe Beauty Of Beauty Standards1493 Words   |  6 Pagessending a message that if we can posses these attributes then we, too can have a satisfactory life. Beyoncà © recently addressed the issue of unattainable beauty standards, as well as the struggle for true happiness in her new song and music video â€Å"Pretty Hurts† where she depicts how obsessively hurtful it is to want to be perfect or the epitome of beauty. Surgeries becoming more common because it is in altering appearances that we become more desirable in today s society. Seeking attention and overallRead MoreThe Beauty Standards Of America1099 Words   |  5 PagesCommon standards set by so ciety are deemed as appropriate for all people no matter what race. American people are very diverse and what is acceptable to gender, age or race differs from person to person. More specifically, American women share complaints regarding the unrealistic beauty standards that are set by the media and society. Many women complain that it is not fair that they are judged by their outer appearance and are viewed as not beautiful enough, or not normal when they do not conformRead MoreThe Unrealistic Standards Of Beauty888 Words   |  4 PagesBeauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is an old saying my grandmother would say to me growing up. I was taught my beauty depended on my perspective. I was taught to accept and love myself as I am. In the past decades, beauty standards didnt require much from girls, and the culture taught girl to accept their appearance. However, This self acceptance twisted as the years went, from generation to generation. The society set unrealistic standar ds of beauty across the world. This new occurrenceRead MoreStandard Of Beauty Essay926 Words   |  4 Pagescreates a standard of beauty for women that often changes along with society due to a new perspective on what it means to be beautiful in our culture. These standards for beauty create what our society believes makes a woman desirable, attractive, perfect, and overall beautiful.   Which then enforces unhealthy and unrealistic beauty ideals that negatively affect womens self-image and their body image because society has attributed beauty to self worth. The result is with the ever changing standards of beautyRead MoreThe Cost Of Beauty Standards1245 Words   |  5 Pages The Cost of Beauty Standards The way of displaying people has always been conditioned to a specific standard of beauty. Being this a highly subjective matter, it is very complex to fathom the real dimensions and specifics of it. Merriam Webster defines beauty as: â€Å"the quality of being physically attractive.† This simple and broad definition makes beauty a subject to any person’s taste and likes, which in result, makes it free of all structure. However, as times have progressed from the first portrayalsRead MoreThe Social Standard Of Beauty973 Words   |  4 Pagesouter beauty such as appearance more than inner beauty. The image of women in the media is about having a slim and well-shaped body, and a bright skin tone, but how many women think that they are perfect in the reality? The social standard of women’s image is affected by the media because it has strong influence in society. Gradually, people believe that having a slim body and bright skin stone equals to beauty, and women set this social standard as their goal. However, the social standard of beautyRead MoreSociocultural Standards of Beauty1905 Words   |  8 PagesSociocultural standards of beauty are constantly presented in popular forms of media, but not necessarily in a realistic or attainable way. Unfortunately, these images and ideas blur the line between fictionalized standards and what’s actually realistic, displaying the inherent message that in order for someone to be considered attractive they must be unhealthy. Furthermore, because the media has such a strong power to influence people, these unrealistic expectations can lead to low self-esteem,Read MoreBeauty Standards Essay1948 Words   |  8 Pages Beauty Standards: What is their Impact? â€Å"In the end, people should be judged by their actions, since in the end, it was actions that defined everyone.† This is a quote by Nicholas Sparks, a novelist, screenwriter, and producer who has written two books. His quote means to say that a person should not judge another person by their looks but rather by their actions because it is action and personality that defines a person not their visage. Beauty ideals, or beauty standards, are ideals that are admiredRead MoreImpossible Beauty Standards For Women1190 Words   |  5 PagesImpossible Beauty Standards For Women in America Beauty has been a controversial idea for thousands of years. It has been defined as a scientific equation of symmetry, evolutionarily pleasing traits for reproduction, a charming personality, and so on. However, one quote seems to have answered this question most sufficiently, â€Å"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.† Unfortunately, this answer isn’t good enough for American society. No one on this earth is exactly alike in physical appearance orRead MoreSocietal Standards Of Female Beauty1282 Words   |  6 Pagesguidance when it comes to fashion, beauty, and information. â€Å"Magazines and advertisements are used to help women better themselves by giving information and products to make them look and feel better† (Serdar 1). Without magazines and advertisements there wouldn t be an exact focus on beauty standards.. People would have the freedom to choose what they like and what they consider beautiful instead of following the crowd. â€Å"Sociocultura l standards of female beauty are in every aspect of popular media