Who shapes beauty ideals, and what exactly is the "real" definition of beauty? These questions were the very first things that came to my mind when I read this article. Of course there are different ways that beauty can be nterpreted. Beauty is defined by one's culture or even by the dominant industries within one's society. We can recognize that mainly, beauty is gendered female. There is an endless amount of magazines and beauty products for women which will supposedly help them "better themselves". Women have made themselves into commodities, always looking for ways to be in the best condition.
Why buy in so easily? I feel like the beauty industry creates standards of beauty that we can never attain. No one will ever have the perfect hair, the perfect eye makeup, the perfect skin, the perfect body type -- no one will ever have "perfectness". Even traits that women supposedly should have can conflict with eachother. I admit, I sometimes get confused about what I'm supposed to act like or look like.
"Girls are put into a terrible double bind. They are supposed to repress their
power, their anger, their exuberance and be simply 'nice,' although they also
eventually must compete with men in the business world and be successful. They
must be overtly sexy and attractive but essentially passive and virginal." (133)
I also think about what the beauty ideals for guys are. They have to be the tall, dark, and handsome stereotype who portrays themselves as very masculine. These ideals have boxed us all in. I think it is already really hard to resist the stereotypes though. There is so much that has been ingrained into my thinking through different channels like television and magazines (which I find recreation in) throughout the years. I think being more aware of these issues and what they mean for us is helpful to shape how we view beauty.
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