Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Appearance and Attractiveness first?
Today I was watching a repeated episode on Tyra, when suddenly I realized how important attractiveness is to our society, most importantly women. Young girls starting from the age of 9 said that they could not stand in front of the mirror without thinking they are ugly. To me that is very heartbreaking. You should always love yourself no matter what. Beauty that counts comes from the heart. And as years go by, this situation gets worse. With a lot of reasoning you can say that the media is to blame. Sadly, we fall for all this nonsense. Also there were dark-skinned women that believed that society prefers to portray images of light-skinned women. Now my question to you is, do you think or believe this is true? Also, for all you young ladies out there, would you prefer to be beautiful or intelligent, why or why not? In my opinion, I think I would prefer to be intelligent. Being smart and knowing how to use your brains takes you on a long journey full of success, but it all depends on you. Everyone in this world is appealing in his or her own way. Some of us possess interesting talents we have not yet discovered. I thank God for having created me the way I am and no one or anything will every make me feel worthless. Just let me know your thoughts on the two questions I have for you.
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"I thank God for having created me the way I am and no one or anything will every make me feel worthless." I like you, and I like what you said here. It's very sincere.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it's true media is to blame, but not exclusively. Also, I dislike Tyra Banks. I feel like she tries to get on America's good side by being silly and quirky and open-minded, but still supports beauty over everything else, which is hypocritical and, quite frankly, really annoying. For example, she claims everyone is beautiful in their own way, yet pointed physical details she didn't like about her contestants on American's Next Top Model. (Someone slap that woman!)
As for your second question, I think it's safe to say that the girls on this blog would rather be intelligent than beautiful. Beauty dies early, and knowledge lasts.
I saw the episode you are talking about and it is heartbreaking. When I was 9, my looks were the last thing on my mind! I was only thinking about how long I'll be able to play outside or when the Rugrats: All Grown Up series would air. But I love what Cheyenne had to say, maybe it is safe to say that the girls on here would choose being smart over being sexy. I sure do. I care about my looks, yes. When I leave the house I think "Do I look presentable to the world and do I represent, not only myself, but where I come from and how I was raised" Not, "Oh gosh I hate my face!" But you are right, it all depends on who you are and why you think the way you do.
ReplyDelete"Also there were dark-skinned women that believed that society prefers to portray images of light-skinned women."
Sadly, I believe people do think this way because, like you said, because of the media. I rarely see dark skinned girls playing the lead role of a movie or a love novella, it's always fair skinned or lighter skinned ladies. But I know all the young gals on this blog are beautiful; I've seen them and yes, you are beautiful!
Media is definitely to blame for why many people care so much about their appearance. This reminds me of Chapter 1 of Amusing Ourselves to Death when President Nixon told Senator Edward Kennedy to lose twenty pounds if he wants to run for president. In this chapter Postman states that the invention of the television is to blame for this appearance change. President Taft was well over three hundred pounds yet he was elected, this was because there was only radio and society based their votes upon intelligence. Unfortunately, many diseases and sicknesses have happened because of how much appearance matters and frankly it is quite sad.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Cheyenne when she says 'it's safe to say that the girls on this blog would rather be intelligent than beautiful' because we would not be apart of this blog if we cared more about beauty, I know I would choose intelligence. Being beautiful can only get you so far in life, eventually one gets older and less attractive but if one is smart and intelligent then that person can go far in life and get paid a well salary too. Not everyone can be a 100 pound 5'7 model, but not everyone can find the cure for the newest disease either. And for the hard working, intelligent inventor, that would last a lot longer than being America's Next Top Model.
Just like all of my fellow bloggers, I also believe that media is the blame for the definition and standard of what is beautiful. Thanks to the use of visual technology such as the television and computer, society has now based a first impression by a person's outer appearances. Like all girls, I do care about how I look but not to the extent of wasting too much time in front of the mirror.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of society's preference to light-skinned women over dark-skinned women is also another fault that is due to the media. A few years ago I got into an argument with my dad. He asked me to stop playing tennis because I was getting too dark and was losing my "beauty". He then told me examples of celebrities who were considered beautiful: Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, and Hayden Panettiere. All of them having a light complexion. Being quite offended, I also gave examples of celebrities who I considered beautiful: Alicia Keyes, Beyonce, and Halle Berry.
Beauty or Brains??
I would 100% choose brains over beauty. I consider my intelligence as a part of me that I would never give up. As Cheyenne said, "beauty dies early, and knowledge lasts." This statement is so true. Even though outer beauty goes away, there will always be one beauty that will stay forever: intelligence.
I'm sorry your dad said that to you, Angel Mae. :( My mom says similar things to me. My dad is half black, but my mom is really light, so it's awkward when my mom buys me whitening soap. I don't think she realizes that I'm not going to get any lighter.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on my first comment I said that media is to blame, but no exclusively. In the "light-skinned women over dark-skinned women" debate, I'm aware that most Asians feel being lighter is "better", not because of the media per se, but because it's been thought for centuries. Women who were darker were typically people who worked long hours in the sun, and those who were lighter were woman who didn't have to work. So, those who were darker were considered poor and dirty. That idea stuck with Asians, and is now coming through the media. While the media supports the idea of lighter women being more beautiful, it didn't start it.
I disagree with Breahna. Being an Asian, it seems that every race besides Asians want to be tan. That's why tanning is big in this country. I can only think of Asians who actually want to have fairer skin, just as Cheyenne Nation said.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer to have intelligence over looks also but if you're attractive you get treated better. You may not get treated better for the right reasons, but most girls do not care. For example my sister was going to a club's grand opening and the workers saw her and her group of friends and let them go in ahead. It wasn't fair, but that's how most of the world works because people just don't care.
Aww, thanks Cheyenne! :) I know at times my dad is joking but other times I know he is being serious. Like Cheyenne and Amy, I think that those who are of an Asian decent prefer having a lighter complexion. I actually have a few Asian friends who use whitening soap. Just as Cheyenne said, having a dark complexion signified that a person was poor and had to work hard for a living. Many times, this kind of thinking just sticks on to a group of people.
ReplyDeleteYandy, it also breaks my heart when I hear of young girls who think they are ugly because I have experienced it personally. I believe that the media is to blame for all of these young women's low self-esteem. The media has created this image of what beauty is and they have made most of the world believe their description of beauty. Not everyone can fit their description and that is was causes suffering in a lot of young women. Media should not be what determines beauty because I believe everyone is beautiful in their special way.
ReplyDelete