B-E-A-U...Shouldn't Give a Rat's Ass

Today, in true procrastination fashion, I went to Webster's to grab a gallon a moderately proportioned cup of iced coffee. As I sat down, I heard some young women talking about our society's perceptions of beauty.

And when I hear talk of image in culture, my reaction goes something like:

But as I evesdropped all creepily, I heard that on the high school's morning announcements, there was a montage of "the beautiful people at State High." I've yet to see this video, but from what I've heard, there were photos of curvier women. That's great to try and promote positive body image, but this video was not such a hot idea.

For one, the video still contained distinctions on what beauty is. A curvy girl can be beautiful, just as a skinny one can. Labeling new means of beauty isn't solving the problem, it's just making the skinny girl wonder what on earth she did wrong for having a high metabolism. Having new ideals about external beauty is just displacing the problem on more superficiality. Why are we still focusing on the external? That's like saying, "hey, you're an alcoholic, so you're going to switch to wine instead of vodka."

Why not drink a nice refreshing glass of intellect, or joy instead?

Everyone has a right to feel beautiful. But even if we choose to see the fleshier as what's truly beautiful, those hips aren't going to stay as full. The boobs don't perk forever (sorry guys, they just don't). These attributes fade. Why not make a video about a beautiful poem, or piece of art, or clot of nerds who talk of Doctor Who and Wizard Rock before first period?

Joy emanates through skin. Enthusiasm seeps through cheekbones, no matter how full or sharp they happen to be. Persistence and determination aren't defined by curves or hipbones. These are the traits that last.


Namaste.