Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Beautiful is?

Yes, I intend this to be a controversial post, justifying my reason for waiting for RQ's return.

The White Papers has glanced at the role of beauty in today's society, but never discussed it in depth. Beauty has played a role throughout history and continues to dominate our public life. I don't have any specific numbers, but I am certain that the cosmetic industry makes billions in profits. Fashion drives much of the marketplace all over the planet, from stores to magazines to an entire industry of models, hairstylists, hairdressers and the like. Like it or not, the desire to be beautiful is a stalwart of our economy.

Here is where the controversy comes in. Though men certainly do their share (more on that later), women for the most part consume the products offered. Women support a system where similar clothes (or ones that use even less material) costs more than what men pay. As uncomfortable as high heels may be, very few men wear them. And yes, men still generate toward and give favor to women they deem more attractive. Yes, some women try to make themselves less noticeable for their looks, but their efforts will hardly prevent some women from using their looks or men rewarding them for looking like they desire them too. Women now outperform scholastically, and one may surmise, in the workplace where the demographics are even (though the money is still not there).

This is where it gets a little dodgy. Though women can hardly be considered fuly responsible for their consumption, most cosmetics are made from some pretty nasty chemicals. No American companies make bras anymore, an extension of this fact suggests that the conditions under which they are made are less than desirable (and likely exploit women more than men). High heels, as sexy as they may be, displace the hips and alter ankle structure.

So what is the answer to beauty? Do men, who encourage women to look the way they do (some go further by purchasing breast implants) play an equal role in encouraging the beauty and fashion industry. If high heels are so bad (a common complaint), why do women still wear them? It really sucks that an attractive female (and sometimes males) get hired for positions solely for their looks. Yet, in many ways women still use their "power" to get what they want. Also how do we feel that stripping and prostitution, vocations based mostly on appearance, are the only ones where women make more than men? (Thanx, RQ for that fact).

Obviously, women are not solely responsible for the role beauty plays in our society, but they do possess, and inscreasngly so, the power of the pockebook to foster change. But will they use it? How should women see their beauty in light of the fact that they can compete equally with men? And no, I haven't even mentioned the unrealistic standard to which women are asked to adhere (that's up to you).

And yes, I am equally shallow as most men. A beautiful woman, even one way out my league will make me melt. A hottie will make me turn my head on the street. I still look at pictures, music videos and the like that feature unrealistically beautiful women; I am not immune. Nor do I have many answers, but I am sure all of you have a lot to say about this, whether you actually leave a comment or not!

2 comments:

The Red Queen said...

Ah- the old beauty question. There is no question that women are still required to be beautiful in order to be treated well. Go look at the rants and raves on craigslist and you will see that if a woman who is less than the current ideal posts a picture the men (and a few women) will start a tirade about how worthless the woman is. Yet they don't post their own picture to show that they are up to the beauty standards they require from women.
For some girls- the idea of giving up the attainment of beauty standards is liberating (not shaving is a prime example}. But the public reaction is viscious. For girls, control over the appearance of your own body is not yours. You are required to appear a certain way so as not to offend and should you not follow those rules public humiliation is an accepted form of chastisment.
That being said, I am a girly girl. I wear high heels not because someone else thinks I should but because I like the power I feel when I tower over boys. I am fortunate that I need to wear very minimal makeup if any, but I have a large closet full of products to make my hair luscious and my skin soft.
I like to think that what I do for beauty I do for me, but maybe deep down I am just as afraid of being picked on for not being pretty like all girls are.

DeeK said...

women and men are wired differently (duh). one reason your type likes luscious scents is that your sense of smell is more acute then men. you also respond to visual cues more quickly than us ogres

beauty does have a purpose. part of the survival process is to seek out the healthy for breeding purposes so our "need" for beauty will never go away.

Noentheless, your reminder about how disparaging men and women can be about looks is disturbing. i often feel twisted (and yes, dirty) about looking at women for their looks, but I know I will never stop. Your insights do, however, do increase my respect for the bullshit most women put up with. Don't ever stop being who you are!