I'd figured I'd, first, write on the a topic that inspired to start this blog, and secondly, start off with a little social experiment. So, what I want you to do for me is imagine what western society thinks the ideal woman looks like. Go on now, you do it. And we won't judge you - this is all in the name of science and the like. Okay, got the image of her in your head?
Let me guess a few things about her. Remember: this is what SOCIETY thinks is the ideal woman, not what you think; although they could be one in the same. Anyway,
1) She's probably white.
2) She's probably thiner than average.
3) She's probably taller than average.
4) She's probably got a large chest for her body size.
5) She's either a blonde or a brunette with straight hair.
6) Her clothes (What? You imagined her without them? Pervert.) are probably a 'refined' dress with a low hem line and a form-fitting shape.
7) If she resembles anyone, it's either a movie star or a popular music artist
So, how close was I? If I had a guess, I'd say you had at least 2 of the first four - specifically numbers 2 and 4. So, if you got those, give yourself a cookie.
Then again, maybe you should put that back. I mean, honestly, it wasn't that hard. Really, these days, it feels like the standards of physical beauty for women are pretty much standardized, to the point where movie stars and the like are all starting to look the same; youngish looking, slim figure - except where it counts! And, honestly, it annoys the crap out of me. What's wrong with having people look like, I dunno, people?
Well, I guess the whole problem is that this depiction implies that a women is only worth as much as the sum of her appearance; brains, skill, personality don't count if she isn't drop-dead gorgeous. I, personally, am inclined to strongly disagree, but that's not really the point. The point is that, even if I believe differently, society shoves things in our faces that reinforce this as the ideal; that women are only worth as much as their appearance, and that there is only one real way to be considered attractive.
The image is inescapable. Look at any television show, any movie, any advertisment, any bit of modern media, and what do you see? 9 of 10 of the women featured will have similar proportions - and this proportions will all be that tall, thin, larged chested Barbie doll. No matter where you look.
And of course, since this is the SINGLE IMAGE OF FEMININE BEAUTY, what else are we going to compare it to? What else do we even have to compare it to? It's a self-reinforcing cycle. Only women who approach the ideal are chosen for various roles, and this image of the ideal is formed by the women we have chosen to represent it.
Of course, it wouldn't as bad if not for the fact this unattainable image is portrayed as actually attainable. But, let's face it - the only way to get and maintain the body that most actresses and musicians have to to not eat, and then undergo large amounts of plastic surgery, photoshop or both. None of which are very useful for anyone who looks at the ideal and compares themselves to it. Photoshop's the least practical for real life, for obvious reasons, and plastic surgery tends to be expensive, so the obvious solution (and the one that leaves the girl in question the worst off) is to force herself to lose weight; and the effects of anoxeria and bulemia, among other eating disorders, are far from pleasant.
In short, our society is set up to have women feel bad for actually maintaining a healthy weight; and in this day and age, even staying at that level is hard for most, and since a women's worth is if nothing else in part wrapped up in her appearance... well, this leads down hill quickly.
I wish to have nothing to do with it. I want to help destroy this pattern; I want to live in a world where women can feel attractive while still eating, and a world where women don't need to be attractive to have self-worth. I want to destroy, if nothing else, this part of society from the inside out. Who's with me?
