Beauty
News
If beauty is not defined by what you see
in ads, what is it defined by? The truth
is that beauty is subjective -- people
in different parts of the world have different
opinions on what is attractive.
According to Elaine Hatfield and Susan
Sprecher, authors of Mirror, Mirror...The
Importance of Looks in Everyday Life,
"People in different cultures do not even
agree on which features are important,
much less what is good-looking and what
is not." In Africa, for instance, large
lips are considered attractive, so the
girls in a certain tribe insert wooden
disks in their lips to accentuate the
shape. Among the Padaung women of Burma,
long necks are considered beautiful, so
girls wear stacks of heavy brass or iron
rings as necklaces to stretch the skin
and vertebrae.
In addition, beauty ideals have fluctuated
over time. For example, in some parts
of the world centuries ago, heavy people
were considered most attractive. Why?
Food was scarce, and overweight people
were obviously well off, while thin people
were seen as malnourished and poor.
The ancient Chinese believed that small
female feet were superior to large feet
and a sign of high class. This led to
a custom (albeit cruel and painful) of
binding the feet of infant girls to prevent
them from growing.
In the United States during the 1920s,
it was fashionable to have small hips,
but in the 1950s, a more voluptuous look
was in style.
As you can see, attractiveness is not
easily or even consistently definable.
OK, you're probably thinking, so beauty
is subjective. But right now, how do I
change the way I feel about my face, hair,
or body? You may not love everything about
your appearance, and that's fine -- neither
do most people. There is nothing wrong
with putting your best foot forward each
day through such tactics as wearing flattering
clothes or putting on makeup. Just remember
that your true attractiveness does not
stem from the sum of your measurements.
Focus on expressing the wonderful person
you are, undertaking the exciting activities
you want to pursue, and experiencing what
brings you joy. Ironically, once you are
engaged in your life and no longer worried
about how you rate according to superficial
beauty standards, people will notice your
inner radiance and think of you as beautiful.
Girls
Go After the Ads
A group of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade
girls participating in a Girl Scouts-Illinois
Crossroads program called Making Choices
protested companies' sexist or degrading
ads. The girls looked at magazines and
pulled out ads they found offensive, then
formed groups and wrote letters telling
the companies why. They won an award from
the Media Action Alliance for their efforts.
Here are a some of the ads they chose
and what they wrote:
Company: Lipton
Product: Tea
Ad image: Woman getting a massage
Girls' response: A woman's naked body
should not be used to sell your product.
What does this have to do with tea? Men
also drink tea--why don't you show a naked
man? We would like to see a clothed, professional
woman in a powerful role promoting the
product. We choose not to buy Lipton tea,
and we are surprised that you would stoop
to this level.
Company: Buffalo
Product: Shoes
Ad images: Young, scantily clad woman
sitting on old man's lap in little-girl
pose Girls' response: We object to your
ads showing women in sexual poses, especially
the one of the young woman sitting on
the old man's lap. We want to see women
shown in a positive manner, standing up
and projecting strong self-esteem. We
want you to change your ads or we will
tell our families and friends to not buy
your products.
Company: Boucheron
Product: Perfume
Ad images: Nude woman from the back with
her hands bound at the wrists
Girls' response: We object to your showing
a naked woman with her hands tied behind
her back. We want to see a complete woman,
including her face. How about showing
the product you are selling? We choose
not to buy your product until you change
your ads. We look forward to hearing from
you.
Company: Pepe Jeans
Product: Jeans
Images: Couple lying on couch; woman who
looks like a mannequin
Girls' response: We don't like the way
you show women in your ads in a disrespectful
way. You show a man controlling a woman
and a woman who doesn't seem to care what
happens to her. We want to see the jeans!
We also want to see all varieties of women...all
shapes and sizes. Better role models are
very important. If you don't change your
ads, we won't buy your product. We also
plan on telling our friends and families.
