Monda

Thank you for your input!

Your comments are valuable to me.  What I have confirmed so far: Do as you please with your body (including teeth, hair and nails), as long as it Genuinely Pleases You, men and women. Nobody can give you advice on how you can look or feel, unless you ask (or pay) for the advice.

Beauty is subjective, at skin level or deeper.

Simplicity is Best, when it compliments balance in self-perception.

We all check into what our feeling Good is rewarded by.

To me, few things can simply take away natural beauty in a person.  Those are: hate, duplicity, arrogance, anhedonia and incapacity to feel for another person's angst (lack of empathy)t... the rest is fixable, the way I choose to, on a particular moment. 

P.S. If anyone finds Dirty Angel's knees or nose, please report to lost & found.  :o)

@@@@MagicMarvellousMonda@@@

I can't find my knees.

Or is it my nose!?!

"Some knees are stranger than other knees, if one's nosy, that is."

Old is not bad. Again does aging gracefully have any place here?

Everything is sacred

The beauty dillema

Some people do it, because it’s a fashion and everybody around them is doing the same. So they don’t want to jump off the band-wagon. This could be a sign of low self-esteem.

 They also may do it for health reasons. Is looking beautiful, associated with health? In some cases such as being obese, yes it is! But I guess some other procedures such as excessive surgeries or Botox can become a health threat to these people. I don’t think normal people should feel good about themselves, when their health is compromised (for sake of what people think about them or else). In this case you are right anonymouse, they may have lower self-esteem.

On a more general note, looking younger for individuals with certain age (usually middle age) is supposed to be good and makes them to feel better about themselves. Looking old, on the other hand, is bad and people will judge badly about the older. Young is good. Old is bad. This simplified new verdict is in effect and issued by the capitalist society and everybody is to abide. These socially constructed concepts really need a challenge.

I remember when I had a problem with recruiting Iranian participants with the age of 50+ for a research project. The people mostly were reluctant to take part, because participation would give away their true age to the eyes of others!

That's appalling!

It's appalling how much money some people spend on self-beautification. For me, on the other hand, on my next trip to Iran, I'm planning to spend only $1,000 on various kinds of skin tag removal and other skin treatments.

I said I believe in aging gracefully

Souri I don't care what people do and as Monda said in her blog it is their business.  But if you ask me why they do it when they do it I say it is because they have an issue with aging gracefully.

I don't have any problems and actually endorse general personal grooming such as shaving legs or underarms or putting on some makeup or waxing, etc.  I certainly believe the middle age wo/men who do more (much more) do it because of their lack of self-esteem and other problems that has nothing to do with beauty or "feeling good about myself". Yes I certainly believe that.

Notice they all have the same rationale about it.  With Monda jaan's permission here's one typical exchange:

Shahla: Monda joon do you know Dr. Tavakoli, he is good and I can get you a discount on multiple visits.

Monda: I'm ok and not looking into this stuff

Mahtab: but Monda joon it'll make you feel better

Shahla: yes I don't do it for anyone.  I do it for myself.  There is no one more important in this world that yourself.

Monda: Yes of course and people should do what they like.

Shahla: people are so old-fashioned.  Everyone is doing it these days.  I never thought I try it but I did it and I felt ok.

Monda: I just don't feel like injecting my eye with syringe and needle. for what?

Shahla:  hahaha it's not like that at all.  They numb your eyes and ...

Mahtab: Shala joon it's ok if she doesn't want to do it.  So have you tried the forehead?

Shahla: yes it's great!  My coworkers were saying I look 20 years younger.

Mahtaba: Wow. so is it more expensive?

Shahla: No not really.

....

Everything is sacred

Dear Souri and Anonymouse, I know the lines did not look good

I don't want to get into discussion of doing it for who.  All I know is that couple weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and I saw lines in my forehaed and I did not like it. Almost immediately I thought about :"maybe Botox is the answer". I also (not trying to boast) think that I  have beautiful eyes (eyesight not so good :) ), so it is disheartening to see drooping eyelids.

Anonymouse

All you say come from a deep belief (dare to say some oldish values) you keep secretly inside of yourself.

In your belief "wanting to attract the opposite sex" is prohibited, especially for the Females, especially for the Married Females!!

Hence your judgment!

To answer to your ironic question: 
When we look in mirror do we see people?

- No, we don't see people, but we see in the mirror, what other people see from us! or better say: How other people see us!

Are you informed that all the politicians today, men and women, get some face-lifting, botox , hair cut & color....etc etc, before any important campaign?

Why do you think they do that

Only to attract the opposite sex?

Or to get everybody's appreciation?

When we look in mirror do we see people?

I think an educated wo/man with self-confidence and high self-esteem feels good about herself/himself.  Depending on what crowd you hang around with, you get good advice or bad advice or off the wall and irrelevant advice.

I think injecting myself with venom (botox :-) to feel good about myself shows a lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem and has nothing to do about "feeling good about myself" because almost always the venom is temporary in general and I'll always find something shallow about myself that I think I can sugar coat myself out of. 

Everything is sacred

you got it from the wrong end!

Anonymouse

You said :

"It is never about myself it is always about what people
think of me and more importantly what does the opposite sex
think of me "

But it is what "people think of me" which make us feeling good or bad about ourselves!

Don't forget that people around us, are our mirror! So, we see ourselves through thier eyes and it has been this way since the day of the creation of the human being.

You say you don't care about what other people think of you?

You say you do feel good about yourself?

But how do you masure your "goodness"? What is your masure?

How did you get those masures? Isn't it true that you got it by experience from jduging others and yourself in all interaction with those "others" ?

At the end, you will see that finally we do this for ourselves!!! For our own satisfaction. Being "appreciated" by others, give us a feeling of "Security" which we all need it.

Yes, it is for myself!

Aging gracefully

Where does aging gracefully fit in all this?  The one common denominator of those who get botox (venum :-) to kill their nerves is that "I do it for myself, to feel better about myself".  I say hogwash!

It is never about myself it is always about what people think of me and more importantly what does the opposite sex think of me.  I always feel good about myself and if only people would feel good about me I'd never inject myself with venum!

Among women I hear it is also about what other women think which in my book it means jealousy!

I think it is always best to age gracefully and live your life age apprporiately.  A 50 year old man is not going to mistake a 50 year old woman for a 30 year old and if anything would only see her as another body to soak in salt!  Now a 50 year old man would consider a 50 year old woman with qualities from a 50 year old woman.

Bottom line it just doesn't compute.  I heard on radio today that Kevin Nealon who is a Saturday Night Live alumni believes that women can be judged by the height of their heels, the higher the heel the more screwed up the woman!

Everything is sacred

FYI/Beauty can be measured by the ratio 1 to 1.618

Thanks Monda Jaan,

The Below Documentary should interest you in regard to your blog.  

The Saying goes that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but How true is That ? Beauty can be measured by the ratio 1 to 1.618 Actors John Cleese & Liz Hurley take a look at the importance of Beauty from Politics to daily life in the BBC series -The Human Face.Pierce Brosnan, Candice Bergen interviewed too.

The Golden Ratio : Pythagoras: How to measure beauty:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVVroi8q0Y0&feature=related

More Below:

HISTORY OF IDEAS: John Cleese on Beauty (BBC - The Human Face)

beauty

When the reason behind cosmetic surgery among (Iranian) men is seeking beauty, I believe it can speak of some equality. It implies that being attractive is not a unisex property or obligation anymore, but a mutual process.  However, this is the equality promoted in a bad context; because there are also strong commercial motives behind propagating cosmetic procedures. In many ways, cosmetic advertisements and media imply preference of superficial beauty over the inner beauty.  Aside from vanity aspect of it, we all know that self-image is a big part of self-concept.

Nose jobs are becoming more popular among younger Iranian male, but it also can represent belonging to higher- class groups as it  becomes a fashion among them. But from a more general/national point of view, if Iranian men should look better to Iranian women, what they have to start from? Their hairy bodies? Big Bellies? Bald heads?... and how it is different, if they want to look better to themselves?    

ملت بیکار

عین خیالشون نیست چقدر کارهای مهم تر براشون ریخته! merci Majid :o)

تغییر فرهنگی‌

حالا جنسیت‌بردار نیست.

Does this at the very least, speak of Some equality?! Let's not judge the vanity aspect of it.... let's stick to the choices people of both genders make, to feel better about themselves.  What do you say, persian westender?

..........

یه ماشین میزنه به یه خانوم و در میره، خانوم رو میبرن بیمارستان و پلیس هم میاد برای تحقیقات، ازش میپرسن:

_ کی بهت زد؟ چه جور ماشینی بود؟ سواری بود یا تراک؟ اتوبوس بود؟ چه رنگی بود؟ شماره ش رو ورداشتی؟ راننده ش مرد بود یا زن؟

_  ماشینه رو اصلاً ندیدم  جناب سروان ولی راننده ش زن بود ورپریده، موهاش هم موقع رنگ کردنش بود چون سفیدی هاش کم کم معلوم بود، مژه هاش از دور داد میزد که مصنوعیه، واه واه....مرده شور اون دندونهای کج و کوله شو ببرن،  ماسک صورت لانکوم ٥٠٥ زده بود و روژلبش هم اِستی لاودر صورتی بود و مطمئنم که عطرش هم شانل شماره ٥ بود جزّ جیگر زده! 

مرد باید خشن باشه...!!!

  برای من خیلی‌ جالبه که آقایون هم برای زیبایی، دست به عمل جراحی میزنند. قبلا در فرهنگ ایرانی چنین چیزهایی نبود. این شعر عامیانه یادتون میاد؟ ...مرد باید خشن باشه...زشت و بد اخلاق باشه..

به نظر میاد تو این دور و زمونه، اونها هم به همون اندازه خانومها به زیباییشون اهمیت میدن. شاید یک تغییر فرهنگی‌ داره اتفاق می‌افته. البته هنوز فراگیر نیست و تو قشر خاصی‌ جریان داره. آیا این به این معنی هست که یک نمودی از هم‌ذات پنداری داره اتفاق می‌افته؟ یعنی‌ یک مشغولیت فکری که بطورسنتی‌ تکجنسیتی بود و مربوط به  خانمها میشد حالا جنسیت‌بردار نیست.؟

Good one Ari :o))

بابا میگفت، خانم فلانی اونقدر بدجور عمل کرده که معلوم نیست اگر یبوست بگیره، لبخندش چطور میشه! 

All my aunts were very beautiful And procedure-friendly. So my dad never dared make these comments in front of his own sisters  

it's all about Connection & Attraction

I agree Fatollah. Fake is never attractive, even if it means fake smile or laughter. With or without surgery.

در ایران

خانم‌هایی‌ که وسعت مالی‌ دارن، فقط به عمل بینی‌ قانع نیستند. میشنوم و میبینم، به اندازهٔ آمریکا، موج جراحی به بالاتر و پایینتر از بینی‌ هم میرسه.

Souri

Angelina Joli: Complete Plastic poupée

جنبه منفیش

یه خانومه سکته میکنه میبرنش بیمارستان. رو تخت عمل از خدا می‌پرسه دیگه تموم شد؟ خدا میگه نه بابا هنوز چهل سال عمر داری. خانومه که دید اینطوریه به جراح گفت، پس دماغ و لب و گونه من رو هم عمل کن. در ضمن چروک‌های صورتم رو هم بردار و هر کجامو خواستی‌ لیپو ساکشن کن. دکتر میگه چشم. از بیمارستان که میاد بیرون به خانم   ماشین  میزنه و جا بجا نفله میشه. از خدا پرسید پس چی‌ میگفتی‌. خدا گفت، "ببخشید نشناختم." 

Bullock's arms.... :)

I first noticed that at the last Oscar's night, when she got her prize!

Should say, other actress did it too and got a better job!

I think Renée Zellweger and Kate Winslet are the ones who got it right!

Stay tune for more news from the stars and their  plastic jobs , by the expert Souri Khanom paparazzi :)

جراحی ارزانتر،

~@

I don't think a man or a woman likes fake appearance(s), when it comes to attraction if you will, the attributes related to personality will always have the last say.

Doostaan aziz,

vildie jan, utterly primal, yeah... what's intriguing is the role-reversal in the process of mating...., some men are more into it than their women.

JJ khoshgeleh (hook&all), thanks for your uplifting observations :o) I agree, there's not enough Time (or Haal?) to look deeper in anyone. 

Thank you Anahid, cheshmat ghashang mibineh... when the time comes we should get a group rate, like Faramarz and his cousins did with their khatneh.

Ebi jaan, is it "beerholder" or "beholder"? ghorbone sheklet jeloye darya.

13th Legion jan, your feedback hit home for me, thank you! Yes, nothing makes me feel better than Good music, good laughter, good physical activity and healthy food, alone or with good company.

I share sympathies about Roark, he was my favorite too. The man can still act though!

Faramarz joon, Okh gofti! dast be delam nazaar... So simple, yet so complicated ... like Life itself, nah?

Souri jan, your courage is much admired bekhoda! areh khanoom chi fekr kardi? Exercise is the best anti-anything. vassallaam. va good food.

Loved your celebrity gossip - jaaye Nikki khaali!

Can't stand Tom Cruise, no matter how hot he may look, he's full of hhimself, Yuk! Wouldn't waste a minute under same roof with him, same goes with his ex, ... wait, what did DeNiro do to himself now?! Bullocks arms?! you pay attention, don't you? :o)) 

Dear divaneh, you're Right On (as usual)... Radiance does it! I know those who can suck energy with their bad attitudes, no matter how beautiful their physical attributes. 

DK jan, your hardcore adherence to Monarchy is cute and appreciated! Thank you for the Frye intro :o)

@@@WHERE IS MEINSTEINMARJANEH?! I bet she'd have tons of cheerful and wise comments to add here too!   

Well I suppose Stephen Fry said it best ... ;0))

When Changes are made for purely Cosmetic Purposes they are bound to Bring about Cosmetic Results ...

ROYAL RHINOPLASTY: Stephen Fry On The Imperfections of the Monarchy and Why It Should Be Preserved

LOL

I am with you Monda

I am not against the cosmetic surgery but fail to see the fake beauty of pointy noses. I think it reveals a lack self confidence. I do like the pumped up lips and being a man, very quickly imagine some good use for them, but not much more than that. Whilst a moderate look is important, the real beauty is an inner beauty.

Let me share something else with you. I think there are people who radiate energy and their presence can lift everyone up. There are also those who absorb energy and one can feel drained sitting next to them. The rest fall somewhere in between. It does not matter how beautiful someone may be or can become if life is not radiating from the person.

Souri jan, good day for talking about actors. Tonight is Emmy

Dear Souri, we picked a good day to write about the actors/actresses. Tonight, is the night of Emmy awards in US, so I will get a chance to check some of the actors that you wrote and I have not checked before. I can tell you that I don't like Angelina, she seems to me to be a fake person. Jennifer Aniston tries too hard to be skinny but she seems to be more honest person than Angelina. I was not a Tom Cruise fan but he has aged well. I will have to check Sandra' s arms now.

Sunday Gossip!

Anahid jon;

Now that we are at this, let's talk about some Actor/actress plastic looks:

Meg Ryan's lips: Awful!

Sanra Bullok arms: Awful!

Madonna's whole new look : Emmm..........Who is she?

Angelina Joli: Complete Plastic poupée

Sigourney Waver: Unbelievably beautiful, looks 15 years younger

Jenifer Aniston: Nice but looks sick (?)

Tom Cruis: Good

Nicolas Cage: Strange

Any Garcia: Always love him despite his artifical new look

Rober de Niro: heif shod!

Al Pachino: Well.....he always need to get a new one!