Recently I have received many comments about my looks. To clarify, dear ones suggest that I could use a nose job, some shots or “procedure” around my eyes to look “younger and better”…. In reaction to the well-wishers’ inquiries, my response has been: “but I feel good enough and young enough”. Here, I usually get their inquisitive look which says, “You may think so Dear, but you do need some work done here and there… You don’t know it”. Ok… So I do. But seriously, I’m wondering what is all the obsession with looking Perfect? Do we all have to aspire to some role in some Hollywood movie?!
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and many other body image issues have been at the all time high! We know that. We also know about commercial view of beauty, what sells ads and clothes, etc. Some of us even know about the gender equalities (or inequalities) relating to beauty, especially in the Western societies, or the societies accepting of the Western values. Values in esthetics are my main concern in this blog. How thin is beautiful?
How dainty a nose or how plump the lips of a woman should be? How perky should the breasts be? (Ok don’t answer this one). There is a range of questions when it comes to beauty. Some individual and some global.
I am aware of the individual preferences. In both genders. I do pay attention. I see some metro-styled men looking overdone with their shaped eyebrows or shaved bodies (on the beach I see too many men, young to middle aged, with shaved legs and chests… is that necessary?), or women (of all ages) with firm round breasts and buttocks, in addition to keratin treated (straightened) hair, bleached to dryness, lots of orange tinted bodies… no matter which beach, mind you. It used to be that California beaches were home to natural wholesome Beauty. But not any more. And I’m not criticizing, just wondering….
The good news is, that there are more people engaged in physical fitness. There is no better feeling besides participating in yoga classes, than seeing so many healthy looking men and women, or having organic fruit shakes with them afterwards. Then of course there is the fitness-obsessed, running on the machines 10 minutes per a stick of carrot! (exercise anorexia, very sad.)
What are we curing or masking with all the artificial tricks and procedures? What are we achieving in the process? Perfection? In Looks? Why is it needed – more than ever?
(btw, not very related to this blog:
One of my favorite movies of all times is “Brazil”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wh2b1eZFUM See it if you haven’t already)
