The Myth of Beauty
by Kate Meehan
[First Prize, "Opinion/Column Writing," Toronto Star High School Newspaper Contest, 1998. From the Jarvis Jargon, newspaper of Jarvis Collegiate, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. - ed.]A young girl stands on a scale, complaining to herself about the one pound she has gained in the previous week. She critically gazes at her body in the mirror in front of her, poking and prodding at the little lump of flesh on her thighs, or the small fold on her stomach. She looks at herself in hateful disgust, "How can you let yourself look like this? you're an ugly, disgusting cow!"
Does this sound like anyone you know? Maybe even yourself? Well, unfortunately, this scenario is an increasing one, especially among young women these days. The age of the girls keeps getting younger, and younger, as new super-skinny "waif" models grace the pages of their favorite fashion magazines everyday, influencing the self-image and determining the self-worth of these young, impressionable girls.
People in the media; supermodels, actresses, and the like, claim they are not to blame for the resurgence of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia among our young, mostly female, population. But as much as they plead their innocence, the media does have a huge responsibility and role in this "trend." Plastering pictures of an emaciated Kate Moss (in her trademark Calvin Klein and CK Jeans advertisements) throughout subway stations and above major highways has not contributed positively to girls image of beauty.
This unrealistic image being drilled into our heads represents an unhealthy lifestyle; most people's bones do not normally stick out from all corners of their body, nor do most people's cheeks appear sunken and hollow. This look can only be achieved through starvation. Many supermodels themselves have been known to joke to the media about how their diets consist solely of coffee and Marlboro Lights. What kind of message is this sending to our youth? Obviously not a positive one, as you will overhear girls as young as eight trading diet tips over homeroom announcements.
Why is it that the media insists on making us feel like the only route to acceptance by others is through the external appearance? Does a kind heart and warm personality not count for anything these days? Unfortunately, it doesn't seem so. Physical beauty and perfection, along with popularity seem to be the only key to acceptance in our world today.
Take Barbie, for example; every little girl's best friend. Sure, Barbie is beautiful and successful- she has many jobs; she's been a flight attendant, a doctor, lawyer, nurse, a lifeguard (Baywatch Barbie, which is a whole different story altogether), even a rock star. She has a great boyfriend (Ken), amazing clothes, countless numbers of luxury cars, a beautiful "dream" house, and even a fun-loving little sister (Skipper). But does Barbie send good images and ideas into the little minds of young girls, or does she cause long-term detrimental effects? Some may argue that Barbie's "career-oriented attitude" and success in "life" will give girls self-esteem and confidence. But others can argue the true facts; that a girl's first and favorite doll sets an unrealistic and impossible standard of beauty. Statistically, Barbie's proportions made life-size, are ridiculous. Not only would she be 7'2" tall, but she'd boast an impressive 40" bust line, a tiny 22" waist, and 36" hips. In addition to these absurd, and physiologically impossible statistics, her neck would be twice the length of a normal human being. Now is this really a good toy to allow our children to play with? Other doll manufacturers have tried to set a precedent by producing more "realistic" dolls, with smaller bust lines and larger waists, but unfortunately, there hasn't been a great market for them; the idea of perfection and beauty seems to be ingrained in children's heads at a very young age. Therefore, Barbie is top on the list, with these "normal" dolls lagging far behind.
And why do models seem to be getting thinner and thinner with each passing year? Today, the typical model weighs 20% less than the average woman, whereas 10 years ago, she weighed only 8 to 10 percent less (with the average woman being size 10 - 12). Models serve as a grown woman's version of Barbie- something to compare their flaws to. They just carry on the image and horrible standard that Barbie set when the normal female population was young. Most models are approximately 5'10" to 6" tall, with a 34" bust line, 23" waist, and 34" hips, and weigh around 114 pounds. These vital statistics are so extreme that almost anyone boasting these measurements would have too little body fat to menstruate. What's next, saying it's not socially acceptable to be capable of menstruation?
Realistically, women have breasts and hips, and a softness to them; not harsh, unnatural angles, and boyish bodies. And it is completely normal and healthy to have a little stomach; it's necessary in order to have children. So why are we told everyday that this is unacceptable, ugly and wrong? In this era of technologically-advanced plastic surgery techniques and so-called "miracle drugs," "perfection" is easily achieved- with the right amount of cash. But for those of us without that kind of income, beauty, at least the media's definition of it, is virtually unattainable.
We must take a stand against the media; force it to take responsibility for the thousands of egos it has damaged, the countless little girls minds it has warped, and the many eating disorder-related deaths it is directly responsible for. But just voicing our concerns isn't going to change anything. The media as a whole has to take a heightened responsibility and realize the huge influence it does have upon us "common" folk. Once this goal is attainable, we as a society can, in turn, influence the media and sway what their ideal image of beauty is; instead of the media's unrealistic beauty standard influencing us.
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