Taylor Harris
College Comp and Research Summary/Response Essay October 18, 2016 “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” Many women feel as if they should look like Barbie or a runway model. In the essay titled “The Ugly Truth About Beauty,” author Dave Barry uses examples of women wishing to look like Cindy Crawford to make a point that girls are more concerned with beauty and beauty standards presented to them through society. Barry explains that men are not as concerned with their looks when it comes to beauty and feeling comfortable with how they look, while also helping to prove that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and uses many examples to portray this message. Beauty has become standardized throughout time and society; men typically aren’t as concerned with their beauty as women. Beauty is not a social need for them. Men do not feel obligated to meet certain societal standards. Barry states that being average does not bother men; average is fine. They do not worry about their appearance, whereas women often feel the need to dress, do their makeup, and do their hair a certain way, due to society persuading children to achieve a specific image such as their favorite Barbie doll. Many childhood events and experiences are often the basis of a child’s current image. The event typically interests the child enough for them to adjust their personality or appearance to be equal. Consequently, men and women regard their image differently since opposite genders typically have opposite concerns for beauty. Moreover, men are rarely meticulous about their appearance because almost no actions are required for preserving a man’s masculinity. According to Barry, “Their primary form of beauty care is to shave themselves, which is essentially the same form of beauty care they give to their lawns” (Barry, par. 5). In essence, if a woman asks a man about her appearance, the man must consider his answer wisely. Additionally, beauty has become relative due to society affecting what is considered a preferable or acceptable appearance. Barry continues to explain that there are many women who purposefully try to look like runway models and celebrities to, essentially, boost their confidence. Barry notes that “most men form an opinion of how they look in seventh grade, and they stick to it for the rest of their lives” (Barry par. 2). I read this quote and immediately mentally agreed, realizing that many men get the idea that they’re so good looking and that regardless of what natural aging, among other variables, will do to their appearance, they will still be the attractive teenage boy they were way-back-when. In addition, men get the preconceived idea that they are the most attractive person around. They believe that no matter what a person says, and no matter what they may look like in thirty years, they will still be that good-looking 12-year-old they were in middle school, and it’s easy for them to believe this because society doesn’t make boys feel like they need to fit into a perfect, intricate mold of beauty and appearance. The essay continues on to bring up points that state that men are okay with looking “average,” whereas this title is deemed unacceptable for women. Barry says, “if I had to express, in three words, what I believe most women think about their appearance, those words would be: ‘not good enough’” (Barry par. 4). Upon reading this quote, I thought about whether I truly agreed with this statement or not. I do agree because many but not all women often feel that no matter what they do to fit into society’s mold for beauty, they’ll never fit just right; there will always be something wrong. Furthermore, women often feel that no matter what altercations they may make to their bodies, they will never fit into society they way they are told to. Women feel an overbearing pressure to have the same measurements as a runway model, and even if they do achieve this, the world still tells them they’re “not good enough.” Barry then continues in his writing to talk about runway models and Barbie dolls. Referring to an Oprah show in which supermodel Cindy Crawford tutored women in how to apply cosmetics Barry claims, “all the women dutifully did this, even though it was obvious to any sane observer that, no matter how carefully they applied these products, they would never look remotely like Cindy Crawford, who is some kind of genetic mutation” (Barry, par. 6). This quote is, in my mind, saying that regardless of their attempts to apply their makeup the same way as a supermodel, they will never achieve their goal, which, to Barry, is to look just like her. I strongly disagree. Although there are women who apply cosmetics in hopes to suddenly turn into a runway model, there are also countless women do not apply makeup the same way as supermodels or beauty gurus in hopes to look the same as them. They do it because they recognize that these women are beautiful and get the attention of men. Many women apply makeup in a way that has proven to be successful in getting a man’s attention, in hopes that men will admire them equally as much. Overall, beauty is relative. It is a subject in which most men don’t strive to pass with an “A.” Many men are okay with being considered average while many women are striving and feeling pressured to fit into the societal standards of beauty. Regardless of how a person tries to reach their definition of beauty, they’re not all trying to look like Cindy Crawford, let alone a Barbie doll.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |