Why are American beauty standards so ridiculous?

[Shadow Wolf]

Some people are really skinny and they look like they never eat, and I wouldn't mind looking like that too. But I do enjoy a nice sammich now and then, so it's not going to happen for me. At least I have Baggins to keep me in check. If he thinks I'm eating too much, he steals half of my sammich so I won't get fat.

Sadly today though, when someone is super skinny, most people cannot really tell if the person is just genetically programed to have such a build, or if they have an eating disorder. At another forum I'm on, one girl was ranting about how many people approach her thinking that she does have an eating disorder because she is so thin.
As for as "ugly" goes, I find very few people who are ugly. Even people who are overweight. While most people who are I wouldn't label automatically as ugly, there are some people that get so large that there does come a time when weight loss should become a priority. Unfortunately though, people will try anything BUT old fashioned exercise and eating well to loose weight. Sadly, I have even saw a commercial promoting weight loss surgery. Patience is another reason I think people want to hastily loose weight, even if they really don't even need to, to look better.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Skin darkening products are far more common in the UK and Europe. And the use of damaging sun parlours is increasing despite the dangers.

I think the natural honey colour of mixed races is the most saught after.

There is certainly a trend for women to hve more natural weight and curves than of recent times.

 

[monta]

Skin darkening products are far more common in the UK and Europe. And the use of damaging sun parlours is increasing despite the dangers.

I think the natural honey colour of mixed races is the most saught after.

There is certainly a trend for women to hve more natural weight and curves than of recent times.

Is honey coloured orange ?

 

[Ba'al]

The west definitely has a vanity problem. However, if there is an increase in thinness standards, it doesn't look like anyone really cares. Here's some data of US obesity over the years.
N C H S - Health E Stats - Prevalence of overweight, obesity and exreme obesity among adults: United States, trends 1960-62 through 2005-2006
Are the standards actually changing or are we?

 

[lombas]

"Those young slim girls you see in fashion shows are not meant to represent the "ideal beauty" from a male perspective but to represent "ideal beauty" from a woman's perspective."

It's a phrase that isn't general, of course, but there's truth in it. Commercials involving "ideal beauties" often target a female audience (from shampoo to fashion). An exception are "tuning babes" and the like, but mostly they already differ from what you see on the catwalks and hosh-posh Hollywood parties.

Ah, it's not a matter of what is represented, but of what you find beautiful. There is no such thing as a "standard Western beauty". Luckily.

 

[Aquitaine]

TAL, I wouldn't say this is an American problem or nout, but it happens globally.

Besides, not all people think the same, but regardless I understand what you're trying to highlight here: ridiculous "beauty" standards that're trying to be objectified and driven into the skulls of the local consumers (us).

Honeslty, it actually really irritates me, because the affects that it can have (especially on young teenage girls) is atrocious, and at the end of the day, what is it all about:

Company/Manufacturer says: "Buy my product".

Consumer says: "No".

Company/Manufacturer then says in adverts, magazines and other forms of Media: "OMFG but j00 look so ugly without mah product, LOOK at this photo of Jessica Alba on the red carpet - you can actually see a stray HAIR on her leg and some pimples on her face!"

Buy the product,
FEAR,
Buy the product,
INSECURITY,
Buy the product,
BAD ROLEMODELS,
Buy the product now, you ugly horrible thing, otherwise no-one will talk to you and you'll be lonely all your life and get laughed at!

Buy the product.

Honestly I have 3 sisters and some of the crap, the garbage, that they read in magazines is ridiculous:






You know what I mean?

It's a total joke.


What makes me laugh though is how they attempt to make certain people/models look attractive in order to help sell certain products. They're dictating to you how you should think, and how you should judge - but worst of all it's affecting so many people's judgement and self-esteem. The whole thing needs to be shut down.

 

[Aquitaine]

It happens in Men's advertising too, which basically consists of:

Product.

Woman.

Man buys product, Man gets Woman.

Or just:

Product, displayed with a Woman.

If it's a car, the Woman is lying on it's bonet.
If it's a shaving cream/Razor, the bearded Man shaves and suddenly a Woman appears and caresses his face.
If it's Deodorant, the Man applies it and a Woman approaches him and starts instinctivly sniffing him.

Of course the majority of Men's adverts are actually quite funny, it's just never ceased to make me laugh how simplistic the advertising strategy is:

Oi!, you there! Product + Woman.

Buy the product!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Company/Manufacturer then says in adverts, magazines and other forms of Media: "OMFG but j00 look so ugly without mah product, LOOK at this photo of Jessica Alba on the red carpet - you can actually see a stray HAIR on her leg and some pimples on her face!"

Buy the product,
FEAR,
Buy the product,
INSECURITY,
Buy the product,
BAD ROLEMODELS,
Buy the product now, you ugly horrible thing, otherwise no-one will talk to you and you'll be lonely all your life and get laughed at!

Buy the product.

I absolutely despise the fashion model industry for this reason. They often take the ditsiest, dimmest, most airheaded girls they can find, (Have you ever watched America's Next Top Model? Most of these girls STRUGGLE when it comes to a challenge that requires them to read very simple words from a teleprompter.) but since they fit into a certain category of measurements, and sizes, so they are showered with expensive gifts, lavish lifestyles, and lots of money. But when they are considered too old, usually when they are still by all means young, the money dries up, and they have a reading level that is comparable to an elementary school student.
It promotes flawed beauty and promotes not being educated.
And the only thing I hate more is paparatzi and tabloid "journalism."

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It happens in Men's advertising too, which basically consists of:

Product.

Woman.

Man buys product, Man gets Woman.

I remember a commercial for some company that makes shaving razors that stated the claim "it's more fun to kiss a clean shaven guy."
And of course there is the Ax and Bod sprays. Sure, I can smell them from a mile away, but that doesn't mean I like the smell, or find a guy attractive because he is using some sort of scent. And if someone practically bathes in it, I don't see how any woman, or anyone for that matter, can stand to be around an overly powered scented billboard.

 

[MissAlice]

As a kid I tried not to buy into the media's standards of beauty and mainly because most of what I saw as beautiful or handsome was never potrayed or even idealized in media and still never has. Sadly I still think the west is behind as far as diversity goes but it wouldn't be if we didn't buy into it.

I feel like a hypocrite saying this because I had an eating disorder since I was 14. I don't blame the media or the men or anything like that but I use to be very insecure about my weight and the way I looked still am to certain extent but I know better now.

In school it was very hurtful to hear fat jokes and in papers I was disgusted to see microscopic pictures of celebs and models getting fat in certain places. Not sure if it was a subconscious thing on my part but I had to go through a lot of therapy for it. Am still wondering what triggered me into wasting half my life of being miserable by trying to obtain a certain weight that was ridiculously unrealistic in terms of my size and height. I still worry about it every now and then and don't know why. So I'm wondering if there isn't a mix of things going on. The crap I went through only made me feel more miserable and when I look back on it now, I can barely understand why it was better to be miserable and reach such a goal than to just enjoy life for what it is. It's still an ongoing issue with me but I feel much better than I did going on a diet that me feel sick.

Not sure what I'm trying to say here but for me personally I've always had self-esteem issues. It wasn't just about looks but brains as well. I struggled in school and the only subjects I was good were not seen as productive by my family such as history, art and literature. I also had a learning disorder and aspergers which I wasn't diagnosed with till I was much older. So sometimes I wonder if females deal with frustrations differently from men.

Just a thought.

 

[Aquitaine]

I absolutely despise the fashion model industry for this reason. They often take the ditsiest, dimmest, most airheaded girls they can find, (Have you ever watched America's Next Top Model? Most of these girls STRUGGLE when it comes to a challenge that requires them to read very simple words from a teleprompter.) but since they fit into a certain category of measurements, and sizes, so they are showered with expensive gifts, lavish lifestyles, and lots of money. But when they are considered too old, usually when they are still by all means young, the money dries up, and they have a reading level that is comparable to an elementary school student.

It promotes flawed beauty and promotes not being educated.
And the only thing I hate more is paparatzi and tabloid "journalism."

Honestly, it really is an "us versus them" situation: all it is, are companies who're creating an artificial "personality" for their target audience, in an attempt to be able to ensure purchase of their products.

It has gotten to the point now, where a company/product doesn't have to prove itself to the consumers, where the target audience has been so brainwashed, and become so paranoid, that the consumers will flock to the product regardless.

They no longer have to create products which convince the consumer of it's effectiveness, but instead now they create products simply to "fix" the "flaws" of their target audience, that were created by this consumer brainwashing, basically.

In my opinion, anyways! ^_^

F 'em, F the lot of 'em.

 

[monta]

If people didn't have such a voracious appetite for gossip rags and fashion magazines they wouldn't exist, in a capitalistic society the consumer is in the driving seat.

 

[Aquitaine]

As a kid I tried not to buy into the media's standards of beauty and mainly because most of what I saw as beautiful or handsome was never potrayed or even idealized in media and still never has. Sadly I still think the west is behind as far as diversity goes but it wouldn't be if we didn't buy into it.

I feel like a hypocrite saying this because I had an eating disorder since I was 14. I don't blame the media or the men or anything like that but I use to be very insecure about my weight and the way I looked still am to certain extent but I know better now.

In school it was very hurtful to hear fat jokes and in papers I was disgusted to see microscopic pictures of celebs and models getting fat in certain places. Not sure if it was a subconscious thing on my part but I had to go through a lot of therapy for it. Am still wondering what triggered me into wasting half my life of being miserable by trying to obtain a certain weight that was ridiculously unrealistic in terms of my size and height. I still worry about it every now and then and don't know why. So I'm wondering if there isn't a mix of things going on. The crap I went through only made me feel more miserable and when I look back on it now, I can barely understand why it was better to be miserable and reach such a goal than to just enjoy life for what it is. It's still an ongoing issue with me but I feel much better than I did going on a diet that me feel sick.

Not sure what I'm trying to say here but for me personally I've always had self-esteem issues. It wasn't just about looks but brains as well. I struggled in school and the only subjects I was good were not seen as productive by my family such as history, art and literature. I also had a learning disorder and aspergers which I wasn't diagnosed with till I was much older. So sometimes I wonder if females deal with frustrations differently from men.

Just a thought.

My best guess is that the more people are subjected to consumer brainwashing and fear-mongering, the more insecure they will generally become.

I think Women have been subject to this stuff for slightly longer than Men, however that's now starting to change: the "ideal" standard aimed at Men has changed so dramatically recently, that it probably would've been laughed at 20 years ago or so. Nowadays, modern Men (just like Women) are being subjected to cosmetic products and fashion, and it will only be a matter of time until we have Male teenagers becoming victimized by the constant consumer propaganda, and who enslave themselves to try and obtain some "ideal look", like how we currenlty see with teenage girls, for example.

 

[Aquitaine]

If people didn't have such a voracious appetite for gossip rags and fashion magazines they wouldn't exist, in a capitalistic society the consumer is in the driving seat.

Hmmm, I dunno thuogh to be honest, I think the producers are able to dictate to the consumers as to what they want. I don't think it's been entirely "natural", if a company or an array of companies specified to a certain field want people to buy their products, then they will intervene and tell people what they want.

Just look around our enviroment, everywhere you look there are adverts for this, that, and the other. In every Movie, Magazine, and music video there is constant advertising and a constant portrayal (sp?) of how people (apparently) should look, should act, and should think.

That's just my opinion, anyways.

 

[MissAlice]

My best guess is that the more people are subjected to consumer brainwashing and fear-mongering, the more insecure they will generally become.

I think Women have been subject to this stuff for slightly longer than Men, however that's now starting to change: the "ideal" standard aimed at Men has changed so dramatically recently, that it probably would've been laughed at 20 years ago or so. Nowadays, modern Men (just like Women) are being subjected to cosmetic products and fashion, and it will only be a matter of time until we have Male teenagers becoming victimized by the constant consumer propaganda, and who enslave themselves to try and obtain some "ideal look", like how we currenlty see with teenage girls, for example.

Yes you're definitely right about the standards of men as well. I don't know how long that's been going on but there does seem to be a driving force in terms of what a man should look like and frankly I never found all the standards that appealing or attractive. That's not to say ugly but like I said I find diversity more attractive than people all looking the same. It's funny how some people ask me well there must be a certain type of guy you're attracted too and I really wonder if it's just me or is this how our society thinks in terms of what's beautiful and what isn't. I really can't say I've ever been attracted to guys that all look the same.

 

[monta]

Hmmm, I dunno thuogh to be honest, I think the producers are able to dictate to the consumers as to what they want. I don't think it's been entirely "natural", if a company or an array of companies specified to a certain field want people to buy their products, then they will intervene and tell people what they want.

Just look around our enviroment, everywhere you look there are adverts for this, that, and the other. In every Movie, Magazine, and music video there is constant advertising and a constant portrayal (sp?) of how people (apparently) should look, should act, and should think.

That's just my opinion, anyways.

I have had some godawful experiences with coffee table magisine editors and columnists due to working with the sales department in a company, it is not a healthy or responsible industry but I do think the degree to which fashion magazines enforce new trends is greatly overestimated, if it were the case the magazines wouldn't spend as much time as they do researching street fashions.

I think they would like to have that power and are probably happy for people to imbue them with it .That is not to say they can't predict trends and promote them, but no outside influence is as strong as your upbringing, it is the failings of self esteem building in the formative years, that are the primary source of misery for young men and women.

 

[Aquitaine]

I have had some godawful experiences with coffee table magisine editors and columnists due to working with the sales department in a company, it is not a healthy or responsible industry but I do think the degree to which fashion magazines enforce new trends is greatly overestimated, if it were the case the magazines wouldn't spend as much time as they do researching street fashions.

I think they would like to have that power and are probably happy for people to imbue them with it .That is not to say they can't predict trends and promote them, but no outside influence is as strong as your upbringing, it is the failings of self esteem building in the formative years, that are the primary source of misery for young men and women.

True, of course our upbringing is what shapes us primarily.

But I still believe certain industries are abusing such insecurities and lack of self-esteem which has manifested itself into many elements of modern society. I also believe especially nowadays with younger generations, that many people are slowly becoming living commercial symbols: people are doing everything a Magazine or other source tells them to do: how they dress, what gadgets to buy, what music to like etc.

To the point now where most people (atleast of my generation) are slowly becoming Commercialized, Designer Zombies, who will sacfricie individuality and their true self to conform to whatever the industries dictate.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

They no longer have to create products which convince the consumer of it's effectiveness, but instead now they create products simply to "fix" the "flaws" of their target audience, that were created by this consumer brainwashing, basically.

I've noticed this is really bad when it comes to acne products. I've never felt insecure about my own acne. But when someone is bombarded constantly with how rough it is to have some zits, something everyone deals with, how embarrassing it is to have them, how insecure it makes people, no wonder people buy into products that are known for not working.

 

[Smoke]

So the point is... are American beauty standards normally this ridiculous?

Yes, and not just in America. The ideal for a woman in show business is to look like a twelve-year-old boy, but with enormous breasts.

However, that only applies to women in show business. Americans in real life are fat and getting fatter. The average American could eat a Frenchman and two Croatians for lunch.

 

[DallasApple]

Yes, and not just in America. The ideal for a woman in show business is to look like a twelve-year-old boy, but with enormous breasts.

However, that only applies to women in show business. Americans in real life are fat and getting fatter. The average American could eat a Frenchman and two Croatians for lunch.

LOL!!!!!

Love

Dallas