Top 10 Reasons Why the Stereotypical Beauty Standards in Modern Culture Should Be Stopped or Toned Down
"You must be thin to be pretty.""You must have fair skin to be pretty."
"You must have wide eyes to be pretty."
"You must have blond (or in Asia, usually pure black) hair to be pretty."
"You must be tall to be pretty."
"You must have long legs to be pretty."
"You must have a pointed nose to be pretty."
And so the beauty commercials say.
Now, while some people may think it's okay, I personally disagree and find modern beauty standards unfair to those who can't fully meet them. I have a pointed nose, I have long legs, and I'm, in a way, tall, but I'm not thin, I'm tan, my hair isn't black or blond, and my eyes aren't that wide.
Of course, I understand why beauty commercials say things like that - it's to sell their products. However, it's overly done, and it has created a harmful mindset in young girls today. It pushes the idea that you must exactly conform to what all the commercials say in order to be happy and loved.
I find these overly promoted beauty standards offensive and belittling to those who don't meet them. Particularly troubling is the suggestion that meeting such criteria somehow solves life's problems - like gaining popularity, making friends, finding romance, or securing careers such as being a flight attendant.
Now, here are my reasons why I believe these beauty standards have gone too far and why they are harmful, especially to young girls.
For those who are curious about the beauty standards mentioned above, apparently in Indonesia, those are the trending standards. Really white and soft skin that looks like it's made out of porcelain, long straight pure black hair, above-average height, long slim legs and arms, curving eyelashes and fingers (yes, even fingers have to be curved to be considered attractive), and a body shape that looks like a Spanish guitar. That's what's considered attractive right here and right now in my country.
In case you don't know, many young girls suffer body shaming over things such as body weight, hair color, or skin.
Following the previous item, not only can it cause body shaming, it also leads to low self-esteem.
Everyone is beautiful in their own way, regardless of their age, race, height, or weight.
Minimal curves and flat, some dream to be shaped like that, including me.
Have you ever heard the song Mrs. Potato Head by Melanie Martinez? You should watch its music video as well. It's a song about a woman who does plastic surgery. It has some inappropriate lyrics in it, but really, give it a watch.
Like what I said in the first item, I heard some people would even rather spend millions of dollars just to look like Barbie.
Lots of girls and women want the same nose, but a small upturned nose isn't the only beautiful nose, and noses are wonderful.
Nowadays, the most common words bullies say to their victims are either ugly or fat. It's like saying that if you're not attractive enough (based on modern beauty standards), you're more likely to be bullied than those who meet the standards.
Just like the previous item, I also saw some articles (well, they're comedy posts but still) online about Pretty Girls vs. Ugly Girls in Boys' Point of View (it's in Indonesian). Not only about girls, but also about boys! The posts were hilarious, though. But it demonstrates the inequality in school from members of the opposite sex (both boys and girls, so no sexism, okay?).
According to the standards, if you want to have a boyfriend and a lot of friends, you must meet those standards.
Yes, this is true and very common in real life. In fact, sometimes I would starve myself or eat very small portions to be thin. So, for the young girls who are reading this, here's my advice if you're considering doing so: don't put yourself on massive diets or consume "fat burning" pills, except if your doctor advises it, such as in cases of (no offense) obesity. It won't help you at all. In fact, it can hurt you and make you more susceptible to various diseases.
You might think that I'm exaggerating, but it's true. A lot of people fall into depression and commit suicide because of these matters.
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I don't have long legs, but they are still very beautiful because God has made me perfectly in His image.
Big noses and thin lips are cute and beautiful too.
Ever seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when Drax tells Mantis that she's ugly?