The Beauty Myth

1. The Beauty Myth: A Powerful Tool for Social Control

The beauty myth tells a story: The quality called "beauty" objectively and universally exists. Women must want to embody it and men must want to possess women who embody it.

The beauty myth is a political weapon. It emerged as a backlash against women's advancement in society, serving as a means to undermine their progress and maintain male dominance. By defining women's worth through an unattainable standard of physical perfection, the beauty myth creates a perpetual state of insecurity and self-doubt.

This myth operates on multiple levels:

• Economic: It fuels a multi-billion dollar beauty industry
• Social: It dictates acceptable behavior and appearance for women
• Psychological: It instills a sense of inadequacy and constant self-scrutiny

The beauty myth is not about women's appearance, but about institutional power. It functions as a modern version of social control, filling the void left by the weakening of other forms of female subordination.

2. The Workforce Revolution and the Rise of the Professional Beauty Qualification

As women became more important, beauty too became more important. The closer women come to power, the more physical self-consciousness and sacrifice are asked of them.

The workplace became a new battleground. As women entered professional spheres in greater numbers, a new form of discrimination emerged: the Professional Beauty Qualification (PBQ). This unspoken requirement mandates that women must not only be competent but also conform to specific beauty standards to succeed in their careers.

The PBQ manifests in several ways:

• Appearance-based hiring and promotion decisions
• Pressure to maintain a youthful appearance
• Expectation to invest significant time and money in beauty practices

This phenomenon creates a double standard where women are judged on their looks in addition to their skills, while men are primarily evaluated on their professional capabilities. The PBQ serves to undermine women's confidence and divert their energy and resources away from career advancement.

3. Media's Role in Perpetuating Unrealistic Beauty Standards

Given all that, women make the choice, by and large, to take men as human beings first.

Media imagery shapes perception. Women's magazines, advertising, and popular culture play a crucial role in propagating and reinforcing the beauty myth. They create an environment where women are constantly bombarded with images of an idealized female form that is virtually unattainable for most.

The media's influence operates through:

• Airbrushed and digitally altered images creating unrealistic standards
• Editorial content promoting beauty products and weight loss
• Celebrity culture glorifying extreme thinness and youth

This constant exposure leads women to internalize these standards, resulting in widespread body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. The media's portrayal of beauty as a woman's primary source of value overshadows her other qualities and achievements.

4. The Beauty Industry: Profiting from Women's Insecurities

Women's beauty must correlate to their fertility, and since this system is based on sexual selection, it is inevitable and changeless.

Beauty is big business. The beauty industry capitalizes on women's insecurities, marketing an ever-expanding array of products and services promising to help women achieve the ideal look. This industry thrives on creating new "problems" that require expensive solutions.

Key aspects of the beauty industry include:

• Cosmetics and skincare products claiming miraculous effects
• Diet and weight loss programs promoting unrealistic body goals
• Anti-aging treatments promising to turn back time

The industry's marketing tactics often employ pseudoscientific language and exaggerated claims to lend credibility to their products. By constantly shifting the goalposts of what constitutes beauty, the industry ensures a never-ending demand for its offerings.

5. The Sexual Revolution and the Commercialization of Female Sexuality

Beauty pornography looks like this: The perfected woman lies prone, pressing down her pelvis. Her back arches, her mouth is open, her eyes shut, her nipples erect; there is a fine spray of moisture over her golden skin.

Sexuality becomes a commodity. The sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s, while ostensibly liberating, led to a new form of objectification. Female sexuality became increasingly commercialized and pornified, with beauty standards becoming more explicit and demanding.

This shift is evident in:

• The rise of "beauty pornography" in mainstream media
• Increasing pressure on women to conform to pornographic ideals
• The conflation of beauty with sexual desirability

This commercialization of female sexuality has paradoxically led to a diminishment of women's sexual agency. Instead of true sexual liberation, women are often reduced to performative sexuality that caters to male fantasies rather than their own desires and pleasure.

6. The Hunger Epidemic: Eating Disorders and the Cult of Thinness

Dieting is the essence of contemporary femininity.

Thinness becomes an obsession. The beauty myth's emphasis on slenderness has led to a widespread preoccupation with weight among women. This fixation on thinness has resulted in a dramatic increase in eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors.

The cult of thinness manifests in:

• The glorification of extreme thinness in media and fashion
• The multi-billion dollar diet industry
• The normalization of restrictive eating and excessive exercise

This obsession with weight control goes beyond aesthetics; it serves as a means of social control by keeping women preoccupied with their bodies and less focused on broader societal issues. The pursuit of thinness becomes a form of "feminine" virtue, replacing earlier ideals of chastity or domesticity.

7. Cosmetic Surgery: The Ultimate Expression of Beauty Obsession

Cosmetic surgery is not "cosmetic," and human flesh is not "plastic." Even the names trivialize what it is.

Surgery becomes normalized. The rise of cosmetic surgery represents the most extreme manifestation of the beauty myth. Women are increasingly turning to invasive procedures to alter their bodies in pursuit of an idealized appearance.

The cosmetic surgery industry thrives on:

• Creating new "flaws" that require surgical correction
• Minimizing the risks and pain associated with procedures
• Promoting surgery as a form of self-improvement and empowerment

This trend towards surgical alteration raises serious ethical concerns about bodily autonomy, medical ethics, and the psychological impact of such procedures. The normalization of cosmetic surgery further entrenches the idea that women's natural bodies are inherently flawed and in need of correction.

8. Reclaiming Female Identity Beyond the Beauty Myth

Female sexuality is not only negatively defined, it is negatively constructed.

Resistance is possible. Despite the pervasiveness of the beauty myth, there is hope for change. Women can reclaim their identities and sense of self-worth by rejecting the narrow definitions of beauty imposed by society.

Steps towards liberation include:

• Developing a critical awareness of beauty industry tactics
• Embracing diverse representations of female beauty
• Focusing on health, well-being, and personal accomplishment over appearance

By challenging the beauty myth, women can redirect their energy and resources towards more fulfilling pursuits. This shift not only benefits individual women but also has the potential to create broader social change, leading to a more equitable society where women are valued for their full humanity rather than just their appearance.

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Last updated: October 19, 2024