The Beauty Myth Analysis

Improved Essays
The beauty myth refers to the idea that beauty is something that is impossible to attain. This myth is focused around the image of having the perfect body , hair ,eyes etc. meaning that the "whiter " you appear then the more acceptable you 'll become in society. Women have come to the realization that to get ahead in life they need to have this perfect image, so looking the part is the beginning stage. For instance, cosmetic surgery is something that plays a huge impact in our society today, because of images in the media and constant Photoshop it has made it a struggle for women and even men to accept themselves as they are. The eyelid and empowerment presentation is one example of how women take drastic measures to attain a certain look to …show more content…
At the beginning of the semester, my understanding of gender was that it was something that only referred to people who considered themselves male or female and in all honesty that was all I was expecting to get out of the class because I felt that I already knew what was going to be spoken about. But while being in this class my understanding of gender now is completely different. For instance, gender is associated with many things like someone 's social and culture with them being either feminine or masculine. Not only has this class taught me a lot about gender, it also has taught me the proper ways to address gender in general. Meaning that if I encounter someone who identifies differently from myself, then I know how to apply the correct pronouns when speaking with them. I also was not aware that gender was something that is constantly changing with time. Along with the many terms that I was introduced to during this course I also learned about an exceptional amount of concepts. One concept that I was very interested in talking about was male privilege. Male privilege is basically the is an idea used to look at the social, financial, and political points of interest or rights that are made accessible to men exclusively on the premise of their sex. And majority of the time most men are unaware of this privilege because they have become accustomed with the rewards of being a man. A man 's entrance to these advantages may likewise rely on upon different attributes, …show more content…
One solution that I believe could help reduce gender inequality or the harmful effects of gender, upbringing would be to have classes in elementary schools that teach kids how to access their emotions and a healthy way for them to express themselves. Boys are raised to keep their emotions to a minimum which results in a lot of built up anger and aggression when they get older if adults and children took the time to sit down and have a talk with these individuals then perhaps there would be a decrease in men committing crimes and other criminal activities. They also could learn certain words that can be used to help empower themselves when they feel on edge. Another example that I thought of that could possibly help would be to actually get physical. They could let off steam by hitting certain objects which would eventually take their mind off of whatever the issue is and instead of them taking out on people they would release it to whatever they decide to hit like a pillow. Since my generation is so caught up in technology they should create an app that promotes a healthy mindset. This app should include things like special precautions when talking to people, trigger words or body language and also a safety line so that when someone feels like they 're being targeted about their gender they will instantly be linked with someone who has also been through the same thing so that they know exactly How to encounter the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    I chose this picture because it demonstrates how the inner beauty is like a butterfly, it truly is enthralling. Butterflies are truly standout among the most lovely animals in this world. With its brilliant wings and lighthearted state of mind, butterflies enchant our feeling of sight and at some point or another, make us take a look at it more closer and see the beauty which is covered up inside. This is connected to the poem of "Beauty" by Tony Hoagland because like his sister her physical qualities, much like a butterfly's, intrigue us. She just realized at the end of the poem that the true beauty captivates and captures the heart is the personality.…

    • 131 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “The Making of America’s Beauty Culture” by Kathy Peiss, and in the anthology of pieces commenting on the modern youth of the 1920s, the authors examine of the substantial cultural shifts taking place in the early twentieth century, hallmarked by the shift from Victorianism to Modernity. The 1920s sparked the mass influence of cosmetics and self-conceptions, and the radical change in sexual ideologies and morals, a revolutionary take on the meaning of freedom. In Peiss’s piece, she address the progressive acceptance of cosmetics, and their psychological, economic, sociological effects over time. The irreparable damage done by the beauty industry to women’s self-esteems through the ages is chronicled in her work, and she does recognize the positive effects of the industry as well mentioning the role of cosmetics in fulfilling fantasies. The anthology of works both criticize and applaud the modern yearning for freedom through the denial of antecedent schools of thought through “radical” sexual behaviors and decorum.…

    • 1365 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The media is control of what a lot of society views as right or wrong, a lot of the issues from this novel come from the wrong ideas people take upon based of the media and the social dynamics that it portrays. According to one of the sections of Melissa Burkley’s article in The Ugly Duckling Effect: Examining Fixed Versus Malleable Beliefs About Beauty, "These things happen through a constant beating of marketing to our society driven by impulses and always having the next big thing. Ultimately, causing ill-minded concerns about one's self in terms beauty which include basing self-worth or judging others based on appearance, physical attractiveness, and increased anxiety around others who may be just as beautiful."(24). Reading through Elizabeth…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Anti-Beauty Myth” by Christine Rosen and “Taking Beauty’s Measure” by Rachel Shteir are articles from Commentary Magazine and Chronicle of Higher Education respectively. Both articles are resistant to the anti-beauty claims made by feminist writers. “Anti-beauty myth” discusses why people are still beauty conscious despite feminist efforts to punish over-emphasis on beauty while “Taking Beauty’s Measure” believes beauty should be desired rather than being ostracised. Even though both writers draw attention to the plausible flaws of the feminists’ claims, Christine Rosen, in “Anti-beauty myth”, provides an alternative perspective of beauty to supplement her arguments. Thus, it renders her argument stronger and more versatile.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Media Influence On Beauty

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    It’s something in this century that needs to be changed and the story beneath under it is everyone doesn’t have to be what they see in the media. The pressure to look young and beautiful is at an all-time high, and more and more people are picking up the phone to schedule surgical enhancements. Americans spent $12.5 billion on cosmetic procedures last year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Since 1997, the number of both surgical and nonsurgical procedures performed annually has increased by a whopping 465 percent. (Lerner and Lerner 408-411).…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Gender Norms

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Journal Assignment Two: Gender Norms in Your Life This course as a whole has opened my eyes to realize how much our gender plays into the decisions and actions we make every day. I take advantage that doing gender, for me specifically, isn’t an ongoing struggle that it can be for those that do not fit directly into the gender binary. Doing gender is referring to how we behave and interact with others based upon socially constructed expectations for each gender. Instead of being an individual and behaving in the way we would like, we always have to consider if what we are doing is what society believes would be appropriate or reasonable for a female or male.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Second Wave Beauty Myths

    • 334 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The beauty myth is a set of ideals women should attain to be considered beautiful. The beauty myth is a form of control against women after women won more rights during second wave feminism. If women were to consumed with being beautiful then men would not lose as much power. The beauty myth was more about control and power over women than it was being beautiful. Women were pushed this consumer mindset on beauty to control them.…

    • 334 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Consumer capitalism is a an economic system where buyers drive the economy by selecting which products they want to spend their money on. As a result, there is an aggressive targeting of shoppers to win their favor. Many times advertisements will use psychological manipulation techniques to make products seem more appealing and as a result the subject matter is often sexual and questionably provocative. Susan Bordo is a philosopher who specializes in the human body, and uses this knowledge to analyze advertisements. In Bordo’s essay “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male body” she discusses the harm these types of advertisements are causing for the viewers, although the essay was written in the late 1990s, many of the points she makes still are valid…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Uglies, written by Scott Westerfeld is an eye-opening book about a perfect world which is set in the distant future where teenagers are distinguished to be either ‘Ugly’ or ‘Pretty’. After a global catastrophe in modern society, preconditioned standards are created for people to follow. Uglies and Pretties are set to live on different sides of the town being separated by a river, to show how their world values appearances. The story starts with a protagonist named Tally Youngblood, a fifteen-year-old girl waiting for her sixteenth birthday to receive a cosmetic surgery that she has been waiting for throughout her life. She awaits to transform into a Pretty so that she can conform to the societal standards of beauty and be included in New Pretty Town.…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this modern era, everybody needs to be looking great and appealing. As, Kimmel and Holler (2011) utilize the idea of Naomi Wolf to portray the “beauty myth” the stigma in which woman being caught by the high premium models of fashion markets. Kimmel and Holler (2011) use Naomi Wolf’s definition that the “beauty myth” is an inaccessible female excellence that uses the pictures of female magnificence as a political weapon against women. It depicts that “the ladies itself get caught in an interminable cycle of beautifying agents, magnificence helps, weight control plans, and activity devotion” (Kimmel and Holler 2011, 324).…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Dave Barry’s article “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” and in Michael Chabon’s “Faking it” both authors have similar messages about stereotypes just on different genders, however, the authors writing styles are very different. Barry uses an informative yet exaggerating tone throughout his article, and does not share any personal experiences. Chabon uses a storytelling tone throughout his essay, to go along with his many personal experiences he shares with his audience. Tone conveys the message to the readers, when an author uses tone he or she directs it to their specific message.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Sex is a reference to whether a person is genetically male or female, and determines the biological role that a person will play in reproduction. Gender is the sociocultural distinction between male and female. Gender identities are the conceptions we have of ourselves as being male or female. Gender roles are sets of cultural expectations that define the ways in which each sex should behave. Gender inequality is a major issue faced by women in the United States.…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The idea of gender and gender roles has always been a debate in society. Gender and gender roles are shaping our perspective of humans. The way people act towards other people can sometimes be because of their gender. People are not born knowing their gender roles in society. Instead they develop their gender roles as they grow up.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These expectations dictate how we live our lives. Gender roles define people; they define what types of jobs we have, what types of degrees we hold, how we dress and how we act. Gender as a social institution has defined men and women and brought to light that there are differences between men and women that have led to a separation of the sexes. Gender as a Social Institution…

    • 1020 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gender Roles in Society Gender roles are very prevalent in today’s society. Gender roles are a set of societal norms dictating the types of behaviors which are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex or sexuality. In fact, every baby at birth, they are categorized into male or female. “Gender represents a spectrum of sociocultural roles, identities, and orientations that are distinct from one 's biological sex determined by genes, anatomy, gonads, and hormones” (as cited in Juster, Paul, Preussener, and Jens). Gender roles can affect not only how one views someone, but also how one might act towards one another.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics