Women, you are beautiful.
So, today's topic is beauty. You see, everyone is beautiful, but we can't say that. Not in a consumerist society that always needs to sell something to someone. We cannot possibly be beautiful the way we are, right? Afterall, Covergirl tells me I need to hide my wrinkles; Special K tells me I'm too big (because I can no longer fit in a child's chair without getting stuck), and Proactive tells me I need to have smooth, perfect skin. The makeup industry, the plastic surgery agencies, the lotion companies, the gyms, the diet pill producers, and the diet food businesses all thrive off of women disliking their bodies. They target women with their guns shaped like lipstick and celery, and shoot a bullet of "reality" at them through commercials. What do they say? Overwhelmingly, they say you are ugly. But women (and men), you are not ugly. I know, I know, this is just too hard to believe, even that James Blunt and Jesse McCartney don't have you fooled with their heartwarming songs. Women, you are beautiful. Take the time to tell your daughters, your sisters, your moms, your friends, your coworkers that they, too, are beautiful.
As bell hooks says, "Girls today are often just as self-hating when it comes to their bodies as their pre-feminist counterparts were" (Feminism is for Everybody, 35). By disliking ourselves, we are breeding the self-hate gene in all the young girls around us. We are teaching them to believe that they are ugly. Therefore, I ask you: if you do not see your own beauty for yourself, see it for them. bell hooks says, "Tragically, even though females are more aware than ever before of the widespread problem of life-threatening eating disorders in our nation's history, a large group of females from the very young to the very old are still starving themselves to be thin" (34). We can help stop these viscous eating disorders. We must show girls the beauty within themselves by first seeing the beauty within ourselves. My mom and my grandma always used to be self-deprecating when it came to their looks. They were both beautiful and amazing people. Yet they taught me that I, too, should not be completely satisfied with myself. Sometimes, it is hard to see your own beauty, but try. I know that there is a fine line for women to walk. If you find yourself beautiful, people often call you vain. Vain was just a word made up to make people feel bad about feeling good about themselves; don't let that prevail. I'm encouraging you, be vain. See yourself for what you truly are: beautiful. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You deserve to see your own beauty, and every girl/woman you know deserves to hear she is beautiful.
Tell her she's beautiful whenever you can.
As bell hooks says, "Girls today are often just as self-hating when it comes to their bodies as their pre-feminist counterparts were" (Feminism is for Everybody, 35). By disliking ourselves, we are breeding the self-hate gene in all the young girls around us. We are teaching them to believe that they are ugly. Therefore, I ask you: if you do not see your own beauty for yourself, see it for them. bell hooks says, "Tragically, even though females are more aware than ever before of the widespread problem of life-threatening eating disorders in our nation's history, a large group of females from the very young to the very old are still starving themselves to be thin" (34). We can help stop these viscous eating disorders. We must show girls the beauty within themselves by first seeing the beauty within ourselves. My mom and my grandma always used to be self-deprecating when it came to their looks. They were both beautiful and amazing people. Yet they taught me that I, too, should not be completely satisfied with myself. Sometimes, it is hard to see your own beauty, but try. I know that there is a fine line for women to walk. If you find yourself beautiful, people often call you vain. Vain was just a word made up to make people feel bad about feeling good about themselves; don't let that prevail. I'm encouraging you, be vain. See yourself for what you truly are: beautiful. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You deserve to see your own beauty, and every girl/woman you know deserves to hear she is beautiful.
Tell her she's beautiful whenever you can.
damn right! girls don't need to worry about caking on make-up, eating like a bird or even not at all, and slathering on magical pimple vanishing cream, it's all a waste of time, energy, money, and most of all: their own self-confidence
ReplyDeletealso, if you are a student (probably any grade now, K-12) you will be constantly attacked on the way you look and dress (which is also an issue, all those name-brands), and most (if not all) of that can be blamed on the advertising companies for poisoning youth through tv/movies/radio/magazines/parents