Brainwashed Beauty
why the mainstream media has transformed a generation's perception of themselves, part one
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
-Margaret Wolfe Hungerford
But in today's society, is it really?
Social Media Takes the Spotlight
I believe wholeheartedly in that statement by Hungerford. The concept of beauty itself is different for each person. But today, Hungerford's quote seems more like a whimsical fantasy than the actual truth.
Growing up in the 2000s was completely new. A generation raised by screens that possessed infinite knowledge was something unheard of. And while it had the power to bring us together, it also could tear us apart. With the power of speaking your mind without consequence, anyone could control the minds of young, impressionable children, like those growing up.
There have been countless articles written about this topic, so I'm going to write about the more subtlety of these effects. I consider three factors throughout this ongoing article: racism, sexism, and body size. I am aware there is a lot more than this, but I have chosen to focus on three of them. This part talks about racism. This article is for people of color, especially women of color, to realize these effects of the mainstream media, and for non-people of color to learn them.
In order for this media mind control, those factors have to exist in the first place. And they have, for centuries and centuries.
'Whiter is Better'
Racism is still prevalent in our society today. It may be less of what it was in former decades, but it's still here. You can see racism through the desire to be lighter in the western world. But as the Western World holds the strings, being lighter has become the goal for so many people of color. To put it simply, colorism is a big problem that has been recurring for decades. As a Filipino myself, I am ashamed that my country has pushed this anti-dark rhetoric by endorsing and advertising millions of dollars for lightening creams and makeup. And mainstream media has simply amplified this racism by giving it a platform.
We were told that lighter is better- whiter is better- and we only saw those who were white on our screens. The main character in millions of movies is white. Most singers and actors and everyone else famous at the moment are usually, you guessed it, white.
Transformation of Our Traits
Skin complexion is simply one thing. However, the transformation of our NATURAL features is different. Youtube, TikTok, even TV shows have normalized this process of changing your nose, your eyes, your facial hair, into the so-called 'beauty standard'-the Eurocentric beauty standard. For example, isn't it ironic that black women have had to straighten their hair (because it was seen as unprofessional) as it became the 'trend' to have their natural hair for white women over the years? Kim Kardashian stands as an example of this.
This transformation of our traits reaches some extremities, seemingly becoming the norm over these years. Plastic surgery for monolids in Eastern Asia, skin whitening, and rhinoplasty (plastic nose surgery) to look more Caucasian can be very dangerous and further this ideal Eurocentric agenda.
The Beauty Industry Backwash
The last thing here to talk about is money. So what do you do if you've been taught to hate yourself? You buy, you spend, you throw thin, green paper at your problems to fix them.
The beauty industry feeds off of these insecurities created by themselves, indirectly or not. It's one of the most harmful traps in our society that has been capitalized on, and it always has been. Ads have been targeted to people of color based on their race.
Targeted ads have been a recurring feature of Instagram and Facebook. Like the lightening creams in the Philippines I mentioned earlier, hair products, plastic surgery, eyebrow thinning, hair waxing, and so much more are shoved in our faces constantly, especially with the help of social media boosting these ads.
And with the world learning this racist rhetoric, it feeds into a massive echo chamber where all sides are closing in. People boost these ads out of their own insecurity, whether it was a conscious decision or not. It's as if the beauty industry leans into your ear to tell you what's right and pretty or what's wrong and ugly, with the power of millions on the internet.
So What Do We Do About It?
Now we come to the part where you might become a bit impatient with me. I put 'advice' at the forefront of this website, this blog, this column, even. And you might be here for that advice to help reform our brainwashed beauty complex. Yet I hate to break it to you, but even I am still learning to do it. There is no true way to resolve the perception of beauty unless there is a major change, a major shift in today's society. But that shift needs to start with you. You must be aware of how and why this is happening to you, and then you can soon take the steps to unlearn it.
The next part of this article continues to talk about this shift but talks about sexism instead, Until then, stay safe, and stay aware of the world around you.
Written by Stephanie O. (she/her)
Author's Note: 1.) By mainstream media, I am referring to social media (mainly), Hollywood, the music industry, and magazines/models.
2.) This is written from the perspective of a woman of color, however, I do consider myself lighter than my fellow people of color. I am fully aware of this as I write this article.
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