While someone may not be able to transform themselves into “white,” they are fully able to slightly “tweak” themselves and get one step closer. While it is not the perfect situation, one can at least accept these actions as desires to fulfill some sort of inherent beauty standard which we cannot erase.
This is what Tyra Banks seems to think.
Why is it that our culture in today’s world is so conditioned to follow what is seemingly one set of Western beauty ideals? Though some may argue that it is not the only form of beauty, every other perceived “beauty” is only labeled as such for its exotic appeal and “Other”-ness, thus separate from the prevailing ideal of Caucasian beauty.
Even if solely changing one's eyelids, hair, or similar smaller features may not turn a person into the perfect representation of white beauty, it nonetheless is still an attempt to fit aspects of this ideal. If this is the idea of beauty, though, how are we supposed to escape it? One cannot change how they have been conditioned, and as a society, we have been conditioned to feel that the white beauty standard is the beauty standard by which we compare and judge all others. From the time we are small children, this has been implanted into our minds, and it is not necessarily right or wrong to “conform” to this ideal. However, it is important to at least accept that these standards are the reasons why, as a society, there is a desire to look and exist a certain way. While there may not be any easy way to change these standards, it is necessary to increase the awareness and knowledge that these beauty ideals do govern our lives, whether we realize it or not.
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3 comments:
I find it very admirable that you, as a white person, are still able to notice such a cultural problem that virtually all racial minorities living in America go through sometime in their lives (or even never get out of, quite unfortunately).
I guess I probably had a greater shock when it comes to the standard (white) beauty in America--even more so than other minority American kids. This is very personal and still painful, but I'd like to share my story out of respect for your courageous effort. I was born and raised in Seoul, Korea until I was 12 and I never had any doubts about my appearance, especially regarding the color of my hair and eyes, because I grew up in a racially homogenous society. But when I came to America, I noticed that people looked at me differently. At first, I thought it was because I didn't speak English at all and because I didn't know how to behave like an American teenager. But even after I perfected my English and began to have way more white friends than Asian friends, people still treated me differently, you know? I mean, most people who are my friends in college get shocked when I tell them that I've been in the United States for only 8 years because I "act American" and talk like a Californian without any Asian accent. But still, as I get out of the sheltered environments I've grown in, like private boarding school and even college, I always notice that white people look at me like I'm some kind of sub-human walking past them; a number of people automatically frown or conspicuously feel uneasy when I enter a building or pass by them. Recently, a recruiter from Merrill Lynch (a dirty blonde white woman in her 20s who looked like she just graduated from her sorority) was all smiling and friendly to a circle of people and at the end of their conversation when I walked up to introduce myself, she just automatically frowned without realizing that she was very much visibly doing so. She didn't even bother to stop to talk to me and just walked away which I thought was very rude.
Anyways, back to the story:
Through middle school and high school, it was hard to get a date with a white girl because apparently being Asian wasn't cool. So I often had trouble seeing myself as a normal guy and from time to time I still do, because having black hair and dark brown eyes apparently don't make you look decent or handsome in America. So I always had to prove myself worthy of hanging out or dating. I feel like all those times I've been on dates with white girls, I was able to pull it off only because I'm in an acappella group or because I have special talents rather than because they liked me for who I am in my pure appearance. I think it sucked and still does suck that someone interesting and multi-talented person like me gets tossed aside for a no-personality boring white guy with blonde hair and blue eyes just for the sake of "white" beauty. It's happened with several girls I had crush on in middle/high school, and I'm sure it does to many others in college. I just wish people could see each other beyond racial appearances. I think it's very psychologically damaging to children of color when they grow up in America.
I really appreciate your sensitivity, Matt. Thanks for the post. :)
I really enjoyed this article as well. I'm considered "white", whatever that means, but I don't look white so I don't necessarily get the benefits of being white. I don't have the sleek straight hair that, or the blue eyes, or the "perfect white skin." I'm all about curly hair and I'm naturally tanned. That's another issue, why are a lot of white girls and guys getting tans? I don't understand.
I've been made fun of for my hair cuz its so freezy and curly. Even my friends keep telling me to get it permanently straightened. I keep telling them I like how my hair is different than yours. It's sad to see society deem certain aspects of physical qualities as superior compared to the rest. Being tall and skinny is "better" than being average and curvy.
I ignore what has happened to our generation, but am skeptical of what is going to happen for the young ones. As little children, they are taugh how to groom themselves properly, how to dress accordingly and so forth. We are producing copy cats. ITS BORING!!
And even looking at what Tyra said, she is being hypocritical herself. She is judging her guest, instead of judging herself. She's sitting their with so called white people's hair, criticizing the girl who had eyelid surgery. I don't know, I just feel beauty needs to come in different styles. I'm as beautiful as you so don't you dare judge me.
Yeah seriously. I laugh when I see sorority girls on campus (90% of whom) dressed exactly the same and looking exactly the same (i.e. Gucci sun glasses, prada bag, bleached blonde hair, sorority girl voice, etc). One thing I hate about this school is that compared to other schools, "coolness" revolves around conformity than uniqueness (way more so than others). How fucking boring is that? Personally, I prefer a wide variety of selections when it comes to girls, not just a bunch of identical robots or clones that I can buy off of sexdolls.com.
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