Modern Popular Beauty Standards

Beauty as typically portrayed in the pop media, womens’ magazines and mens’ magazines, gossip magazines, Hollywood etc.

The emphasis on the superficial is often criticized, although by definition the same could be said of any physical standard of beauty. Should a focus on true beauty be beneath the surface? If so, there is probably no culture which has achieved this idea that it is “what’s inside that counts”.

The current physical ideal can however be described as very sculpted, and, partly because present day women in Western countries have the money and leisure to spend on their looks, the process is more time-consuming and detailed than it was a few generations ago. An increasing number of semi-permanent and permanent transformation procedures are available- for example, plastic surgery, some of the most common being breast implants, liposuction, botox and rhinoplasty, as well as permanent hair removal through electrolysis, various anti-aging and toning procedures on the skin using lazers and other technology, tanning beds and creams, as well as whitening creams, realignment of teeth. There are also other procedures which are partially cosmetic, such as lazer eye surgery. Many of these procedures are about “fixing” perceived flaws which detract from a standard of how a beautiful person is “supposed” to look naturally. In this way, the current procedures are a bit different to some other well-known examples of societies where physical alteration of the women’s body was important, when a particular extraordinary trait was treasured, be it a long neck, tiny feet or a dome-shaped skull. The thinking behind most of these procedures is probably not to stand out in a negative way, rather than to be noticed in a positive way. For example, people are presumably feeling this way when they are taking on orthodontic treatment, teeth whitening, or a nose job on a nose they perceive to be too large or oddly shaped, as well as most efforts relating to reducing body weight. Many beauty products such as makeup also is often used for this function, and ideas of “hiding your flaws” or “imperfections” are influence the cut of clothing that people wear. Fashion is of course also used to “show off your assets”, “be noticed”, and to “express yourself”. All of these ideas do have in common the concept that looks are a part of your identity, and can influence the perception of your identity.