Aline Andreolla Feijo

THE BEAUTY MYTH

It is almost impossible to believe how much I am capable to relate to The Beauty Myth, when the author talks about the exhaustion of I female, the exhaustion a girl feels when trying to achieve such impossible beauty standards, almost made me feel like screaming off the top of my lungs, “thank you!” How is it possible that us, girls who feel empowered by being capable to sit next to a boy in a college classroom, after knowing all that ours grandmothers, aunts, and mother went through to get us here, feel so oppressed because of a beauty standard? Because of a belief that women must be impeccable?

Older women aren’t less attractive for being old, but because with age women become more powerful, and men, less interested.

The billionaire companies of diet, pornography, cosmetics, keep this beauty myth alive. Since women are becoming harder to break down economically, their psychological beliefs are being affected. A girl cannot be both beautiful and economically successful.

The beauty myth is destroying us all physically and emotionally.  

HAIR MATTERS:

The way women wear their hairs will affect how people will judge them, so hair can really be seen as a way of oppression. Many black women feel like they have to straighten their hairs in order to be taken seriously, or even just to fit in, because they are made to believe that embracing their hairs in its natural way won’t be beautiful, and if they are willing to make a change, and they are capable to do so, they will do it to feel empowered.

A very interesting point in my opinion is when Lisa says she puts her hair up to a meeting. A women wearing her hair up is less feminine, less free. They resemble men more for not having long hair falling on her face, it cuts out a little of her freedom. Is it fair that women need to become less feminine and less free only to be taken more seriously during, lets say, a business meeting?

I agree that hair is related to a stereotype. A girl with straight blond hair will automatically be seen as someone who takes good care of her and will follow the norm, while someone who only wears her hair naturally barely brushing it, will be seen as a female who doesn’t follow the “normal” society standards, and it’s not afraid to be herself in all situations. But the question is, which of these girls would be taken more seriously on the work field? The one who straightness her hair everyday, or the way who has it naturally free?

DISTURBENCES IN THE SOCIAL BODY

It never came to mind that eating disorders could be segregated between black women and white women, but somehow it isn’t strange to me that white women would suffer more with eating disorders than black women would, is it possible that black women really do feel more comfortable and secure about themselves? Or is it that maybe the media just targets white girls more?

Being anorexic or bulimic puts us in control, and being in control makes us feel empowered. Knowing we can control our weight perfectly makes us believe we then have the power to control everything else that surrounds us. A women who lets her diet slip for a day, and gains weight unconsciously is not in control, thus the people and the environment that surrounds her can easily manipulate her.

White women want to be small and slim, they want to be delicate, even though they argue they don’t want to be overpowered by men, their ideal of beauty empowers men constantly. Yet, if we look at black women, they are the opposite. They like curves, they like the strength their size brings them, they aren’t fearful. Should us white girls learn from the black girls how to feel more empowered? Because there are theories that man do feel more intimidated by a black girl vs. a white girl. It really seems as if even with racism, black women do still more comfortable with themselves, maybe with all they have suffered in the past, they grew stronger, and physical acceptance among their race has increased.