Author: Ishwarya S
The Unattainable Beauty
The unattainable beauty is something that has to be taken care of. It has raised the expectations of common people and has become an additional pressure on most of us. The wrong influence which many of us get from the media influencers and the fashion industry has made beauty standards unattainable. Beauty becomes unattainable when there is no end to it. So this means that such perfect beauty does not exist even though we keep striving towards it. Although some models and media are working on diversifying the platform, this is very little and we can do a lot more than this. Realism and uniqueness are what today’s world wants. No individual is going to realize that they are content in who they are unless the media industry brings in reforms.
What does unattainable beauty mean?
Society's expectation of how a girl or a boy should look is threatening. These expectations put so much mental pressure on an individual that makes him/her work on satisfying others expectations. “Hey, you look beautiful, but you would look much better if you had straightened your hair.” Now, this is what I mean when I talk about unattainable beauty. We constantly try to please and satisfy others but everyone has their own picture of beauty which we can't fit in. Unattainable beauty is one among those that we cannot fit in. The beauty which we come across every day and the beauty that we all would like to attain. It is a myth. Do you know what makes us unique? It is the scars and the flaws which we carry along with us every day. This makes us unique!
Being in the 21st century, we can see in our daily lives that the standard of living keeps on increasing. Things are happening and people are getting along with the trend. A threat has entered into the society which I can term as ‘perfection’. Perfection in our appearance is what most of us are working on. This perfection is what I term as ‘The unattainable beauty’.
Reality and what is being portrayed
We all know that the media plays a major role in all our lives. So the media has a bigger responsibility when it comes to influencing people in the right way. There is always a huge gap between what the media portrays and what reality is. People get influenced easily by these beauty standards although it is not possible for them to achieve it. There’s no end to this perfection and thus it creates emotional distress among many of us. My take is, people have to realize that their bodies get along with nature and there’s nothing wrong with how they look. Voices have to be raised to bring about a change. Primary stakeholders such as the fashion industry and the media should start connecting more with common people on a huge scale in such a way that people start feeling that they are included and there’s nothing wrong with how they look.
Effects on our mental health
The unattainable beauty is like a viral disease which is emotionally affecting the people. There are two types of victims here, one, the people who believe these beauty standards and expect it from peer groups and two, the people working on these perfections trying to reach others expectations. A person facing constant rejection on a social platform or a person being depressed as he/she is not reaching others' so called ‘standards of beauty’, show us how deep the problem of beauty standards root into. I mean, this is intense. If something like this can make people insecure or embarrassed just for their normal-ness, it can make a person feel low and he/she will lose confidence and be depressed. This needs some attention and it has to be taken care of.
The influence of media in the right way
The media including the fashion and film industry has to play a major role in this. Avoiding fantasies and focusing the show lights towards reality will bring a major change that is essential. We need no Barbie dolls, princesses, princes to be shown on television. No one needs a structured and beautiful 20-year old girl to act like a 30-year old mother in a milk advertisement. A person's character should not be questioned for how they look. Looks should not be the prime criteria to judge a person. All we need is the reality to be shown as it is and a feeling that everyone is being included. When the truth is being portrayed, It is really powerful, and each and everyone will start feeling that their life is being shown over there and feel more connected with it. This forms a sort of connection and bonding with that particular advertisement or product in that way. This is good both for the business and the people. A model or an actor representing themselves on behalf of the public can be inspiring. What we all want is a woman with stretch marks or a man who does not have a perfect physic kind of thing. It is all about a connection which everyone should feel and treat what is normal to be perfectly normal.
Self-realization and a large awakening
Everyone should start realizing that whatever is shown on social media is not what it seems to be and try to understand the reality. I mean we are in the era of technology where Photoshop plays a major role when an influencer or actor or a model is being filmed. We need to Realize that the unrealistic standards especially for women are being created through advanced technologies. We should not fall for these so called standards. It is not wrong for you to carry yourself in a more realistic way. Stop seeking perfection in how you look, because it will never occur.
It is good to know that diversification has been started in the industry and is happening for good. If you see, many models and actors who can inspire you in a great way and many people have proved that talent is the only thing anyone will value. Every body’s shape and color is being accepted and some of them have started bringing in the new trend, for instance, icons like Jamie Brewer, Winnie Harlow, and Tess Holliday. But it is needed for a large awakening to take place.
Live your life to the fullest
I’ve seen many people talk about self-love but it is not easy to love ourselves. It's in our human nature to seek attention, love and care from others. But rather than self-love, self-valuation is what is more important for you to be happy. (Ways to be Happy) Whatever you are working on right now, to be perfectly beautiful will never be attained and whomever you are trying to satisfy will never get satisfied. The self-realization and self-valuation to do things that you like will make you a better person. Because how much ever you try it will not be enough for the people around you, unless you decide for yourself, what you are desired for. You cannot be Marilyn Monroe or Kylie Jenner or a photo-shopped model and no one else can be you. So stop chasing the unattainable and live your life to the fullest!
-Yours
Ishwarya S
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1 Comments
Talking about body positivity is very important. This article is very motivating. I too feel that everyone is beautiful in their own way no matter what.
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