Be the Black Zebra with White Strips

Karina Benavides

Prof. Lambert

ENGL 1301.41803

27 October 2015

Be the Black Zebra with White Strips

        One of the most notorious sayings for beauty is, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” According to the dictionary meaning, “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight”. (Oxford) Is it just seen through appearance? Why does it have to depend on the beholder to determine it? According to a cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stephen Marquardt, he considers beauty as having clear skin, full lips, define bone structure, high check bone, cupids bow lip and big eyes. (BBC Documentary) Now let’s be honest here, not many girls have these qualities. This is where depression, anxiety, bulimia, extreme diets, and in farther cases suicide come to play. (Consumer Behaviors) We need to put a stop to defending beauty with physical appearance and teach our current generation, beauty gets the attention but not the heart.

        Beauty is made within, not born. It is not seen in the eye of the beholder; it is rather felt inside to reflect on the outside. Having a clear skin, full lips or big eyes does not define what it truly means. Beauty is about making our own rules and feeling beautiful because we know it, not because we are told so.                

        Considering the mental state beauty can make us feel, In a Dove social experiment, four different aged ladies (group A) were asked to describe themselves to a forensic artist. One by one, not being able to see each other, the artist drew the females as they describe themselves. He asked several questions from the hair type to location of wrinkles. After the artist was done sketching the portraits, another set of individuals walked in. Being not able to see the artist as well, four individuals (group B) were asked the same questions but, in regards to the strangers they met a while ago (group A). Finally being done with two portraits, group A were called back in the room. Staring with great surprise the ladies observed in shock both of their portraits. Emotionally analyzing the sketch they all were amazed how the second portrait resembled them more accurately than the sketch they did with the artist. The commercial ended with the words, “you’re more beautiful than you think.” What a powerful message to show how we put down are self and focus more on the flaws. (DoveUs)

        Not always is there a positive message for beauty. For example, in September 1960 there was a presidential campaign for Nixon and Kennedy. People who listen to the campaign on the radio had more favor on Nixon and his views, but in the other hand people who watched it on TV favored more Kennedy. Let’s take a wild guess why there was a big difference on votes regarding the presidential campaign shall we? Beside Nixon having good faith in the country he loses the presidential due to nothing else but beauty. People saw Kennedy more appealing with a younger look and a handsome vibe, while Nixon demonstrated sweat and did not appeal as attractive. He refused to wear makeup like Kennedy, saying “it was for gays.” And by now we all know who won the presidential, Kennedy. How disturbing to know certain people will put the future of their country based on appearance rather than intelligence. (BBC Documentary)

        While some people are lucky to have the perks, such magic to change our beauty has exited over 4,000 years ago! It’s called makeup. Back in the Egyptian days, women would wear coal under their eyes as eyeliner to appear having bigger eyes. This was a way to attract the mate. On the other hand, In the Victorian era, being as pale as snow was considered attractive. Females would paint their face with zinc, a representation on wealth and high class. In present day society there are literally tons of different makeup technics such as blush to have rosy checks, mascara to have longer eyelash, contouring to have the face appear slimmer, and bronzer to have a sun kissed finished. Recognizing how beauty is defined for centuries, each country and era had their own classification on beauty and the way it should be persuaded. Nowadays we look up to the models on magazine covers and celebrities as a guide for us to understand the trend. (BBC Documentary)

        While having attractiveness to determine our mate and happiness, on some occasions it can even determine our career and how successful we are. Beauty is said to offer us better job positions and better pay especially in the fashion and business industry. Employers want or better said need attractive people to come in contact with business partners to admire their beauty in order to get a business deal. Meanwhile in the fashion industry, the way of business is to have a young and beautiful model to attract sex and then sex will attract profit. Most employers would forget about morals and the deep down meaning of intelligence. They tend to focus more on the physical, rather more on the personality and the actual mind who would pull forward the business. (Gerdes)