Hi Classmates.
Just recently I was watching Asian variety shows online. I watch these shows because of the many idols that I like and am also influenced by. Some reasons are how well they dress, how great their skin is or how they jut seem to be very confident and beautiful. For some asian people, beauty is something that they would like to achieve. Many women buy tons of makeup or certain things to enhance or fix whatever flaw that they may have. I find some methods are very ridiculous and some are helpful but in the end of the day it doesn't change who you are as a person.
Things are not always what they seem.
Taiwanese Models (Eng Sub)
It's a bit lengthy but it's quite interesting. This is a taiwanese game show, and I believe it is to win money to see who is the most beautiful.
After watching this video, I am a bit appaled. I'm not really surprised at some of these things but it made me really think that the media's top goal is to portray things the way they want it to be. What I didn't like was the expressions and reactions that people made while viewing these women in the 2 different points of view. They made sounds to what is pleasing and what is not. While watching these shows, people tend to pick that up really easily. It seems like they make it clear to everyone that the women without the makeup was hideous and ugly but after putting on the makeup they seem to be the hottest beings there. It's really funny too because even the women joke about how ugly other women are when they too are wearing makeup. I believe that these women were lovely in their own way but many people over exaggerate what is not considered to be beautiful that some people don't even have the choice but to follow the norm of beauty. This really shows that beauty is a tough industry that people must always follow or they will be scrutinized for how they look.
As for my question, Beauty gone too far? Yes, I do believe so. The whole industry, beauty and media alike are all about money. People are losing true identity of the original self in which many don't want to be themselves. Instead they want to be the pretty petite doll that many will adore. In my opinion, I find that make up in moderation is okay, but to change ones' appearance completely isn't right. Putting caterpillars (fake eyelashes) on their eyes or caking layers upon layers of makeup certainly don't exactly make them beautiful. Being yourself is the best.
Food for thought.
Here are just a few current asian trends that i've heard about and what I commonly know:
-Pale white skin
-Big beautiful eyes
Many people consider being light or fair skinned to be beautiful. I've read somewhere before that it was probably because the colour of the skin was to show ones' status. If you were rich and high up there, you'd be fair and if you worked for instance a farmer, you would be tanned from the hard labour. But being asian myself, I know that many seek out different moisturizers, different soaps and lotions to help whiten their skin and become pale. A lot of money has been spent in aquiring these products, all in the price of beauty. I've noticed that in certain movies the most beautiful characters tend to be white or very pale. Hence, Snow White as well as Edward, in Twilight. This comes to show that people are taking note to what is beautiful when they watch movies such as these. In contrast to the "white" ideaology, it is quite also different in the Western society, in which tanned and bronzed women being seem to be very attractive.
Another trend that if not many then some people consider to be beautiful is having the big beautiful eyes looking straight back at you. To enhance the eye or the eyeball area, some tend to put on fake lashes, big circle lenses, eye tape, heavy white eyeliner and even surgery. These are just some of the ways that will make their eyes stand out. It's a bit creepy, since porcelain dolls do look like that too.
Just to clarify:
fake lashes- fake hair eye lashes that people can glue to their own lashes to show that they have thicker and longer lashes.
big circle lenses- these lenses are just like contact lenses except they can be in different sizes (mostly bigger), they can have different designs, also be in many different colours.
eye tape- many people (mostly women) who have the monolid "asian" eye are always opting to either have surgery on their eye to make their eyes bigger. Instead they have this eye tape that they can use, in which they put it on their eye crease to create a larger eyelid. There are also certain creams that can create a double eyelid.
(Some of these products were used in the video)
Questions: (You dont have to answer all of these questions)
-Do you believe having shows like this is beneficial to the audience in a way that shows the society what is beautiful or not? Do they have a right?
- Do you think this women have gone to far for the price of beauty?What are some examples?
-What do you think about certain things to "enhance beauty" for example, contact lenses?
-In other countries, what else is considered to be beautiful? Is this being propagated by the media?
-What do you think makes a woman beautiful? In your opinion are these women beautiful or ugly? What makes you think whether a person is beautiful or ugly? (who or what influenced you to make such judgements)?
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Diane. This video is rediculous! There are no words to describe the way this video portrays women. This show is definately not beneficial to society because it makes women think that this is what they need to do to be beautiful. This is not what real beauty is, or should be. Makeup, to me, is okay in moderation. When someone wears too much makeup it seems as though it is not really them; they are trying to become someone they want to be. There are many things in the media that effect the way women purchase things, such as makeup or even just the way to look. For example, in class when Ms. Petrelli was talking about the mascara being put out my Rihanna. Women will go out to buy it just because of Rihanna and wanting to look like her. I think this is the same in all countries however, it is not always done by media. For instance, in Africa many people don't have TVs and so they would try to follow maybe the president or someone powerful in that country.
ReplyDeleteI do not think all women have gone far for the price of beauty but some have. Women especially care of what other people think and that makes them want to go out and buy name brands and all this makeup etc. to make them fit in.
I think a person's personality is what makes them beautiful. You do not need makeup, contacts etc. to be beautiful. Beautiful does have many definitions all around the world and I personally think people are scared to be themselves because they care too much of what other people think.
I really like this topic because where ever you look or whoever you ask; people do say they prefer white skin over a darker colour skin tone. Not everyone thinks this way but some still do. For example my mom is from India she always has this thought that if you were a lighter skin tone you are considered beautiful. Sometimes she would come to me and tell me what to use on my face and what not to put on. What cream will make me look better and what cream will destroy my skin. I believe this is all nonsense talk. Makeup can change your features and make you look a bit different but can it change a person? Does make up and looking good always matter? Maybe to some people it does but we definitely don’t have the right to go around and say “oh she looks ugly because she has no makeup on.” A person should not be judged according to their appearance. It’s the inner beauty that counts not the outer. Sometimes I feel so bad for kids who get bullied everyday because of their looks, that’s not right. We shouldn’t do that. It’s like the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover.” In this world many young women kill themselves, or hit depression because of a low self esteem factor, and guess who is to blame? We are, the media is. All they show every day on TV is how to look beautiful, how to look young. Were this product and you will look gorgeous! Why does beauty matter, after all its about the person and his/her thoughts not how they look. Do we pick friends according to their looks or their personality?
ReplyDeleteI just think this is not the way the new generation should live by. We all are different and we all are unique in our own way. Wearing makeup is o.k. there is nothing wrong in that but you should not judge a person by his/her looks. You shouldn’t say/think, “Oh lighter skin, big eyes that’s considered beauty.” I think as children we learn what our parent taught us. By saying this we are automatically calling everyone else ugly because for us that’s the only thing that makes us look pretty. I’m not going to lie as a teenager I know what goes around even I at a point I thought white skin is defined as beauty. Like ever teenager I do look in the mirror and do wish I looked a little bit prettier or better, but these things don’t matter in the long run. It’s not about how you look but about how you truly are from the inside. We need to change our thinking and understand what beauty really means.
i really liked this article because its something that everyone talks about and something we could all relate to.
It's the perfect topic to be talked upon in this world of glamour. I agree with Diane, Alysha, and Gurpreet. Being beautiful doesn't mean that your skin complexion should be light and you have to wear layers of makeup. As Gurpreet said, it's the inner beauty that counts. I don't think this show is beneficial to the society, especially to women. These shows just lead women to wrong directions and encourage them to do the same things as women in the show do. I have seen many people who apply makeup and make fool of themselves. Not each person has "fashion sense" and they end up being the center of attraction. We all know that celebrities apply tons of make-up and after that they look beautiful (not all though). If we look at their pictures in which they are not wearing any makeup, they look horrible. So, make up does not make you look any beautiful. It's the way you present yourself to other people and your personality counts, and for this, I don't think you need make up. I agree that moderate make up is okay. But in excess, it ruins your OWN beauty.
ReplyDeleteBeing a teenager, sometimes I tell my mom by looking in the mirror that "I don't look good today". My mom replies that "have a good heart and you'll look beautiful always". So, makeup does not define your beauty.
Yes, I agree with the previous comments. I must say they are all correct in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteI just want to mention that if there were no beauty products or make ups, how would people make money? For example, Cover girl, Revlon, and many other well known companies make money from such people. You have to look at the other side too. Big companies give middle class people business, like Avon. Avon provides females with products which they have to sell on their own. They are given commission depending on what they sell, therefore providing them with money.
Shifting views towards the celebrities, it’s their way of life. They need to maintain their image and look good which results in using lots of makeup. Yes, in reality they do look very ugly, but it’s the way they live their normal life. If everyone was living without makeup, they would all be ugly and dead. There is always hierarchy in the society; hence they are on the top when rated about their looks (obviously, with the help of makeup).
It is said that when someone uses makeup, it’s like they are putting on a fake mask to look like someone who they are not. I believe that people who use makeup regularly, it becomes part of their personality. It’s a way of defining themselves and having a secure feeling that they look “good”. It also gives many individuals courage to become more open in the public.
Obviously, there has to be a limit so the person uses it some extent. Make up does not make someone look beautiful but rather, take their natural beauty away. But, it can also be looked at as a positive aspect in someone’s life. It can also make an ugly person look pretty and give them confidence.
Great points, ladies!
ReplyDeleteBack to the point that Alysha made was that she mentioned that there are many different definitions of beauty around the world. I really like that she mentioned this because there are so much definitions of beauty. An example that I have, is in reference to another video that I have watched. This reality show is called "The Price of Beauty" starring Jessica Simpson. In this show, she travels around the world to find what is beautiful in other countries. There were so much different trends in the world that women followed. For example, when they went to Brazil, a trend that women did was called the "golden shower". Instead of shaving their legs, they would bleach their hair gold because it would look nice with a tan. For the people here in North America, we tend to shave or remove hair because that’s what we perceive it to be appealing.
Back to Gurpreet, in connection to her point about her mom having the idea that being lighter is beautiful, same goes for my mother in which she always stresses to my sisters and I to always be aware whenever staying outside. She doesn’t want us getting tanned as she always knew that being light is beautiful. I guess it stayed with us as we are more conscious about being under the sun. I guess it's what people are taught and how they see beauty to be.
Referring to what Prutha had said about her mother, I really loved her point as this is true. "Have a good heart and you'll look beautiful always". This is just the thing that people need to hear as it is quite empowering. The personality is what counts and not the appearance.
Lastly, back to Heli, I agree with her point about it's a celebrity's lifestyle. They need to keep their image as they are being paid to look beautiful. Without the wearing of makeup, there would be no money, no jobs, no production etc. It's part of business. Another good point that Heli brought up is that people wear makeup for confidence but I don’t think that is this a good way to boost someone’s self esteem. I believe that in doing activities such as sports can really help. It makes people feel good about themselves that they do not need makeup. Appearance doesn't really matter when it comes to being yourself.
must say that this is one of the most important topics in today’s times. Media has become the centre of our world, and is easily accessed by everyone. This results in the overexposure of such shows, movies, advertisement etc. to younger people, which are unavoidable. They become mentally conditioned that this is what is accepted in the society, and later on that creates a problem for them especially in their teenage years, because they feel that people will not accept them if they are not like that.
ReplyDeleteAs Heli said, this does create job for many people. But to think about it, the world is all about consumerism now. People buy so many clothes and products. What is worst is that even GUYS have become like that. They spend hours getting ready and gelling their hair. Being well groomed is a great thing, but spending hours to keep pace with the fashion trends is a bit worrying.
This video is not actually that bad because it only shows how make-up, which is something temporary and removable, changes one’s look. What’s even scarier is that there are shows that show how plastic surgery changes people’s looks! I remember watching it at my sister’s house, but I don’t remember what the name was. Basically, a number of brides-to-be competed with one another in various activities to gain a chance at going under the knife. WE NEED TO STOP THESE PEOPLE FROM EARNNING MONEY BY BRAINWASHING EVERYONE INTO THINKING THAT BEAUTY IS ALL THAT MATTERS AND RUINING THEIR LIVES.
To answer your question Diane, there is a big difference between “enhancing” beauty and changing your whole physical look. The women in the video were changing their whole physique. Contacts change the true colours of your eyes, and make-up masks your face, hence both change your whole look. If many of these cosmetics are a temporary fix, why waste your time and money on them?
ReplyDeleteHowever, all the messages given by this show isn’t bad. You have to look deep to see the positives. Firstly, it just goes to show how much pressure many famous people i.e. models have to endure. If they don’t put on make-up and mask themselves, do you think that they would still be in that industry? Secondly, it shows how the western nations influence other places. For example, where did the women learn that big eyes make you look more beautiful? Thirdly, it shows how people waste there time and money on temporary cosmetics. Worldwide, women spend billions of dollars yearly on cosmetics. This article I found on the web is pretty good. It gives an estimate on how much women spend yearly on each cosmetic in detail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-492463/Women-spend-8-500-make-lifetime.html
Most cosmetics aren’t made from good quality products either. Here is the “Makeup Make-up”:
Cosmetic, such as lipstick, eyeliner, blush, etc are generally made from animal wax (sometimes fats), oil, colour pigments, metal oxides, etc.
@Heli: make-up makes an ugly person look pretty? I don’t believe anyone is “ugly”. Beauty is just “in the eyes of the beholder”. My definition of beauty and your definition of beauty doesn’t have to be the same. Also, it is true that selling cosmetics create many jobs, but I do agree with Mursal that overproduction is not beneficial to society. It just influences people more about what beauty should be define as, mine the fact that I love Collins Gage Dictionary on the definition of beauty:
Beauty: A quality that gives great pleasure to the senses and to the mind.
P.S. I just typed in to see the dollar figures on money spent on cosmetics all over the world yearly. What was my first Google result...AN AD TO BUY BEAUTY PRODUCTS! (my comment on my first search result is inappropriate for the blog...)
@ Sageena: I just want to point out that I was talking from a very low self-esteem person’s point of view. Imagine if they were really dull and not confident to show themselves in the society, they may use makeup and make themselves look ‘decent’. This obviously sounds weird that a person can feel confident by using makeup but it does occur. Many girls use makeup to increase their self esteem and become confident to face the world. That doesn’t necessarily mean they look pretty but as long as they have the confidence then why not?
ReplyDeleteThe media has so much influence on teenage girls today that when they see such ‘beautiful’ people on TV, they want to be like them. Clearly, that is impossible so they use makeup as their last resort. I completely agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Like I mentioned in another post, beauty is what’s on the inside, not on the outside!
@Heli: Now that you have clarified yourself, I do agree with you. Before I thought you were saying only “ugly” people wear makeup. Because I know that some of my friends look much better with no makeup on.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would like to point out that when a woman always uses makeup, they look so different without it on. Many women say they feel “naked” leaving the house without makeup. Do you think makeup is an addiction for many women? (I am starting to believe this!)
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ReplyDeleteI just love this topic because i usually get into arguments with my mom about why being skinny and light colour is considered beautiful. She still believes that being a good at heart counts more than looks. But, now she thinks that in today's society people are influence by the media day by day that the definition of beauty has changed and as a result for many individuals beauty means thin, light colour skin etc. I truly believe that being good at heart is more important than being beautiful.
ReplyDelete@Sageena: I am also starting to believe that makeup is becoming an addiction for women. I just type women being addicted to makeup to see if there is any research done. I was really shocked by some of the results they found.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/entertainment/021710-is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-makeup-addict
I found this very interesting article about these three women who confessed that they are addicted to makeup and was challenge to go for a night out without it.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/article2044529.ece
It is inserting how some of the guys response that it’s great to see these women without three inches of makeup on. In addition, he added that they didn’t really notice that they were not wearing any makeup. Do you think that it is possible in near future that males would prefer women without make up on?
Even now, you can buy makeup kits for infants too. I think that it is just ridiculous. Infants have a very delicate skin and these makeups have chemicals that are not very healthily for their skin. Family might not realize that that they are leading there child to these makeup addiction.
If you think long term when you get older your skin does not remain the same and putting makeup on from a very early age will make your skin look worse. Natural beauty is more beautiful in my eyes than having excessive make-up on.
I am just reading the comments, and isn't it ironic that there are only girls who have commented on this topic till now? Why are there no comments from the guys in our class yet?
ReplyDeleteIs this called "girls talk" like many guys say when it comes to makeup and dresses and other things?
No, I think they're just too lazy to read over all the comments.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I hate how that guy screamed like that when he saw their real face. I thought they were pretty even without the make-up.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a like button on this website to "like" heli's comment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mursal. That has been bugging me when I had watched the clip. Notice all the comments below the video. We are not the only ones. The hosts' exaggerated reactions can be hurtful and demeaning. It's rude and I think they should have just kept it to themselves.
ReplyDelete