Naomi Wolf in her book ‘The Beauty Myth’ says, “In assigning value to women in a vertical hierarchy according to a culturally imposed physical standard, it is an expression of power relations in which women must unnaturally compete for resources that men have appropriated for themselves.” There is no better way to realise this than the billion dollar cosmetics industry and the equally widespread fashion industry. If in New York, a woman has the 'freedom' to wear calf-skin Prada boots, a single mother in Seelampur and Manila has to give up hers by spending all the time she can to stitch clothing for the ambitious women of New York.
It's not fair. Pun intended.
Beauty is a factor that really shouldn't have anything to do with your intelligence. However, it does. I read a study which claimed that being beautiful meant that you would be smart too because genetics is on your side.
I think that's a load of crap. I remember watching the episode of "30 Rock" where Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) meets this cute doctor (played by Jon Hamm) who is really handsome and everyone in the world is nice to him and gives him whatever he wants. On the other hand, he is as dumb as....as....well, George W. Bush. I'm not comparing dumb people to rocks or animals as both are smarter than him.
So "30 Rock" showed that while beautiful people may have their way and the world trips over its own laces to follow and praise them, they really can't do shit! (I mean, not all of them would have constipation problems or piles, but I can hope for it, can't I?) The world is built on the toil, burden and humiliation of normal and "ugly" people. If we weren't tortured enough for being dark,weak, being ugly, or fat, or nerdy etc., I don't think we'd have worked even harder to make a name.
While not all of us normal folks have made a name for ourselves, we certainly are the factor, the coal bearers in this cruel cruel world. Without us, there'd be dirty toilets, dishes, garbage everywhere, no fancy apartments, shit on the road, and no beautiful clothes too.
So while you wear that expensive Prada or Ritu Kumar, bear in mind the labour behind it. The circle of life isn't a song you can sing in a Disney movie and win an Oscar for. It's crap and it's a hell to be stuck in. Think of the woman in Seelampur or fighting her way through the jungle to escape in Maoist villages death and hunger. Think of these not-beautiful thoughts when you think you are not beautiful enough for the world.
It's not fair. Pun intended.
Beauty is a factor that really shouldn't have anything to do with your intelligence. However, it does. I read a study which claimed that being beautiful meant that you would be smart too because genetics is on your side.
I think that's a load of crap. I remember watching the episode of "30 Rock" where Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) meets this cute doctor (played by Jon Hamm) who is really handsome and everyone in the world is nice to him and gives him whatever he wants. On the other hand, he is as dumb as....as....well, George W. Bush. I'm not comparing dumb people to rocks or animals as both are smarter than him.
So "30 Rock" showed that while beautiful people may have their way and the world trips over its own laces to follow and praise them, they really can't do shit! (I mean, not all of them would have constipation problems or piles, but I can hope for it, can't I?) The world is built on the toil, burden and humiliation of normal and "ugly" people. If we weren't tortured enough for being dark,weak, being ugly, or fat, or nerdy etc., I don't think we'd have worked even harder to make a name.
While not all of us normal folks have made a name for ourselves, we certainly are the factor, the coal bearers in this cruel cruel world. Without us, there'd be dirty toilets, dishes, garbage everywhere, no fancy apartments, shit on the road, and no beautiful clothes too.
So while you wear that expensive Prada or Ritu Kumar, bear in mind the labour behind it. The circle of life isn't a song you can sing in a Disney movie and win an Oscar for. It's crap and it's a hell to be stuck in. Think of the woman in Seelampur or fighting her way through the jungle to escape in Maoist villages death and hunger. Think of these not-beautiful thoughts when you think you are not beautiful enough for the world.
Nice.......!Read something good after long time
ReplyDeleteYour talking about two different views here which portrays 'beauty and intelligence' as in when it comes to personality traits etc. and from a sociological point of view. Your view points are somewhat broken here as they really don't connect, but the harsh truth is revealed which is actually the world wide truth, that the poor suffer and the rich get richer, and what's with the example of a male dumb doctor?? Feminism leaves its traces everywhere i guess? :P I believe, Beauty has its way of being carried..its a MASK which is embedded inside humans..particularly women(doesn't mean i'm bad mouthing women)..its a rarity that you find both in one person.
ReplyDeleteLife isn't fair..which one needs to know..if a poor is working his ass off here..the "rich dude" in some other part of the planet is enjoying life! If you are one of those whose who wears Gucci and Armani and is going through depression every now and then..then issues about world hunger/ poverty don't matter because you are the one who cant even do yourself a favor, then why does the freaking universe matters? The World Today as we speak is 'F*** your own buddy, cheat on your wife, beat your parents and put them in old age homes' that's the world we live in.
Though i only see this a work of a frustrated mind, who was quicker to pen down the emotion than classify the same within her own mind first...
ReplyDeletei'd rather point out another funny debate, my own, than comment on the confusing one above..
'the rich are happpy and enjoying, and the poor are suffering?'
Really?/??
Stupid as it may sound on the cover, there you need to give a thought...Adios