The articles, Klaus Barbie and other dolls I’d like to see, and Teen Mags; How to get a guy, Drop 20 pounds and Lose Your Self-Esteem, both written by women take a personal and researched viewpoint of the pressures of being an adolescent teenage girl in modern times; where being thin, white and pretty are the key requirements to success and happiness. Both viewpoints rue the fact that such shallow benchmarks of perfection lead to low self-esteem demean females and propagate women as second class citizens in a male dominated world.
This situation was fictionally depicted in Margaret Atwood’s futuristic novel, The Hand Maids Tale, which took an extreme case of where we are heading, where women will be reduced to the nothing state of a womb for sale whose minds are no longer of consequence. How seriously and how affected are young girls by unrealistic ideals of perfection, such as Barbie dolls or airbrushed models? Well, surely this all depends on the peer pressures faced and the home upbringing and environment. Some impressionable or gullible young things will fall prey to the whims of society, leading to low self image and self loathing. Many will become victims of eating disorders such as anaeroxia nervosa and bulimia which could lead to hospitalization or even death. If these women survive, they will never be fruitful in society, failing as mothers and wives and will ultimately pass their insecurity and vanity to their daughters, and therefore the cycle continues. Others are able to take the pressures in their stride and are able to rise against it, leading fulfilled adult lives of success, independence and self confidence. But exactly how important are our looks. Well from an early age girls quickly realize that being cute or pretty allows them to manipulate and take short cuts. It is hard to reprimand or scold a pretty toddler that pouts prettily with puppy dog eyes. Yes, sometimes women are not the manipulated ones as the articles suggest but at times can be the manipulator. Other times women reach adult hood only to find that they are condemned for their “too pretty, or too sexy looks, which may not be artificially created but genetic and still are blamed for. Pretty women complain they are never taken seriously in the workplace, are deemed stupid and any success is cribbed about as due to sexual favors being given to the boss ! Unfortunately, there are women who use their looks unfairly to their advantage and revel in the illusion of stupidity for personal gain of a rich husband or a lucrative glamorous career. These women pass on burdens to the pretty women who simply work hard and strive for success and do not depend on their good looks. However, what happens to the women who society deems as fat and ugly? Well they can climb the ladder of corporate success unhindered and not care about their physical failings, or spend a lifetime at the gym and fad diets which makes them miserable and offers no change in their waistlines. The life we lead is our own and our choices are our own, but self respect for ourselves and others and, peace of mind is far more valuable commodities than perfect legs and a 23” waist. Our focus should be on longer time frame such as the development of our minds and souls as looks are transient and temporary.
The articles also touches on the racist ideals of the Aryan super race of white blondes, as widely used as the role model in magazines and dolls. I think that today this backward mindset has come leap and bounds as other races are now accepted as successful and beautiful ideals (case in point, Michelle Obama), but I feel that taking the steps of having a transgender doll etc is taking things a little too far. Allow little girls to have their girly fantasies of being a princess. As long as there is a balance in their lives such as sports and a strong education system at home as well as school then intelligent, stable women can make the right choices in adult hood, understand the pitfalls and grow out of shallow daydreams. After all it is possible to use Mother Teresa and Hannah Montana as role models simultaneously as both have a place in society and women should want to grow up like a little piece of each.
The moral of this story is as the song lyrics show, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” No one is perfect, but only when we learn to love ourselves, can we give love to others. Be happy as obsessing over a 23” waist is a complete waist of time!
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