It never ceases to fail. It seems that we have picked out the "best" physical traits in people and wish for them to be our own. The owner of these traits don't have the "perfect" lives that we seek, but that somehow does not yet stop us from embarking on a quest to attain them.
There is a new train of thought that youth is forever within one's grasp if you work hard enough; and this has been personified by Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis(see comments), Tina Turner, Diane Lane, Cher and Jane Fonda. The definition of youth is being pushed further back until one is eligible for Social Security.
Goldie Hawn's character espouses this belief in the "First Wives Club." One of her funnier lines occurs when she realizes that she is having trouble finding work because she is an actress of a "certain age," and has been offered a part for an older woman and not the traditional ingenue roles:
"My own age? No no. You don't understand. There are only three ages for women in Hollywood. Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Ms. Daisy. And right now, I want to be young, science-fiction young."
When it comes to hair, styles may come and go but they leave their mark on society. There is the Farrah, the Rachel and the bob cut which makes a comeback every couple of years.
Due to the miracle of plastic and reconstructive surgery, breasts, noses, ears, lips, tummies and hips can be altered to the size of preference. Think that this doesn't affect the minority population? Think again. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the numbers of ethnic minorities receiving cosmetic procedures is growing. This trend is also trickling down and affecting younger populations.
Download cosmetic_surgery_20_to_39.pdf
Download cosmetic_surgery_13_to_19.pdf
Download cosmetic_surgery_and_ethnic_patients.pdf
Download plastic_surgery_statistics.pdf
Hair has been very important to Hollywood Stars with two examples that stand out. Two women made headlines for cutting their long trademark hair, one mildly so and another harshly. They were Sheryl Crow and Keri Russell. Keri's show Felicity even suffered in their ratings after she cut her hair! Is it the long locks that we desire?
There is also obsession with the midrift, with the pursuit of the "best" abs being sought in an endless variety of methods. Apparently, this can be done in 6 minutes each night while sleeping (I am joking).
Much like a Barbie doll or a collage, one could play "cut and paste" and put together their own "Frances-tein." Realizing that wishing for parts of people or celebrities in order to complete themselves is as unrealistic as wishing to look like a piece of plastic.
While someone may have the power to make digital pictures of you several pounds thinner or even younger, they lack the power to hand you a mirror and help you love yourself just as you are.
I encourage you to be more vigilant when watching television or looking at magazines. Where does the camera try to draw your eyes? Does it want you to focus on a certain body part?
People speak of "Betty Davis' Eyes." Was that all to her? Was she that shallow? Just a shell housing a famous pair of eyeballs?
What do you want people to say about you? That they really liked your fingernails?
Does it matter if you are a good person, kind to others, good at your job, funny, a whiz in the garden or have a special talent that no one knows about?
Let go of the fallacy that building muscle, losing weight or retooling yourself will solve all your problems. They are smokescreens. Mere diversions. When the fog clears, you will find the problems that you've been trying to avoid waiting for you.
Speaking of Jamie Lee Curtis, she's on your side:
[From http://stayathomeparents.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_mom_s_self_image ]:
Do a reality check. The images we're pursuing aren't just unattainable; they're illusions. When CBS was criticized for altering a publicity photo to make Katie Couric appear 20 pounds lighter, a network spokesman pointed out that almost all magazines doctor photographs. Check out this photo touchup demonstration by G!rlpower, a Swedish media awareness campaign. Photo doctoring certainly isn't restricted to young models, like the one in the demo. Jamie Lee Curtis made headlines for appearing in an untouched photo in 2002 because aging is taboo in glossy magazines. And it's not just print media that's faking it. Hollywood routinely uses body doubles for even the most fit celebrities.
More at
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/08/27/ED242187.DTL
and
http://www.more.com/more-women/celebrities/jamie-lee-curtis-on-growing-older-wiser/
Posted by: RW | January 06, 2009 at 06:29 AM
Very true and thank you for the links. Jamie Lee Curtis did in fact make headlines for appearing in unaltered photos in a magazine to show the degree of refinishing that photos undergo. She is fighting back against the stereotype. We salute her, and there is still much work to be done!
Posted by: Leslie Murray | January 11, 2009 at 07:28 PM