Monday, January 08, 2007

" Beauty "

I can't remember where I first saw this video. I think it was Joslyn who sent it to me (if I'm wrong, I'm sorry). But it's a pretty mind-numbing piece that shows how manufactured the "beautiful" people of the world are.

I think everybody needs to see this...

- ACL

40 "Insiders" spoke their mind. Join in...:

JJM said...

Good post Andre. It's freaky to see how much appearances are manipulated and then sold to the public.

Anonymous said...

Wow. This vid was amazing! Sometimes it really helps to know that even the models don’t always look like models.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about you, but the whole neck-stretching thing freaked me out. Reminds me of Stretch Armstrong.

Anonymous said...

You're absolutely right JJM. Tis video is a painful reminder of what a deceitful, manipulative, coercive, and suggestive society we live in. This bothers me because this is the message we send to our little girls.

As a father, I pray that my wife and I will be strengthened enough to teach my girls the opposite of this nonsense.

JJM said...

If you notice, the billboard has the word "Fasel" on it. Fasel is an anagram for FALSE; pretty appropriate for the theme of the commercial.

Anonymous said...

Yooo! I didn't notice that! You've got a good eye, JJM.

Do you think the anagram is coincidental?

JJM said...

Maybe. But if it's not a coincidence, it makes a pretty powerful statement. I didn't really look at it until I went back to Dre's post about anagrams. We're both the same kind of nerd.

Anonymous said...

I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this video. As much as it bothers me, it was a great commercial to learn from. It's a shame that the magazine covers and the billboards out there distort the truth so much and that the media feeds this mess to the world. Exposes like this can really open up the eyes of people who spend too much time trying to be like the people who are labeled "beautiful".

Andre said...

I think that what bothers me most is that those who are 'created' to be beautiful have features digitally enhanced that people physically will never be able to duplicate. The end result is either people who hate themselves for not being able to get like that or people who do ridiculous and DANGEROUS things to themselves to accomplish the feat.

Anonymous said...

I once read an article that stating that it was for that reason that Barbie dolls were being modified. The dimensions on a Barbie doll were proportionately an impossibility for human beings.

Anonymous said...

The scariest part of it all is that many girls rely less on computer software to change their look and more on scapels, liposuction, and implants.

Andre said...

I hate to admit it, but this is mostly OUR fault. This stuff outlines the very nature of humans and how we select who is attractive and who isn't. You're either too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, your penis is too small, your breasts are too saggy, your feet are too big, etc.

All the media and corporations are doing is taking advantage of the selective and mean judgements that we place on each other everyday.

Anonymous said...

Pains me to say, but you make a great point dawg.

Anonymous said...

The funny thing is: I don't think this young woman was bad looking to begin with. In fact, I think she's quite pretty.

Anonymous said...

Well I personally don't see anything wrong with a little makeup. The whole point of the stuff is to make your girl a little hotter than she was. It's not like she was hideous before then and then got gorgeous after some work.

I don't see what the big deal is.

Anonymous said...

It's a shame that ever young girl can't see this. Instead, all they get to see are the end results: the magazines, the video girls, the actresses. Sad.

Anonymous said...

Good point you made Joanne. What's sad is that girls are out there doing things to themselves to match the look they see on a magazine; not being aware of all that goes into it. Not only does it cost WAY more to have an operation done than using a piece of software, but it actually does damage to the natural part of your body.

Andre said...

This video reminds me of the theme song from Nip/Tuck. Appropriately, it's called "The Perfect Lie".

Greeneyes said...

Hello Handsome Andre ,
My Green Eyed Sweetie,,

Great Video , this (and other exposures like it )should be mandatory in every school and seen by all pre teens and teens of both sexes . The beauty /fashion industry ,plus all media have created a society where peoples differences are seen as flaws ,unattractive and in need of repair. Beauty comes in many forms ,too bad that society has and still is being conditioned to think certain altered images are the ideal beauty when itis impossible to achieve .THESE COOKIE CUTTER IMAGES need to stop.

THere I am all better now LOL, thanks for the space to rant and roar .

LATER Gator (wink*)
G

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I remember sending that to you, Andre. Anonymous, I don't see anything wrong with make-up, as I'm about to refresh mine in a few. But most times I go bare-faced. I feel that I'm prettier that way (Plus, a lot of guys told me that they like me bare faced *wink wink, Andre*)

However, this model doesn't just put on a little make-up. She completly changes herself! People are still able to recongize me with lipstick on. This chick looks like a whole other person, not herself. I dunno....maybe I'm old-fashioned. :(

Anonymous said...

By the way. You may be asking "If you feel that you're prettier without makeup, then why are you putting it on?"

Good Question! Here's the equation for my answer:

Joslyn+Not enougn Sleep=dark circles under eyes.

:)

Anonymous said...

I think the theme song is called "A Perfect Lie", not THE.

Andre said...

@ Greeny: I agree with you to an extent. I'm not sure if mandating these types of videos would be significantly effective (you know how kids respond to mandated stuff. I slept through sex Ed mainly because it was mandatory...). But there should at least be a reasonable balance between these types of videos and the nonsense that our kids watch everyday.

We've turned into so much of an "end result" society, that we don't focus on steps, methodolgy, and processes. When people want to have children, they focus on the shiny moments of the child (their first Easter speech, looking pretty in pictures, graduating from college, etc.) and not the less-than-desirable stuff (cleaning their crappy diapers, late night crying, supplying for them, paying tuition, etc.) Married couples focus on the glamour of a wedding and the novelty of romance without thinking about the struggles of marriage. Little girls see the "beauty" of models and celebs without seeing their "before" shots.

Sad.

@ Jos: "Plus, a lot of guys told me that they like me bare faced *wink wink, Andre*". Careful dude. I don't need no other boyfriends pissed at me. I've had more than my fair share.

But, I get your point.

@ Anonymous: I'm not casting blame on people who wear makeup or who do things to 'enhance' themselves. In fact, I'm as guilty as anybody for finding "beauty" in people who -- in all likelihood -- used some sort of augmentation; whether it's a boob job or just lip gloss.

I'm just saying that it's sad that we as a society have created a warped sense of what's beautiful and glamourous. Believe it or not, even the things that are appealing to us can be influenced by the trends of the time.

The H.C. said...

Hey Dre,
This is exactly why I refuse to show my face until I get "Photoshop".

Andre said...

HC: I tried to retouch my face in Photoshop and I kept getting an ERROR message.

Yikes...

Andre said...

Besides Hipster, your Pyschodelic/Brooks Brothers look does well enough. You don't need no stinkin' Photoshop retouching...

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the classic Twilight Zone episode "The Eye of the Beholder". It goes to show how society unfortunately determines beauty more than the individual.

Anonymous said...

I saw that episode. It's one of my favorites. The Hitler episode is probably the best, though.

Andre said...

I agree Karen. I won't even bother trying to define beauty and ugliness. Mr. Serling did it well enough:

Now the question comes to mind...where is this place and when is it, what kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm? The answer is: it doesn't make any difference. Because the old saying happens to be true. Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, in this year or a hundred years hence, on this planet or wherever there is human life, perhaps out among the stars. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A lesson to be learned...in the Twilight Zone.

Anonymous said...

Andre,

You're a nerd

Thank you

Andre said...

If anybody's a nerd...

The H.C. said...

Thanks,
It's a daring fashion statement that I'm thinking of getting a patent on.

Anonymous said...

KC, I just watched that video again. You're right. The neck thing is really nasty. :/

Anonymous said...

No doubt.

Anonymous said...

What upsets me is that the young girl was very attractive in the first place. Its sad to me that so many pretty girls have issues with themselves because they compare themselves to what the see on TV, movies, and magazines.

No wonder all these things are cottage industries. Scary to imagine all the money being made by preying on these teens.

Anonymous said...

Wow. An amazing, powerful, and compelling video; to the point and most of all true.

Anonymous said...

I've got a friend in the graphic designer business. He often tells me about how this process works. What he always tells youngsters is that NO BODY really looks as good as they appear in the magazines, movies, and TV. Most of the models, he says, are good-looking, but in an everyday, natural way. Not like the stunning supermodel types. That look only comes with the make-up artists, the airbrushers, and the graphic designers.

The sad thing is, people get swallowed by this type of lie everyday. Andre, you're right. This is definitely a message that people need to hear. Especially the children.

Anonymous said...

After checking out this video again, I can appreciate the fact that Dove (of all companies) would be promoting this, especially since THEY make beauty products. I guess it's like the tobacco companies and the anti-smoking ads. I applaud their honesty.

Andre said...

@ HC: If you ever came out with your own Hippie Conservative clothing line, I'd buy.

@ Cyn/KC: The disgusting neck thing is only a small portion of the crazy stuff that went on with that video.

@ Ellena: Companies have been making fortunes off of people's insecurities for years. Sadly, this type of socialization starts almost straight out the womb.

@ Alex: I agree completely.

@ Sean: I wonder if magazine companies would be as willing to produce this type of informational piece; especially since they make the biggest fortune selling this lie. That'll be the day.

@ saved_sinner: Great points, Rob.

Anonymous said...

Andre,

I just thought of something. I'm sorry that this comment is so 'after-the-fact'. But, people's obsessions with "beauty" actually go way back to Biblical times. Isaac was first attacted to Rebekah because of her beauty, followed by Jacob and Rachel. Let's not forget about David. The minute he saw Bathsheba bathing, he was hooked. The point is: these men (men of God, at that) didn't get to know these women first, they were attracted by the physical. Whereas women like Leah (who were not attractive) weren't so lucky.

I say all this just to point out the fact that grace is a wonderful thing. I'd hate to imagine what would happen if we had to be attractive in order to receive Jesus' salvation.