You are Beautiful

Browsing through the Forums, I came across a discussion titled "Why Are Girls Weird" (http://person.com/forum.phtml?showtopic= 31165&st=0&p=621330&). It's currently about how many women (and some men) seem to have difficulty accepting a compliment.  

Now granted, there is some there is a fair bit of legitimate argument for the simple fact that many people do not KNOW how to gracefully accept a compliment (kinda sad that they don't get enough practice), but methinks the main root of the problem lies within the current Western perception of beauty.  

Taking my role of pastoral care for my pupils somewhat seriously, I've often brought up the subject of our perception of beauty in class, especially for the benefit of the teenage girls who wind up being placed under tremendous pressure to be inhumanly beautiful. I choose the term "inhuman" for a very precise reason, which is revealed in this short film, by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, titled Evolution. 

It shows how a normal woman, through the use of multiple makeup artists and hair stylists, professional photography, and (most disturbingly) a subtantial amount of digital modification, is transformed into one of the "Glamazons" that decorate our many adverts. 

The discussion that results amongst my pupils when I show that film can get a bit intense, but it's no where NEAR the reaction I get when I show the short film titled Onslaught (again by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty): 

It highlights just how strong of a presence the beauty industry can have for young women. I recall, during one showing, three 15 year old girls hiding their faces during one segment that they, as they later explained, thought was pornographic. Interestingly, the "pornography" they saw came from bus stop adverts, music videos and other media rated for public consumption. 

The closing statement for the film reads "Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does." 

Kinda hits home, doesn't it. 

Now some of you may be thinking, "Why would a guy care about all this?" I think this short film, titled Amy says it all.

All three of the aforementionded films can be found through the video link for the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. 

This post is dedicated to every woman I have had to work very hard to convince of the truth of her own beauty, and to those with whom I failed.