NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/alt/supermod/1536

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-07 | 3.5 KB

Xref: sparky alt.supermodels:1536 soc.women:18930 alt.feminism:3811 soc.men:18743
Path: sparky!uunet!ogicse!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnewsk!krw
From: [e-mail] (keith.r.smith)
Newsgroups: alt.supermodels,soc.women,alt.feminism,soc.men
Subject: Self Appreciation (was: Re: Elle MacPherson causes rape?)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 6 Nov 92 16:50:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewsk.1992Nov6.165051.25204
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T
Lines: 67

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Trish Turliuk) writes:
>[e-mail] (keith.r.smith) writes:
>
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Kok-Yong Tan) writes:
>>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Rob Ingram) writes:
>>>
>>>               Rob Ingram
>>>               University of Nottingham
>>>
>>>I disagree.  Whether the possession of calendar featuring a supermodel (or
>>>anything else) suggests that someone would like all females to be like that is
>>>not the point.  If any woman blames others for her insecurities, then it is
>>>totally HER problem.
>>>
>>AMEN!
>
>No. I disagree with that. If a person is constantly told that they are not
>smart not thin enough..etc etc that person ultimately develops (unless
>you can totally block it out, become untrusting, a poor listener and generally
>more cold hearted) some sort of insecurity.
>
> .....................................................
>
>The fact is we see *one-type* of women portrayed everywhere as the idealized
>women and even this isn't a real type for she is subjected to hours of makeup
>and airbrushing before she goes in front of the camera. The majority of women
>don't see themselves reflected in society at all. How many models have you
>seen with crooked teeth?
>
>The message we're fed is that
>we should be that *type* of person for she is BEAUTY and this keeps women
>striving and feeling inadequate for she can never be air-brushed nor part of
>the unrealistic (and socially constructed) 5%.
>
>Trish
>
Okay Trish,
You got me started :-)
I will start off with the following facts/assumtions/beliefs:

    1) Real Women(tm) come in a wide range of shapes, sizes
       and body types (as do Real Men(tm)

    2) Every woman has her own set of attributes, some of which
       add to, and some which take away from her attractiveness.
       (this applies to men as well)

    3) For any given "standard of beauty" that dictates/suggests
       that a person, in order to be beautiful, must be of a certain
       size or body type, there will be certain persons in the general
       population that will "fit the profile" and others who will not.
       (this does not mean that any person who _does not_ "fit the profile"
       is actually unattractive.... se #2 above)

    4) I believe that beauty is composed of equal parts of _grooming_
       and _attitude_.

Everybody has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, beautywise,
_including_ those folx who eventually become supermodels.  The trick
is to recognise that you have your own charms, regardless of what
"look" is fashionable this week.  You also must recognize your own
set of faults/weaknesses and work to correct, minimize or camoflage them.
This is only good grooming.  If you _know_ that you are doing the best
that you can with what God gave you, then you have no reason to feel
inadequate next to anybody.  In a word _attitude_.

Keith R