Pain is NOT Beauty

It's amazing to hear and read about things women put themselves through just to look a certain way. Why? What's wrong with being a size 6 or 8? What's wrong with having a certain distinguishing feature on your face? Nothing. Except, magazines, ads, commercials, etc. tell us we are wrong. We have to look like a Victoria's Secret model to be noticed and appreciated. I've heard of models have ribs removed to create a more appealing torso. There is so much pain involved in creating a "hot chick". Starting from the head: burning hair to curl or straighten hair, face: waxing or threading, upper body: waxing, lower body: shaving ( razor cuts are not fun to get), feet: four inch heels. This is only a small part of what many women do to "improve" themselves. There is a standard for women that prioritizes beauty. I was shocked to hear about women getting surgery in "the land down under". The body is such a beautiful thing and it was so mind boggling to me that anyone would have surgery to have a "prettier" vagina. Full Frontal Feminism opened my eyes to how much beauty is required of girls. Decades ago, it was desirable for women to be fuller and curvier. I recall a scene in The Devil Wears Prada where Stanley Tucci's character says "0 became the new 2 and 2 became the new 4" which was referring to waist size in the modeling industry. When Anne Hathaway says she was size 6 he replies "which is the new 14". The first time I saw this movie, I thought that line was hilarious. After reading "Beauty Cult", it made me think twice about the beauty standards of today. Another scene was when Emily Blunt's character starved herself for weeks and has the famous line "I'm one stomach flu away from my goal weight". Her desire to be thin slowly ate away at her. Literally. It's still one of my favorite movies of all time; it just makes me think a bit more now.