To the Megan Foxes and Adriana Limas of the World: Excuse My Profanity

I freaking love my friend, Liliana. :)

She made some strong points in her comment on one of my previous posts, "The Woes of a Brace-Faced Book Licker (and no, it's not as weird as it sounds)", and I have to say, "AMEN TO THAT!"

I felt that her words were so powerful that they needed a blog post of their own (highlighted in purple italics). Here's what she said:

"You may be wondering why I bother, or why I'm even dedicating a blog post to such a stupid and inane topic such as this one, especially when the societal standards of beauty are so ingrained in our subconscious as common sense."


That is far from the truth. The part about it being "inane" anyway. You explore a topic that all women struggle with, especially how these ideals of beauty are "ingrained" within our society. We get messages how we are all beautiful and those Dove campaigns about "real beauty" and whatnot. But really, who do we see idolized at the end of the day? What kind of women are cast in leading roles? What women are being dubbed as the "most beautiful" by "People" magazine? It would be the Adriana Lima's and the Megan Fox's, not the lady with the freckles in the Dove soap commercial.

That comment you posted above, and correct me if I am wrong, sounds like you are defeated; how could "normal" women compete with the likes of Ms. Lima and Ms. Fox? Beauty has been dictated by these standards. Additionally, their status as beauty icons are further cemented by people like the young man in that video discuss his desire to be with Megan Fox. It's difficult for many women to feel like they could turn heads with these people walking around and commanding attention from the opposite sex.


I say "Fuck that shit". Excuse my profanity, but will not allow these images and stupid boys to decide how beautiful I am, or anyone else for that matter. In the world these women are in, they have people proudly announcing "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Do we really want to subjugate our own standards of beauty by a drugged up dolt who looks like she will collapse at any moment from not eating in the past 4 days just so she too can still be considered "beautiful"? I don't think so.

I personally think you are a very beautiful person. Knowing who you are, I don't think you want attention from a boy who only wants to be with a woman based on her looks and her low BMI. Unfortunately, our society is hardwired to a certain ideal of beauty. It's important to acknowledge that is not the only ideal of beauty. As long as you feel beautiful, you are beautiful. Confidence is power! Don't let anyone or anything tell you otherwise.

I hope I didn't completely misinterpret your post! This sort of thing gets me riled up (about Megan Fox=the ultimate woman). Standards of beauty according to the mass media just irritates the hell out of me. Basically, the media wants me to believe just because I don't look like these girls means I must be atrocious. I'm fucking awesome, inside and out. And so are you.



Thanks so much, Lily... more than you'll ever know! :D

I'm actually writing a scene in my book that has something to do with this topic, about body self-image and reputation. My protagonist, Danica, is betrayed by her best friend, Nat, who abandoned her to join the ranks of the Barbie battalion, led by the It-girl beauty queen, Rina, in the hopes of getting closer to Rina's boyfriend and basketball captain, Chris. It's just a mini-subplot amid the larger context and themes of the novel.

For instance:
Trust and betrayal -- how far would you go to forsake everything and everyone just to get your way? And to what extent should you forgive someone who's wronged you -- whole-heartedly, or do you forgive but don't forget?

It might sound a little confusing with the way I worded it, but I'm working through the rough ideas. Lily's words are pretty much what Danica would say in that scene. When I finish that chapter, I'll try and show you guys an excerpt of it in my next post.

Meanwhile... enjoy this wonderful video of a Glee flash mob in Rome! I saw it on Meg's blog, and couldn't resist! Hope it brings a smile to your face.



**EDIT**
I was absolutely dying of laughter when I read this SparkNotes blog entry: "How to Flirt if You're a Dude, Part 1: The Look" Maybe it was the funny little comic pics that were drawn for demonstration, especially the part where the Spark blogger explains the DON'Ts of "The Look." Check it out. ;P

There's a flirting guide for girls, too, and one of the blogs goes into detail, as well. I LOVED this part in particular:

Note: This one's for the girls; I'll tackle the guys—metaphorically, not literally— later on. Because as much as we all value equality between the sexes, a Megan Fox-esque sexyface pout just doesn't play quite right for a dude. Or anyone, really. But let's move on.


First, let's debunk a rumor or two: Contrary to popular belief, flirting doesn't look the same on everybody. How you flirt, and to what extent, depends a lot on your own personality, as well as on the personality of your crush. Not everyone can flirt like Scarlett O'Hara—and not everyone would find that attractive, anyway. So the goal is to be a charming, approachable version of yourself. If the Flirty You has nothing in common with the Regular You, you'll end up looking less alluring and more like someone wearing clothes that don't fit. (Plus, if your entire flirting technique is based on doing your best impression of Megan Fox, your flirtee won't be getting to know the real you at all, which kinda ruins the whole thing.)

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Megan Fox. I'm just annoyed at the fact that people -- ahem, guys -- think that she's THE end-all and be-all of beauty. So, just sayin'...

Get real. And see the beauty in ugly. ;)