My morning dose of caffeine includes half a bottle of water and couple of youtube videos. This morning when I opened Facebook, I chanced upon a post which led me here…and what a beginning to a day!
Indeed we overlook the beauty of who we are and try to start living an “expected” life than a “needed” one. Though a “standard” of beauty is implicitly set for everyone, it cannot be denied that girls/women in general are under much more duress to conform to standards. Everyday, these standards are thrown at us in a million ways- the beauty soap ads, the movie dialogues/songs which convey that the only way to be liked is to be “beautiful the way your man wants you”, the matrimonial ads asking for “fair, beautiful brides”, the neighborhood aunty passing a tip to lighten your daughter’s skin- its everywhere.
And the worst part? They just seep into our consciousness without even our knowing it.
Disturbed, I looked for a variant somewhere. And I found it!
I chanced upon Lizzie Valesquez and here I am pondering. Its disheartening that she was subjected to the same ridiculous ideas about beauty but heartening to see that she took it head on! Kudos!
In essence its really important to teach our daughters is to love being who they are, what they look like and how they do things!
Increasingly, I realize the world is beginning to beautify itself by more and more people shifting their ‘beauty’ paradigms! It’s brilliant and am loving it.
Atleast, my daughters will grow into a space that gives them the freedom to be who they are…
So, please talk to your daughters before the beauty companies do!
This is very true and its disheartening to see kids who learn there fake beauty standards really early! It can scar them for a lifetime…
Dove is a company that really promotes a lot of this fairness madness too! This seems to be just another campaign to gain some mileage!
The other day I watched a video on how models dont look like themselves at all….All photoshopped to look ‘perfect’- ridiculous!
It is fairly difficult for children to be raised immune to this communication…however, i think it is possible with careful communication- not just with the kids but also among adults….
Well-said!