Comments on: Beauty

By: Andreas Manessinger

Andreas Manessinger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:02:34 +0000

The whole idea of fashion is pretty sick. Well, every once in a while I play the game, the last time I did was around eight, ten years ago. Then I got fat and refused to buy all things some sizes bigger

No, I think it’s a game. You play it, you play a role, the other sex may be involved, but in he end it gets incredibly boring. The problem is, when you have seen it all, have seen it come, have seen it go, come back again, only this time in a way that the things from last time won’t fit, when you’ve seen all that, when you see how it’s accurately constructed to relieve you of your money, then you realize that it does not matter at all. And that saves you a lot and that’s OK

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:05:11 +0000

@Tom: I won’t rag on your botox as long as you aren’t doing it for beauty reasons, you handsome devil!

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:56:17 +0000

I remember you taking this but not “seeing” it. Holy cow. Just perfect.

Hi Chris!!!!!

Paul, don’t rag on my botox…

By: Chris Klug

Chris Klug — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:11:52 +0000

The beauty thing is insidious. Thank goodness I never worried about how I looked, ’cause it would have only led to frustration. Heh.

Whew! Caught up, Paul. Sorry I lagged behind.

By: Markus

Markus — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:36:11 +0000

Just recently one of the bigger german women’s magazines decided to step out of this “beauty” spiral, especially the overly thin models: They decided to do all their future shootings without professional models. The reason they gave is that women simply don’t need to follow those patterns any more. Many of those templates were created by men and should be overcome now that the old role models are obsolete.

I will certainly follow up if that development gets broader coverage and more followers. In my eyes it’s a step in the right direction, but interesting enough on of the fashion zsars, Karl Lagerfeld, already objected.

By: 1 billion years and still looking good — Meandering Passage

1 billion years and still looking good — Meandering Passage — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:40:59 +0000

[...] read a post by Paul Lester last night concerning the concept of beauty so if I had to come up with a [...]

By: Seinberg

Seinberg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:53:30 +0000

Suffice it to say I agree with you that it’s more or less a sick obsession, but it certainly didn’t begin with and won’t end with the US. Look at French women of the revolutionary (American or French) period as an obvious example. Read Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (British, 1890) as a literary example of this obsession. The bizarre Chinese obsession with women who are petite like dolls or children (e.g. wrapping their feet to the point of mutilation so that it looks like a doll). It’s everywhere. We are crazy beasts!

By: Monte Stevens

Monte Stevens — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:19:21 +0000

I have a lady friend about my age who says she gets better as she gets older and that is how she lives her life. She does! The wrinkles, the very minimal extra pounds, the gray hair all add to her beauty. Yes, I feel we have a whole industry built upon the unnatural look of women (and men) and unfortunately a lot of this world buys into that. Holly wood, shopping malls, magazines bombard us with an unreal view of the world. We compare ourselves to these unreal people and strive to look like them. Why can’t we be comfortable with ourselves as we are. At this age in my life I seek the beauty inside people rather than the physical attributes they want us to see. I agree with Cedric, I enjoy a nice smile, a sparkle in the eye, and a good sense of humor.

By: Cedric

Cedric — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:08:19 +0000

I saw an interview of a woman recently who was CEO of some women’s magazines (and some teen girls magazines as well I think) and she made the interesting comment that white women (airbrushed and all that) on magazine covers is what sold regardless of the country or culture. She said that the few times they tried local women on the covers (also airbrushed and made up etc) in Malaysia, Japan, South America etc the sales were significantly lower. Apparently even super models like Tara Banks don’t sell as many magazines. I think that says a lot about US and maybe Hollywood influence on the rest of the world.
I also have a couple of Japanese friends who tell me that girls in Japan often aspire to look like white women going as far as getting surgery on their eyes to look “less Asian”. Kinda sad. For me beauty is in a nice smile and a good sense of humour.