An Ethnic Perspective on Beauty: School Essay

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An Ethnic Perspective on Beauty “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” a phrase that everyone has heard of at one point in his or her life. Walk by a cashier aisle in a supermarket and a there will be magazines shouting “How to lose 30 pounds in one month!” “Buff up with this weird new workout routine!”. “Fashion that’ll slim you down!” and the like. Is the concept of beauty and ugly really homogeneous, or does it vary? Is it just weight that’s considered? Exploring different ethnic groups prove that what one person thinks is beautiful may or may not be the same as the next person. (The article will mainly be focused on the women though, since their “worth” is judged more on their appearances than men. It will also be rather general on each ethnicity.) Caucasians Glowing caramel tan on flawless skin, voluptuous breasts and butt on a stick-thin model, long lashes, silky hair with volume, 5’7 or taller, white perfectly aligned teeth under big lips, a hairless body, and on top of all that the latest fashion produced by designer brands that leave little to the imagination. That’s the American beauty perception for women in a nutshell. Men? Biceps, broad shoulders, large chest, six-pack abs, whatever screams manly and won’t scare off the ladies. However there young girls who go crazy over pretty, metrosexual boys nowadays. At least these beauty standards are possible to belong to different races. As expected of the melting pot America is. The average man and woman aren’t as dolled up as Ken or Barbie, hence the word “average”. The obesity rate caused by easily accessible calories doesn’t help the pressure felt by Americans to be thin either, though is it actually thin that’s desired? The reason female models are so slender is becaus... ... middle of paper ... ...ne guy could prefer breasts on his woman while his best friend could like bums. Maybe neither at all and would rather hold a girl that would make him feel manly (without lecherous intent). Flawless skin does appear to be universally desirable, but because of almost impossibility, plenty of people wouldn’t mind settling for someone with a few scars. At the end of the day, these are all just statistics that only reach skin-deep, although there are always exceptions. Some people actually find comfort in changing their bodies as a form of art and expression. It makes them more confident and they are treated differently (Standen, Par 9). Humans have emotions, thoughts, talents, and flaws. There are billions of people on this planet with deep pasts, presents, and futures. This is only the surface, and evolution is inevitable. What is in now may not be fashionable later.

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