LET’S BE HONEST…
Often when I window shop with my kids in the malls, I cheekily remark, “Have you ever seen a mannequin who looks like me; short and plump? Seems clothes are only made for tall and slim people.” Though this comment is made in a funny way, but come to think of; it is true, isn’t it?
Let’s face the truth, people still are attracted to the outer beauty first. When a beautiful girl or a handsome man, as per society’s standards of beauty, enters a room people are curious to know about her/him. Mainstream movies or ads will never show a short, plump, very skinny, dusky, pimpled actor or actress. People want to see flawless and beautiful things.
Look at the beauty pageants. A woman or man isn’t considered good looking unless she/he meets certain criterion of height, weight, vital statistics, complexion. Same is the case when an airhostess or steward is recruited. A well-articulate, smart, confident person can be at any reception, right? But again, a tall, slim, fair, young girl fits the bill there.
When I was younger, I was mocked at by a relative for how I looked and was asked to have mercy on my father as I didn’t fit the bill of a “perfect bride.”
All the good values of love, compassion, kindness, intelligence be damned! They come into picture much later. We teach our children to be kind, loving, compassionate but ironically school is the first place where discrimination on the basis of looks begins. The queen or princess is always a fair and pretty girl and the dusky girl her maid. A plump boy can never be the hero.
When some people say, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, do they really mean it?
New moms getting worried about the complexion, hair on the body, less hair growth, height of their babies is the pressure of the society and the age-old mindset of set standards of beauty.
Someday, I sincerely hope, that outer beauty is not the criteria for judging a person. Till then, whether we like it or not, it will continue to beat inner beauty hands down…!
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