So, who decides what "pretty" is?

I was thinking about this last night right before I went to bed and it dawned on me that I have no idea who sets the standards. I mean, I know it is Hollywood and the fashion industry, but who are the actual people?

Are these people male or female?

Do they look like the standard they want everyone else to look?

What are their names?

How do they decide? Is it a group meeting or does someone just say it and it spreads?

Once I thought about it I came to the conclusion it is probably males (no offense) in their 50-60's, beer belly, and wear a lot of gold. Since they have the money and power they want everyone to look like their fantasy girl.

Even if it isn't true I will go with it because I decided I don't care. I  DON'T  CARE!!!! I don't care if I never look like that because I refuse to believe someone I don't even know! or see! can control my self-esteem and body image.

The End.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :)

I do.

Seriously, I get to decide these things for myself. So do you.

Original Post by boston93:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :)

 This is true, however, why are there so many girls trying to look like stick figures? I've never understood that? Which is part of my problem and the reason I got up to 235 lbs lol.

If you can be made to feel inadequate you will buy: beauty products, expensive shoes, diet programs, designer jeans, high end condos, expensive cars, plastic surgery, beauty magazines, etc to try to feel better about yourself. It really isn't about setting a beauty standard; it is about getting your money. 

Yep.... WE decide for ourselves.  That's why celebrities come in all shapes and sizes.  Even Hollywood knows that different people find different looks appealing.

While someone might find Jennifer Anniston to be their idea of beautiful, someone else might find Jennifer Hudson to be their idea of beauty.

It seems, however, that the fashion industry tries to push ultra-skinny as being beautiful.  Lately, even they have been chastised for unrealistic looks and are going for more healthy looking models.

To each his own!

I don't buy into the whole "golden standard" theory anymore. Admittedly my personal preferences in women fall pretty close to the popular "ideal", but I've had enough male friends at this point in my life to know FOR SURE that personal preferences vary as much as body/facial types do in women. I just wish pop culture exposed that side of it more. I think worse than their trying to set ideals is pop culture's sin of trying to make those ideals seem universal. They're simply not even close.

Eric

Beauty standards follow money. Whatever requires the most money and time spent on one's appearance to achieve is what's considered beautiful.

In past times, beauty was a tiny waist and a fuller chest with fuller hips, and pale skin. This meant that a woman didn't have to work much; she was wealthy enough to stay out of the sun, and to corset herself tightly, not needing as much freedom of movement as a poorer woman who had to do hard work.

Now, beauty is a tan, and thin because thin is rarer than fat and many people work indoors. In a society where even the poor can eat enough to maintain/gain weight, and healthy non-fattening food is more expensive than fattening junk food, it's not hard to see that thin has become a symbol of wealth.

Original Post by ryanms:

Now, beauty is a tan, ...

 Sucks to be me.

Original Post by topanga1485:

Original Post by boston93:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :)

 This is true, however, why are there so many girls trying to look like stick figures? I've never understood that? Which is part of my problem and the reason I got up to 235 lbs lol.

I have never understood the stick-figure obsession... maybe because regardless of if I am a size 10 (already obese by some people's standards) or a size 16 I have always carried my weight pretty good (for the most part or should we say parts ).  I am naturally a curvy, hourglass figured woman so stick thin is definitely not in for me and I doubt I can get much past a size 8 or 10 without losing my assets.

Beauty definitely is in the eye of the beholder... I couldn't care less what Hollywood says.

My avatar is the barometer on which all beauty should be gauged upon, with it being at the top of course

We studied this in psychology in university - they did studies to find out what is deemed 'attractive' in both men and women. The study concluded that those with the most symetrical faces were chosen as more attractive than those who had less symetrical faces. It had nothing to do with the individual parts of the face, just how similar both sides were.

It always struck me as a little strange.

Original Post by spirochete:

My avatar is the barometer on which all beauty should be gauged upon, with it being at the top of course

 I bow down to your beauty, spiro!  As for your wit, no others compare on CC!!!

Keep 'em coming!  I always look forward to your posts.

Original Post by kaufmkk:

Original Post by spirochete:

My avatar is the barometer on which all beauty should be gauged upon, with it being at the top of course

 I bow down to your beauty, spiro!  As for your wit, no others compare on CC!!!

Keep 'em coming!  I always look forward to your posts.

 I agree. Nothing is hotter in my eyes than someone with an overbearing passion for weight lifting.

You guys rule

Original Post by spirochete:

You guys rule

Please forgive us if we spoil your reputation for being mean and nasty.  Sometimes it's just too hard to diss honesty! 

So what was the topic of this thread again?  Oh yeah, beauty!  Remember when Julia Roberts married Lyle Lovett?  What the heck?!!  Goes to prove that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder!  And love is blind.  Yada, yada, yada.

Beauty isnt just some random invention of media that has been "forced" on the population.... there are lots of things hardwired into us as humans (such as symmetry).

What has media done? Well, it has made the world smaller.... a couple hundred years ago, you might have seen the people in your town and the ones close to yours (without being augmented with much makeup or clothes specially designed to showcase the body....or with bodies who were specially exercised to achieve certain looks).

But now, we "know what we are missing". We can single out and find the fraction of amazing looking people (while augmenting them even further with airbrushing, makeup, and all the other WIDE range of beauty enhancing items). So, what we might have thought was the most beautiful thing possible before...falls down the scale as we see even more lovely things.

Its like growing up never eating in a fine restaurant...thinking that subway is "great food". And then meeting someone who had grown up eating the finest sandwiches crafted by master chefs....their ideas of what a "good sandwich" is going to be a bit different....the concept of a "good sandwich" wasnt invented by the chefs for the 2nd person, it was just refined beyond the hum-drum you might find in everyday life.

Or...at least thats just a part of the sittuation. Its has a lot of other factors playing into it as well (its not entirely one thing or another).

In my opinion, it's hard-wired into your brain to find what's attractive and what isn't.

No matter what the media says, some people I just don't find attractive, and some people get my heart fluttering.

It's just in our brains.

Well. There was this thing aired about how some women are ' pretty ' without any unique features. I mean they have pretty symmetry in their faces and wonderful bone structure. Their whole body/face is pretty/attractive, but they'd still never be model material. There was nothing beyond a' pretty/attractive person ' in them.

 That would probably make a lot of girls feel better. I mean so what.... You may be a pretty/attractive girl, but without any unique features. It's sometimes a flaw they consider unique that makes someone uber attractive/ model worthy.

 They said something along the lines of: " It ...has to be there in addition to the rest of their attractiveness."<- Said quote: " Them "

It sounded vague at first yet true as they showed examples. ;)

 So..... Maybe a lot of people are just plain attractive, Lol!

There isn't anything wrong with that,imo. It may mean that there are a lot of attractive men/women without the it factor. They just don't have anything to serve as a focal point to work as a trademark. Haa! Oooh well.

 To each their own.

As far as the tan thing goes.. I know of several men (my boyfriend included) that actually prefer fair skin. I am naturally quite pale so I started going tanning to give myself a bit of color. It upset my bf more than pleased him. He loves me how I am. No one has exactly the same opinion of what is beautiful. They media bombards us with the 'idea' but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone will think that is ideal. I think the stick figure, orange tan look is awful.. and i'm sure i'm not the only one.

Well I personally find this: http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/openyo ureyestotheworld09/jennifer-connelly-002u3edi t.jpg (pretty face, pale skin, dark hair, not stick thin. even though she is now. Sadly. :()

better looking then this: http://movies.ee/pildid/uudised/paris_hilton3 .jpg

the typical HollyWEIRD standard right now. Not that either is bad looking...but if we are going by usual types. Heh.

There's a usual *standard* but it doesn't mean everyone follows it or finds it beautiful. Hence how we all have crushes on different people and not just the same ones.

There's no denying that Brad Pitt is a good looking guy and many women swoon over him, but he's personally never done anything for me. I would take someone like Shia Labeouf over him any day. That's just me though.

Beauty really IS in the eye of the beholder.