12 March, 2008

Explain please!

How did we allow the media and fashion designers to tell us what a body is 'supposed' to look like? How.does.that.happen?

How do we let our culture tell us what is acceptable hair and what is undesirable? What the ideal skin tone is...One season sunkissed is in...the next, something else...and if you happen to be naturally in season...good for you!..if not stroll into your local dept. store and find that look...for a price. We are being sold a generic beauty...and the price, is our own. How does this happen? Sometimes its so subltle that it sneaks beneath even the most discerning persons radar, but there as a force...it is. It bothers me. It bothers me how women are portrayed in the images that we see. I know that TV is not real, but the way it impacts all aspects of our society and life is.

Do they tell us what we like in bed? How we like to be stroked, caressed, loved? No. Then why in the hell do we let them commercialize other aspects of our identity that are personal and specific to each person?

...Because I live in my body. I know what I like. I tell YOU what I want. So why is it that when it comes to our beauty, we allow ourselves to be told what it is we should desire? We have been told so long, that most of us believe that it is our OWN opinion. Biggest travesty ever, someone outside of yourself making decisions on how we are "supposed" to be. How bout...Im'ma be who I AM! Deal with it. Or not. Whatever!

4 comments:

BlackButterfly said...

I think it's just the world we live in unfortunately, and so, so many of us..including me have been drones at one point or another. My family has deep roots in the South, like COUNTRY deep as in LOUsiana....can't get more country than that, well Mississippi, anyway, that mentality is just fused by society...and years and years of psychological training....even now you can go there and their standard of beauty is decades behind...it's sad really, you can really see the effects of slavery in people from that region, that old mentality is still there.....

Shai said...

Amen! I have had that same convo with others and they say its just society. Are we society, made up of diverse flavors? So why not diverse beauty in the media. Damn! Life is hard enough and then this box "they" configure is so unrealistic and hard to fit in.

Do you. Girl. Forget about "them".

Eb the Celeb said...

be who you are girl... cuz I'm gon be who I be...LOL

Nah it is crazy... but it has always been that way and I dont see it changing

Tuesdai Noelle said...

That was a very insightful and very well-stated speech that you made for this post...lol, there's nothing else to be said. As you put it in so many words :"Let me do me and you do you...and everyone is happy" :) Good topic