Women’s rights have come a long way since the first feminist movements in the ‘60s. Right? Not really. Women are being published on billboards and magazines that advertise makeup, facial creams, surgeries, clothes, and many more products designed to make women want to improve their appearance. Did you know that, according to The Huffington Post, only 4% of women report feeling beautiful? Has contemporary feminism given women a better sense of freedom or just disguised male dominance through the self-image of women?
Many feminists believe that beauty is not a concrete thing but is being treated as such. This would be called the “Beauty Myth,” according to Naomi Wolf, one of Bill Clinton’s previous political advisors. This exemplifies that beauty is just an idea or a way for women to appeal to men. It is used to retain male dominance in society, she says. Adding to that, Jean Kilbourne, the author of Can’t Buy My Love, explains that advertisements, “sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth, love and sexuality, popularity and normalcy. They tell us who we are and who we should be. Sometimes they sell addictions.” Kilbourne and Wolf both agree that advertisements brain wash women to make them believe that beauty is the main goal to achieve in life. In reality, beauty is a fake concept that is meant to charm men.
While, on the opposing end, Dr. Vivian Diller, a psychotherapist and active feminist, believes something different. She says that feminism is specifically about the freedom to be able to choose how to deal with our appearance and changes. She points out,
Caring about one’s appearance is far from being “anti-feminist,” or narcissistic. In fact, it is a continuation of what feminism, in some ways, stands for: freedom of choice. Choosing to let our looks be one among other aspects of who we are as women is our right.
Diller’s point is that feminism embodies the idea of personal freedom and equality, which is the most common view of feminism in modern society today. You’ve all seen the tweets that are focused on “not looking good for men.”
In fact, many people agree with this idea.
Lots of people…
It seems that the idea of the “beauty myth” is outdated. Current celebrities are advocating for the idea that women can do everything for themselves, versus doing it to impress other people. Kylie Jenner says, “If I get to a point where I’m really uncomfortable with something on my body, I’m not against changing it.” Women can and should take beauty standards in their own hands.