If you’re a moderate user of social media, you’ve probably come across a few “glow up” videos. A glow up usually encompasses a physical or lifestyle change that will make you more attractive and will supposedly improve your life.
If you went through a break-up, had a rough year, or just feeling down about life, then you’re in need of a glow up! Make yourself hotter so your ex regrets letting you go. If you’re going to fail an exam, you as well look hot while doing it. Physical glow ups are touted as some magical cure that will solve your problems. This cliche trope is utilized in so much of the entertainment we consume and has even spread online with the rise of social media. Famous movies such as She’s All That (1999) and Mean Girls (2004) have the main character undergo a physical transformation to become more conventionally attractive in hopes of winning over their romantic interests or becoming popular. Many of these films target women and teenage girls and spread the message that being conventionally attractive will help you win a boyfriend or become more likeable. Many scenes feature the female protagonist taking off her glasses to be considered pretty, or wearing more feminine clothing instead of jeans and a sweatshirt. Since films do not hold nearly the same amount of influence in our lives right now compared to the early 2000s, social media does the job instead.
It should be of no surprise that many movies and online content portraying and promoting a glow up are by women for other women. Women and girls face the most scrutiny and vitriol when it comes to keeping up physical appearances. Society places a woman’s worth on the way they look and how attractive they are. A lot of that ideology is then internalized and subconsciously manifests in the ways in which we treat other women and treat ourselves. When discourse of Sephora kids was a hot topic online, people made fun of these kids instead of questioning the broader issue of, “why do these young girls feel the need to buy so much skincare and makeup?” They were pre-teens that would buy products such as retinol to slow down the aging process, and expensive makeup that was not needed. It was fun for people to point and laugh at young girls about an issue that is deeply embedded in society and one that everyone—to an extent—is subjected to. And it is an issue that no one can escape either.
While a vast amount of glow up films and online content is geared towards women, teenage and pre-teen girls, there is a handful of media and content focused on male glow ups. One that was quite the rage was He’s All That (2021), a Netflix spin-off of She’s All That (1999). Addison Rae plays the role of an influencer who transforms a seemingly ugly guy at her high school into a Hollywood heartthrob and ends up falling in love through the process. Male glow ups compared to female ones appear to be few and far between but there have been so many online trends and communities circulating that promote a male glow up.
The male fitness community is often rife with toxic beauty standards about the kind of physique that is the most desirable. Harsh, restrictive diets and spending hours at the gym to maintain a body type is often not worth it. Having people steal glances or blatantly admire your body and the hard, gruelling work it took to get in shape does wonders for self-esteem. However, that feeling is fleeting and often overtaken by hunger or cravings accompanied by bad mood swings from the lack of food. There really is no one on earth that can escape being subjected to harsh and toxic beauty standards. The way you look is of utmost importance and most people in some shape or form have a glow up in mind. There are many people who want to lose weight, improve their skin and present themselves as conventionally attractive in the eyes of others. However, no matter how many times you change your appearance, it’s not necessarily going to be the key to your problems. Glowing up really is all in vain. Both because of wanting to look better but also that the fruits of your labour are not always worth it. It’s hard to shake the feeling that maybe the person who fumbled you wouldn’t have done it if you were just slightly more attractive. A lot of glowing up has to do with wanting to have some semblance of control in your life. There’s a lot of control people can have over their looks. Hannah Montana infamously said “You can change your hair and you can change your clothes.” The average person has access to an abundance of clothing, workout equipment and makeup all at the tip of their fingers. It’s nice to feel like you can have power over something because rarely do we truly have free will that isn’t influenced by any external force. And maybe if you took control a little more then things might’ve been different. Maybe it was something you have done, could’ve done or shouldn’t have done that might’ve changed the outcome of the situation.
But some things are just out of our control. There’s no shame in wanting or admitting that you want a glow up. It is a ruthless world at times and if doing something will make your life easier in some way or at least make you feel better about yourself, you should go for it as long as you’re not being harmed in the process. The old saying “beauty is pain” is very much true. However, plucking your eyebrows and starving yourself are two very different levels of pain. One is temporary and goes away. The other can cause some very serious and even permanent health issues that will not make you look or feel good. Be conscious about what people promote and acknowledge that there are problematic aspects to things that seem to improve.