30 May 07
Originally posted by twiceaknightI agree that the idea of beauty changes. The Rubenesque models of the 17th century are a great example. However, I still disagree that any industry can "corner the market" and impose their version of beauty on the population at large. It's actually the population that's trying to screw the next guy (or gal, in this case).
This is true, but its interesting to see how ideas of beauty have changed. For example, you know those old paintings of nude women standing and sitting around, but they were really white and a bit fat, and probably not what we would consider particularly beautiful now. When they were painted they were supposed to be the most idealised, beautiful and pe ...[text shortened]... ashion victims. This fashion is set by a profiteering industry to the detriment of its victims.
Beauty is a relative property. Even beautiful girls can look plain when judged against others. Case in point, when I was in Liverpool last summer I saw a smokin' hot redhead walking down the street with an entourage. I asked my friends' cousin "who's that then?" and he told me it was the ugly one from Girls Aloud (Nicola Roberts, I believe her name is). "The ugly one?!?" I replied. Then he showed me their picture on the web, and sure enough, next to the other girls in the group she actually is the ugly one.
So if beauty is a relative property, what happens if everyone runs out and gets plastic surgery to make them beautiful as per a plastic surgery industry checklist? Not what you'd think - everyone ends up right back where they were (down a few thousand dollars and up some scar tissue). In order for some one to be relatively beautiful, then someone else must be relatively ugly. It's a zero sum game. If everyone subscribes to the same look, and gets surgery to attain it, then everyone is basically back to 0. This defeats the purpose of getting the surgery in the first place, which the majority of women will find out pretty quickly once they realize they still aren't getting any men. This leads them to try new things that not everyone else is trying in an attempt to catch a hunk, and renders any attempt to monopolize beauty moot.
You comment about changing fashion is right on the money though, and it tends to happen something like this:
1. A select few people will discover some new product or technique which makes them more beautiful in the eyes of those they are trying to impress.
2. A larger group of people will see how well this new product or technique works, and try to attain it for themselves. The first group, always on the lookout for something else to increase their beauty, begins making new discoveries.
3. Eventually, most of the people start following the trend set out in step 1, by which time the select few have already latched on to something else "less common", and the second group is already beginning to try product/technique no.2 in an attempt to catch the select few.
4. The mob begins to waver, and the product/technique falls out of fashion to be replaced by the new hot thing. Rinse and repeat.
This pattern is simplified a bit, as there are usually hundreds if not thousands of trends on the move at any given time, but the ripple effect through time and population pops up again and again.
One more thing I agree with you on is that the industry does make a profit by supplying these products/techniques that promise to take a woman's beauty to the next level. However, I disagree the malevolence comes from the top down. If you really want to see who's screwing who, just take a look at your neighbour.
30 May 07
Originally posted by shavixmirOriginally posted by Forum Moderator
That's really strange.
My comment about someone's labia (if it looked like my face) needing cosmetic surgery is removed...yet me calling someone a failed abortion, isn't...
That's pretty FF'd up there mod...
Because no one's alerted it to complain, and it is a serious debate about plastic surgery. Or at least it was when it started...
If you have a problem with a thread or post PM a mod - there's a list of them in the site map under 'volunteers'
Looks like someone may have taken a hint :'(
Sad sad weird people
03 Jun 07
Originally posted by shavixmirI agree with most of that, but I don't know what a labia is.
Or: [b]Cosmetic surgery: the new disease
I was reading a Dutch newspaper today and stumbled across some horrendous facts and figures I want to share with y's all:
England:
51% of women aged 17 to 34 would like cosmetic surgery (although a diet and a condom would probably be more useful)
1/3 of girls with size 38 think they're too fat. ...[text shortened]... Get your colostomy bag now! It saves on toilet paper too."[/b]
Honestly!
