In America today beauty is a highly emphasized quality that people, mainly young girls, strive to achieve. One wants to pretty and thin, these are the requirements for ultimate success in America today. Girls are directed to have these qualities as prompted by the media. Models, dancers, actresses, and musicians are all among the elite that are idolized, yet they propose a standard often times unachievable to the average everyday girl. Most of these women at the forefront of media displayed are 25% below average weight, and because the standard is set so high the beauty industry in America generates $ 1 billion dollars. Women today look to be these women and in the process they are losing themselves to illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia. Many suffer from depression and poor body image, because a standard of beauty is set to an unachievable standard, and women are failing in their quest to be like those they see on TV and in magazines. In America today 80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies and 35% of girls ages 6 to 12 have been on a diet, and 50% to 70% of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. The problems with girls and their body image can definitely be blamed on how the media portrays beauty.
In this problem I have found the ultimate solution, although I am sure they will be met with some critique. In order to stop this problem of girls having low self esteem and poor body image, I propose the government, become involved to help this ever growing problem. The government’s Department of Health needs make food rations to all the adolescent girls in America, while also mandating beauty classes, where they will learn the fundamentals of “looking good”, such as makeup application, hair styling, and wardrobe styling. Classes will start as young as 10 in order to mold the mind of the youth, when it is most malleable. The department will also have the power to give out diet pills to the women who are struggling with weight issues. This will allow the media to project the image they like while also assuring the women of today’s youth can be helped to reach this goal.
Food will be set at a very low amount for these girls so they can not become overweight, and they can ultimately be in the 25% below average weight elite. Beauty classes will be mandated so each female as the proper tool in order to be good looking, as set by the media. They will learn to dress in the latest trends, and have the latest hair style. Although some girls may rebel against these government mandates, after realizing the stress put on them by the media is so great, they will eventually succumb to their help rather than doing it on their own. Plus, no one will want to be “ugly” , because clearly that is the ultimate punishment in life.
Some may disagree with my harsh measures in ultimately leveling the playing field of beauty standards for women seeing it as beauty communism reform, but in that their are reasons that will benefit the whole of society. One is that girls will learn the tricks of the trade to be skinny early in life, so anorexia and bulimia will no longer be prevalent in our society. If everyone knows how to keep their weight down, then no girl will ever have to resort to extremes measures like self starvation, bingeing-and-purging, or over exercise.
Two, women will no longer have to suffer on their own quest to beautification alone. They will have a support system among the rest of adolescent girls. Each will be able to help their peer, while helping themselves. The beauty plan would help to unite the women of America.
Three, America would be superior in beauty standards to the rest of the world, therefore giving them more power. Being beautiful by today’s standards is having an unspoken power, and with a whole nation of women that are beautiful, America will have the rest of the world at their feet. World control will be so much easier to achieve.
Many of my critics will have alternate ideas on solving the beauty crisis of America today. Some will say we should revamp the media, and unite under the idea, that underweight women should not be popularized. Milan fashion shows recently banned models that were underweight, but this trend did not ignite a change in the rest of the fashion world. Other critics would say we should uplift the girl for other qualities that are far more less superficial, like intelligence or generosity through the media. And other critics say we should simply place less emphasis on beauty as a whole in our culture, saying we need to move away from the mass communication of these ideals, and move closer to a society were loving yourself is advocated and because of that more important traits are emphasized. They say we should promote a beauty that is achievable to the everyday girl, and we should tell young girls to love themselves for who they are, and realize that everyone is different in their own respect. To my critics I acknowledge your ideas, but I do not see them as effective.
As I propose these ideas I wish to make note that I will not be effected by the situation in that I am passed the prime age for the development of poor body image problems, as that the onset is usually at the time of puberty, and that is about the age the rations and classes should be mandated to the young women of America.
