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 © J. McKenzie and Mia Shy What is beauty?
by Jamie McKenzie |
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Beauty, it turns out, can be a tyrant and a killer, but how often do we think about that aspect of the word? Those with eating disorders and depression related to their body-images may find beauty a harsh master. Beginning with my week visiting the Waikato Diocesan School for Girls in 2008, the challenge of defining "beauty" has been a matter of prolonged intrigue and mystery for me as some complex concepts defy attempts to achieve closure or certainty. Much like a good Robert Frost poem (like "Stopping by woods"), our understanding of the concepts change as we gather experiences that shift how we see and understand things. In order to understand the powerful influence notions of beauty exercise upon young women, young men and the society as a whole, one must consider related concepts like artifice, cosmetic, artistry, and natural along with eating disorders, self-concept, self-esteem and body-image. That which might seem beautiful to us while we are very young may fade and cheapen as we age. While working with the young girls back in 2008, they were quick to criticize the dictionary definition we read together. Having viewed ten photos from a Seattle festival and considered which showed the most beauty, they were inclined to consider mood and inner beauty along with more visual aspects.  Sixteen years later, the New Oxford American Dictionary is offering up the same definition the girls felt was inadequate back in 2008. As you read it now, can you see aspects of beauty it seems to ignore or slight?  Before reading the definition, the girls had spent time reading online dozens of quotations about beauty. These had broadened and deepened their understanding of the concept.  You can give this a try at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/beauty-quotes The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.The girls had also reconsidered their own understanding of beauty after viewing two videos produced by Dove as part of their "Campaign for Real Beauty" shown below: Some of the girls were quick to ask why Dove (a beauty company) was investing in videos that purported to warn us against the beauty industry, especially when they discovered that Dove's parent company (Unilever) owned Axe, a product line whose advertising seemed offensive to them. The beauty, cosmetic and personal care industry, the girls discovered, was often trying to convince consumers that natural beauty was not enough by itself. Women, in particular, were being told they must rely on products to achieve a beautiful face, body or hair color. Most importantly, they broadened their understanding of beauty to embrace aspects that were not visual and physical. There was no simple definition available that would be satisfying or come close to capturing the many different meanings and layers of meaning that the group had already identified. Inner beauty Outer beauty Natural beauty Artistic beauty Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. Fifteen years laterNot much has changed as many companies are still using ads to sell products such as skin whitening creams. CNN published an article on the 10th of August 2022, "After rebranding in the West, many beauty companies are still offering to 'whiten' skin elsewhere"During the Black Lives Matter movement, many skincare giants, including Nivea, Pond's, Unilever and L'Oreal, promised to abandon terms like "whitening" and "fairness." While the companies lived up to this promise in the West, customers elsewhere are still being sold products equating beauty with whiteness.Many of the quotations about beauty focus on spiritual beauty rather than physical beauty, but the culture and the beauty industry still emphasize appearance as the main factor. Dove's campaigns have proven profitable as one source - "Dove: A Spotless Approach to Digital Marketing" - reports that "As a result of the Real Beauty campaign, sales for Dove jumped from $2.5 to $4 billion in the campaign’s first ten years." "In 2023, the brand was valued at approximately $6.5billion according to Statista and its digital campaigns have won prestigious awards." Pushing European Notions of Beauty Click here to view a much larger version of the above collection. During my travels as an international speaker, I noticed when I visited shopping malls in Asian cities like Hong Kong and Manila, that the stores showed a majority of white, European models in their windows as you can see in the collection above. The implicit message was pushing a European, white notion of human beauty even though the vast majority of the shoppers were Asian. When combined with ads for skin whitening products, it seemed as if portions of the beauty and fashion industries were promoting standards and definitions of beauty that were damaging and ethnocentric. Age Defying Creams Some companies like Olay are still marketing creams like the one above that suggest we can defy or delay aging. While the creams might delay the onset of wrinkles and other sign of aging, these benefits are superficial, at best, and aging will proceed at its own pace regardless of the products we might purchase. We need more beauty in our lives While attending a concert at the Colorado Symphony recently, I was delighted by the sign above which seemed to suggest that music might bring more beauty to our lives. This seemed a healthy approach to beauty away from the commercials for beauty products and the culture's preoccupation with appearances. Can we fill our lives with beautiful music, beautiful flowers, beautiful poems and warm, soulful companions? 
A truly beautiful spiritOn the way to work each day I stop off to pick up coffee at a nearby 7-Eleven and enjoy the warm greeting of a woman who works behind the counter. A truly beautiful spirit, she handles each customer with a bright smile and a stream of pleasant comments and well wishing."Have a blessed day!" she says as we pass out the door. And it is a truly beautiful deal -- $2.00 for a large coffee and a donut. |
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