[miss_jane]

As I read through some of the threads about various aspects of beauty (cosmetic surgery, shaving, makeup etc) I noticed that the majority of them were distinctly not about the politics but about hints ands tips. I thought it would be useful and nice for busties to have a place to discuss the politics behind the "beauty myth" and hopefully clear some of our thoughts on it.

The type of topics that have been playing on my mind:

*Cosmetic Surgery
*The Removal of Body Hair
*Diets
*Makeup
*The Media's Attitude

Just to make everything clear I don't want this to become a place to attack busties who chose different ways of expressing their beauty.

So what are your thoughts? Can stereotypical beauty maintenance sit comfortably with feminist politics? Feminism is about a lot about choice for the individual, but is any choice (specifically about beauty) that a woman makes necessarily feminist? How difficult is it to stand up and fight the beauty myth?

As a side note : The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf is the book that stemmed these thoughts in me and a few years own I still haven't cleared in my mind the way I feel about things.

[mornington]

Hmm... not sure how much I can contribute, but here goes. First off, I'm down with plastic surgery for medical reasons. I'm talking burn victims, boob reductions and so on; it's cosmetic surgery that I'm not so sure about. Maybe I'm just freaked out by it. But I do think that cosmetic surgery is very much tied into society's perception of "beauty" - and pressure to look a certain way. I'm scared by the number of young (as in teenage) girls who seem to want plastic surgery to alter some percieved fault in thier not-fully-developed bodies.

There is definitely a pressure from society - and more than anything the media - for women to look a certain way. The one that scares me is the perception of "fat" - that you have to be below this weight, fit into this size dress, etc - in order not be "fat". I think that although the initial pressure is put in place by men, it is women who maintain that pressure upon other women - after all, it's women who write the glossies that women read, and it's the women who're more likely to tear into someone for what they're wearing (IME).

As for what syb wrote about getting "done up" while jobhunting - I think no matter what the politics of beauty are, unless they're blind, something of your appearance is being judged by other people.

Personally, I wear make-up almost every day. I started in school, because everyone was doing it and fitting in was easier. I don't wear foundation because it irritates my skin, and I really only wear eyeshadow/liner and mascara. I don't pay attention to the magazines; I wear it how I like. Make-up has become a part of who I am, and to some degree, it's a mask. I do shave my legs, and immac my bikini line when I can be bothered. I don't wax - I have sensitive skin & I'm a big wuss. I tidied my bikini line much more when I was in my last relationship - although he did tell me I didn't have to - so possibly I am trying to fit into that "ideal woman" mould.

That said, I'm all about the choice. I express myself through "beauty" and clothes, but I do think it's my choice. I'd love to see a lot less media attention paid to how the celebrities/personalities look, and more to what they do. I think so much of how people look determines how they're taken, and that peeves me.

A personal aside: I'm a vet student. I find if I dress "feminine" (skirt, heels, make-up, whatever) I'm not taken seriously as a vet student. If I wear jeans, doc m boots and a fleece, and no make-up, I'm not taken seriously as anything other than a vet - I'm percieved as asexual, work-obsessed, and boring. Don't know where that's going - but just a thought.