"the current Beauty standard right now sets an impossible image into young children's minds about the way they're supposed to look. It stems from white supremacy and is fueled by today's toxic society. In other words, it needs to be abolished" --Triece Kushner
The American beauty standard is one of the most messed-up things in today's society. It not only encourages eating disorders and body dysmorphia, but it also stems from roots of white supremacy and cultural appropriation.
Although the beauty standard affects men too, you can see it's most often women who are affected by the constant pressure of fitting into the beauty standard. Either it’s men never being satisfied with a woman's appearance or other women holding onto the toxic image of what men want women to look like, the pressure of being today's beauty standard is outrageous.
Women of color seem to be most affected by today's beauty standards. Harsh stereotypes and the normalization of whitewashing cultures force women of color into a different standard of beauty. White people often try to create a standard of what they think is “normal” or “pretty”—standards that exclude other cultures. Recently, this has included calling hijabs ugly, or shaming people for wearing traditional clothing of their culture or religion.
Cultural appropriation is another big thing in the beauty standard. Taking things from other cultures and naming them as their own has been sadly normalized in today's society. Clothing especially. White people getting dreads or cornrows, people wearing traditional dresses or other articles of clothing that are from different cultures and calling it fashion are a few of the examples.
“I think the current beauty standard is basically just white skinny girls,” says model trainee Klaus Redding. “Think about it, the whole Kardashian family is famous because they are skinny and pretty. When Keeping Up With the Kardashians first got famous, none of them did anything other than being rich, pretty, privileged girls.”
No matter how hard modeling agencies try to open up and let people who are not the current beauty standard model or walk in catwalks, they always seem to favor tall skinny white girls who make up the impossible standard.
“I have been on many walks, and every time I constantly get stares from the more known models, constantly get snarky comments made about my body by the staff, constantly get put down because of the fact that I am in fact a trans, black, male,” says Redding. “People would purposely misgender me, purposely push me in the women's section and direct me to the women's bathrooms. I mean, I’ve been ranked as a trainee for 2 years! This is so long compared to the people who are actually the beauty standard, for white skinny girls they can move up in less than 5 months actually. It’s bullcrap how long I’ve been doing this.”
The racism, transphobia, and fat-shaming can just be seen in the way models get ready. The few people who don’t seem to be skinny white girls get pushed in the back, and sometimes no one who works with them, they always seem to have to get ready by themselves without professional work.
“My first walk ever I sat down in a chair and seven people tried doing my hair,” recalled Redding.“Seven! Apparently, none of the people who tried just didn’t have experience with black hair, because it turned out so bad I had to do it myself while trying to get my outfit on. No one helped me, but meanwhile, all the other girls had 7 to 8 people helping them.”
All in all, the current Beauty standard right now sets an impossible image into young children's minds about the way they're supposed to look. It stems from white supremacy and is fueled by today's toxic society. In other words, it needs to be abolished.
Although the beauty standard affects men too, you can see it's most often women who are affected by the constant pressure of fitting into the beauty standard. Either it’s men never being satisfied with a woman's appearance or other women holding onto the toxic image of what men want women to look like, the pressure of being today's beauty standard is outrageous.
Women of color seem to be most affected by today's beauty standards. Harsh stereotypes and the normalization of whitewashing cultures force women of color into a different standard of beauty. White people often try to create a standard of what they think is “normal” or “pretty”—standards that exclude other cultures. Recently, this has included calling hijabs ugly, or shaming people for wearing traditional clothing of their culture or religion.
Cultural appropriation is another big thing in the beauty standard. Taking things from other cultures and naming them as their own has been sadly normalized in today's society. Clothing especially. White people getting dreads or cornrows, people wearing traditional dresses or other articles of clothing that are from different cultures and calling it fashion are a few of the examples.
“I think the current beauty standard is basically just white skinny girls,” says model trainee Klaus Redding. “Think about it, the whole Kardashian family is famous because they are skinny and pretty. When Keeping Up With the Kardashians first got famous, none of them did anything other than being rich, pretty, privileged girls.”
No matter how hard modeling agencies try to open up and let people who are not the current beauty standard model or walk in catwalks, they always seem to favor tall skinny white girls who make up the impossible standard.
“I have been on many walks, and every time I constantly get stares from the more known models, constantly get snarky comments made about my body by the staff, constantly get put down because of the fact that I am in fact a trans, black, male,” says Redding. “People would purposely misgender me, purposely push me in the women's section and direct me to the women's bathrooms. I mean, I’ve been ranked as a trainee for 2 years! This is so long compared to the people who are actually the beauty standard, for white skinny girls they can move up in less than 5 months actually. It’s bullcrap how long I’ve been doing this.”
The racism, transphobia, and fat-shaming can just be seen in the way models get ready. The few people who don’t seem to be skinny white girls get pushed in the back, and sometimes no one who works with them, they always seem to have to get ready by themselves without professional work.
“My first walk ever I sat down in a chair and seven people tried doing my hair,” recalled Redding.“Seven! Apparently, none of the people who tried just didn’t have experience with black hair, because it turned out so bad I had to do it myself while trying to get my outfit on. No one helped me, but meanwhile, all the other girls had 7 to 8 people helping them.”
All in all, the current Beauty standard right now sets an impossible image into young children's minds about the way they're supposed to look. It stems from white supremacy and is fueled by today's toxic society. In other words, it needs to be abolished.
