"Starving Beauty"
Not long ago, I clicked a link that led me to an article about the different concepts of female beauty, showing how they changed over time. The ancient Greek women desired the plumper, hourglass shape. The Egyptians valued the angular and slim. The Victorian women could not resist those unnaturally small, corset bound waists. It doesn't take a genius to notice that today's concept of beauty craves skin showing every curvature of bone. Only the hungry are beautiful, it seems like.
Like any teenage girl, I have compared myself and seen myself fall short of this modern standard. But then I think, who makes this stuff up? Who was it that first thought femininity could be best expressed by showing off protruding collar bones? My best guess is it wasn't just one person but many. It is sad to think of all the girls trying to mold themselves to meet this awful standard. Think of how much cases of depression and how many broken self-images could have been spared had the standard been only three dress sizes bigger. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "beauty" is a concept that was given to you. You did not make it. Making yourself fit the concept of beauty you have may be a painful progress. It is bogus that we cannot all be content with our bodies.
-M
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