Perceptions of BeautyBy: Kinsey Wilson

“Body Art as Visual Language” Body art as a visual representation of

beauty in different cultures “Beautiful” has a different meaning in every

culture The extremes that some cultures will go to

be considered attractive Examples: tattoos and piercings shaping or

plastic surgery.

“Leaky” 1990s more people were considered obese

than malnourished, except for in Brazil. Brazilian women took pills (as well as

exercised and dieted) that caused fat to be “leaked” from their bodies

Money + appearances = importance The whiter you are/more plastic surgery you

have, the richer you are/seem Being thin means you’re rich

Brazil More plastic surgeons per capita 2001 – 35,000 cosmetic surgeries in a

population of 170 million 60% of working population earns less than

150 U.S. dollars per month “the power of scalpels”, “the magic of

cosmetic surgeries”, and the “march toward scientific progress”

Popular magazines – Plastic Surgery and Beauty, and Plastic Surgery

Afghanistan Burqa—a law! Curves Attractive face, long hair, jewelry, henna tattoos Face more looked at than body

Fiji Eating disorders Greeted with food as gifts Existent pro-curves movements Full bodies – symbols status and power

Jamaica Curvy Chicken pills given to skinny girls

South Africa Eating disorders (1990s) Pro-body movements since 1990s

China Forbidden to own hair brush during People’s Republic Surgery for the rich Miss Plastic Surgery beauty pageants

Other Countries Japan: Nightingale Droppings – beauty recipe

tradition Kayan tribe – heavy neck rings used to attract a

husband Neck rings: the more added, the more beautiful

India Jewelry (worn at weddings especially) Colorful Saris Homemade remedies

Ethiopia Karo tribe: scars on stomach to attract

husbands Introduced in childhood Once “completed”symbolizes ability to bear

children and to get married

Western World Dark-skinned Skinny/fitness Implants Plastic surgery Dieting

Cosmetics Hair

extensions/color/perfection

Perfect, white, straight teeth

Fashion

Videos Rudene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOyqpKXJBXw

Lip plates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBUPLHqEJ-4

Kayan Tribe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL8ARB5FmsA

Discussion Questions What makes someone “beautiful”?

Is plastic surgery playing God?

Quotes “What ever nature has not given, the knife can solve.” “A 24 hour working lady if possible, who never

complaints, who is up to date with the latest fashion trends, is a fighter, considers herself a “Superwoman” because she can achieve whatever she desires, all by herself.”

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/3798150-beauty-ideals-around-the-world

“Using 15-year-old girls to represent the ideal woman makes me think that a woman of 25, 30, 40 years old looks at those billboards and at a magazine and is looking at girls … disguised as women promoting clothing for women, you can’t ever go back to being 15.” –Poran

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/06/can-there-ever-again-be-an-all-american-beauty/

Facts The average woman is 5 foot 4 inches and 140 lbs

compared to the average model being 5 foot 11 inches tall and 115 lbs making models being 98% thinner than American women

80% of women are unhappy with their appearances 91% of women through a survey on a college campus

said they tried dieting to control their weight gain 25% of men and 45% of women are on diets 7 million girls/women and a million boys/men have

eating disorders

http://thebodyproject.bradley.edu/standards/index.shtm

More Quotes… 64% of the people that polled said that

mixed races are the “epitome of beauty”. http

://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/06/can-there-ever-again-be-an-all-american-beauty/

71% of women and 67% of men said that there’s no such thing as an All-American look

Blond-hair blue-eyed Dark, sultry look in a time span of 20 years