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The Forum > Article Comments > The body in the beauty parlour > Comments

The body in the beauty parlour : Comments

By Jocelynne Scutt, published 11/11/2011

Beauty or bathos, perfection or pathos?

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A timely and most appropriate alert to the medical fraternity's modern day eugenics. Time for their self-ordained experts [dentists also filling their ranks] to cease attempting to shape society according to their political, moral and corporate agendas
Posted by ljdumble, Sunday, 13 November 2011 11:12:17 AM
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A somewhat unfortunate example, I feel.

"Marabel Morgan’s The Total Woman, selling more than ten million copies, was perhaps the most popular. She advocated that women enfold themselves in saran wrap (a transparent plastic used to preserve left-over food) when greeting a husband just home from work. An alternative was to spread oneself liberally in jam or honey whilst making supper for a husband lying prone on couch or carpet watching evening television. In this context, ‘wife’ was supposed to equal ‘supper’."

All very dramatic. But the "ten million" readers bear a little closer examination.

The basis for Ms Morgan's opposition to what she called the "women's movement" was her commitment to evangelical Christianity. Given the depth of this phenomenon in various parts of the United States, sales of a mere ten million copies may be regarded as a pretty poor show, rather than an indication of the book's popularity with women. One wonders, in fact, how many of these were given by evangelical Christian husbands, to their wives, in an attempt to appeal to their piety.

If you think that is an unfair assumption, take a look at the sales figures for Hillsong's "music". According to wikipedia, "Hillsong Music Australia has been accredited with over 50 gold and platinum sales awards achieved worldwide". One of their offerings hit the top of the ARIA charts, purely on sales made at a Hillsong conference.

I doubt Hillsong's melodies could be accused of being mainstream, but instead cult-oriented, much as Ms Morgan's views were.

Such carelessness detracts from an otherwise sensible indictment of women's search for... whatever.

Mind you, according to my sources on the subject (the blokes down the pub, mostly) the principal reason that women do this to themselves is to impress other women. "The lads" think it is a waste of time and money.

I mean, lipstick? What's the deal with that?
Posted by Pericles, Sunday, 13 November 2011 5:38:36 PM
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Pericles, my source tend to agree with yours. The makeup and other artificial aids are wonderful when we play dress up's (a special occasion) but for day to day beauty a good smile is hard to beat.

Someone who looks after them self without being silly about it is generally a lot more attractive than someone decked out with artificial enhancements.

As for the image thing and business, possibly some truth to that. Guy's have mostly had to put up with the silly idea that people who wear ties (and suits) are somehow better equipped for responsible position regardless of how unsuited said ties and suits are to the climate.Not sure how we will ever change some of those perceptions.

R0bert
Posted by R0bert, Sunday, 13 November 2011 6:42:19 PM
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*I mean, lipstick? What's the deal with that?*

Pericles, Desmond Morris in "The Human Animal" took
a closer look at all that.

Primates display sexual availability by the swelling and
reddening of the genital labia. During sexual arousal
the lips also swell and redden. To increase the effect
even more, many females from ancient Egypt to the modern
day, have painted lips even redder.

We can show that females wear more revealing clothing
at precisely the time when they are ovulating, even
though they are not aware of doing it conciously.

Morris puts it down to the power of unconcious human
sexual behaviour, rather then fashion houses.

Don't forget, the biggest threat to females are not
males, but other females.
Posted by Yabby, Monday, 14 November 2011 8:50:46 AM
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Yabby,

That is so weird...I was reading "The Naked Ape" yesterday and wrote down a few things pertinent to this discussion, for example, Desmond Morris refers to our large complex societies and the human condition of being a highly sexed, yet pair-bonding species. He writes of the contradictions of controlling and sending sexual signals:

"The widespread use of lipstick, rouge and perfume to heighten sexual lip signals, flushing signals and body-scent signals respectively provide further contradictions....Part of the answer to this is our very high level of sexuality, which demands constant expression and outlet. It was developed to keep the pair together, but now in the stimulating atmosphere of a complex society, it is constantly being triggered off in non-pair-bond situations...."
Posted by Poirot, Monday, 14 November 2011 9:27:20 AM
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Poirot, the way I understand it, "The Naked Ape" was the first of
Desmond Morris's observations about the human species, from a
zoologists point of view, ie in 1967.

He went on further with "The Human Zoo", then "The Human Animal"
in the 1990s.

Cities are in fact much like human zoos, when you think about it.

I've certainly learned alot from his observations, which remind
us that we are risen apes rather then fallen angels.
Posted by Yabby, Monday, 14 November 2011 9:49:01 AM
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I found this article a little disturbing, in that it seems to knock people who like to try to improve their appearance (mainly females).

I am often surprised that some overly religious people go on about the sins of adorning ones body with makeup or whatever, but appear to ignore the scientific facts that people have been adorning themselves with various beauty aids since way before Jesus was born.

Mind you, I wear lipstick, but I am also disturbed by the analogy of likening my lips to a baboon's reddened genitals! :)
Posted by Suseonline, Monday, 14 November 2011 12:22:42 PM
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Suzie it might be perception but I was more aware of the parts that are about pressure on women to wear makeup, dress to impress etc.

R0bert
Posted by R0bert, Monday, 14 November 2011 12:37:39 PM
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Er, does anyone else here think it’s a bit of a leap to say that because people are concerned about beauty, that women’s bodies are no longer their own?

The vast majority of people value beauty in every aspect of life. It is a constant factor in our choices over clothes, food, household goods and the houses we put them in (and where those houses are), our built environments, cars, pets, the books we read, the music we listen to, the jobs we do, even our states of mind. When was the last time you chose an ugly pair of socks over a well-designed pair, out of concern for the ugly pair’s sensitivities or right to equality?

Some people have different conceptualisations of what is beautiful and what is not. A greens supporter would no doubt argue that a wilderness area is more beautiful than the products that the natural resources in that wilderness area could be used to produce. Do you think we make these choices in order to impress others? No. Do we make these choices purely for our own benefit? No. The reasons for our choices to value certain kinds of beauty over others are highly complex, and incorporate genetic, developmental, social/cultural, ethical, financial, utilitarian, sexual, chronological, and comfort-related elements, which can't be separated from each other as Dr Scutt would have it. But we also share many innate characteristics in our perceptions of beauty – and especially in the way we perceive beautiful people. A baby will look at a beautiful face longer than it will an ugly one, despite the fact that it has not yet had it’s sense of aesthetics subject to any level of social construction. Why must an adult be suspected of having ulterior motives in this regard?
Posted by Sam Jandwich, Monday, 14 November 2011 2:06:59 PM
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It’s not just women either; you’d be surprised how many men take great pains over their appearance. Men shave every day and get their hair cut every month. They spend hours in the gym or shooting up steroids in an attempt to achieve an idealised look. They use moisturisers, exfoliants, anti-ageing products and anti-baldness products. They eat selectively. They have vast areas of their bodies waxed. They spend hours and thousands of dollars on the selection of their clothes. In fact because of the social taboo against men openly discussing the amount of effort they devote towards their appearance it is even harder for them than for women, because in subtly trying to outdo their contemporaries they have to make it look as if they are putting in no effort at all – but as we know secretive behaviour is hard to hide, so it’s a constant struggle.

All this poses a dilemma for ugly people, sure – they either have to accept their lot in life or do something about it… but isn’t it great that we have all these technologies at our disposal to enhance our dowdy appearances?

And anyway, I always tell my partner she looks more beautiful without makeup, but she nonetheless persists in using it. Are you saying I should try harder to dissuade her?

I think this is simply a case of the author seeking to draw distinctions and point out injustices where there are none. Isn’t that what lawyers do for a living after all?
Posted by Sam Jandwich, Monday, 14 November 2011 2:09:57 PM
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RObert <"Suzie it might be perception but I was more aware of the parts that are about pressure on women to wear makeup, dress to impress etc."

Yes, I noted that implication as well RObert, but I really think most people really want to try to make themselves more beautiful :)

That's not to say that everyone hasn't got their own idea of 'beauty' of course.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?
Posted by Suseonline, Monday, 14 November 2011 2:48:47 PM
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*but I am also disturbed by the analogy of likening my lips to a baboon's reddened genitals! :)*

Well Suze, I am sure that some women wonder why I am smiling,
when I see them walk down the street, with bright red swollen
lips on their faces. If only they understood a bit of zoology :)
Posted by Yabby, Monday, 14 November 2011 3:01:44 PM
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Hay Suse, how old were you in the "Twiggy" era?

I have always loved the ditty from then, "if skirts get any shorter, said the fairy to the gnome, there'll be 2 more cheeks to powder, & a lot more hair to comb".

This topic leads one to ponder if there would have been a demand for more lipstick.
Posted by Hasbeen, Monday, 14 November 2011 4:38:20 PM
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This 'trend' was observed long before the 21st century, but it was not men who set the selection criteria of make-up, skirts and high heels - it was women, and homophobic women in particular who resented the fact that gay women had been able to reach higher levels without resorting to sexualizing the workplace. Changing the selection criteria to suit those who flouted their femininity, shamelessly discriminated against those who were androgynous. However, the practice doesn't only discriminate against gays; it also discriminates against that increasingly larger group of lesser attractive women - those with wrinkles and grey hair. In an increasingly gerontophobic society, women are sending themselves broke - not just on clothes, shoes and makeup - but on hairdressers, beauticians and plastic surgeons while trying to conceal the signs of ageing.

Women are still their own worst enemy
Posted by SHORT&SHARP, Monday, 14 November 2011 5:37:51 PM
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