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! :)

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

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?

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?

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?

*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 :)