Beauty and Physical Appearance

The number of people having cosmetic surgery is increasing.

Dieting, body-building, tanning, ear piercing and cosmetic surgery have long been common in the United States, and practices such as tattooing, body piercing and scarification are becoming increasingly popular.

...like “Pretty Hurts” and “Flawless” (and their respective music videos) criticize suffocating beauty standards and triumphantly assert the inherent perfection of all women. But amidst the celebration of female empowerment and sexual agency are subtle and not-so-subtle reminders that we live in a hetero-patriarchy that even a super star like Beyoncé cannot escape. For example, the director of one...

Instead, the 14-year-old took matters into her own hands, finding the graffiti and posing with it.

All the children had taken lessons on body image and self-esteem.

The number of people having cosmetic surgery is increasing.

Nonetheless, some practitioners also report feeling more vulnerable, even socially ostracized, by such permanent scarring (Pitts 2000).

This is accomplished through a vast variety of techniques and for many different reasons, including: To make the body conform to ideals of beauty To mark membership in a group To mark social status To convey information about an individual’s personal qualities or accomplishments Certain body modification practices, such as neck elongation or tooth filing, may strike Americans as strange and exotic, we must realize that we modify our own bodies in countless ways.

Consider doing a critical read/listen of both the lyrics and video for “Pretty Hurts” (or other songs on BEYONCÉ) to spark conversation about modern definitions of feminism and what they mean within the larger context of the feminist movement. 1. Download and make copies of the lyrics to “Pretty Hurts.”

Dieting, body-building, tanning, ear piercing and cosmetic surgery have long been common in the United States, and practices such as tattooing, body piercing and scarification are becoming increasingly popular.

"It felt very empowering," Carleigh said of taking the photo.

...found that 60 percent of women and 42 percent of men were pierced (Kaatz, Elsner & Bauer 2008). Common piercing sites include the ears, nose, tongue, eyebrow, lip, nipple, navel and genitals, with the ear being the most common site for both males and females (Larkin 2004). While some engage in piercing for the sake of fashion, researchers report...

Plastic surgery is often expensive and painful.

...her decision to title her World Tour the “Mrs. Carter Show” as reasons she is undeserving of the title. Considering all of this, is Beyoncé—or any pop culture icon—someone we should discuss with our students? Many of our students look up to Beyoncé as a heroine of sorts. Her status can provide valuable leverage when teaching literature—and...

...practices such as cosmetic surgery, body piercing, tattooing and tanning. Cosmetic Surgery According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), in 2008, Americans underwent 10.2 million cosmetic procedures, paying out just under $12 billion (Mann 2009). While the general economic downturn has led to a slight decrease in such procedures, cosmetic surgery has increased dramatically in the...

Scarification, widely practiced as part of initiation and puberty rites in cultures throughout the world, involves the cutting (or sometimes burning) of the skin in ways designed to leave permanent scars.

[Bridge:] Ain't got no doctor or pill that can take the pain away The pain's inside and nobody frees you from your body It's the soul, it's the soul that needs surgery It's my soul that needs surgery Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far Then you break when the fake facade leaves you in the dark You left with shattered mirrors and the shards of a beautiful girl

As health practitioners have observed: Only by looking at the psychological factors that go into sun-tanning behavior can we understand the young woman who waits in line at a tanning salon, although she understands that tanning will age her skin and can cause cancer…Low self-esteem, body image distortion and undiagnosed depression and anxiety can drive some to act self-destructively in the pursuit of some idealized image of beauty

As health practitioners have observed: Only by looking at the psychological factors that go into sun-tanning behavior can we understand the young woman who waits in line at a tanning salon, although she understands that tanning will age her skin and can cause cancer…Low self-esteem, body image distortion and undiagnosed depression and anxiety can drive some to act self-destructively in the pursuit of some idealized image of beauty

The video begins with Beyoncé in a beauty pageant answering a question about her aspiration in life.

Scarification, widely practiced as part of initiation and puberty rites in cultures throughout the world, involves the cutting (or sometimes burning) of the skin in ways designed to leave permanent scars.

Many children are on diets to make themselves attractive to the opposite sex.

Note: Because critiques of Beyoncé often target her—and some even exclude her from being a feminist—on the grounds that she embraces both female empowerment and sexual agency, be aware that these themes...

...both female empowerment and sexual agency, be aware that these themes may arise in your discussion; they could be considered the “dominant reading” of a female performer who dances provocatively and wears limited clothing. Offer the point of view that such criticisms seek to control Beyoncé’s body—and that controlling women is actually the opposite of what feminism seeks to...

Which characters, if any, are playing into any known stereotypes?

...to Beyoncé as a heroine of sorts. Her status can provide valuable leverage when teaching literature—and media literacy—from a feminist perspective. One objective of feminist teaching is to increase awareness of the sexual politics of language and style—politics that can be explored through discussion and analysis of Beyoncé’s lyrics, costuming choices and world tour title. BEYONCÉ seems to...

All the children had taken lessons on body image and self-esteem.

...to accomplish. This non-dominant reading of pop music may be new to some students. For young people who are beginning to explore and question their own sexual and gender expression, thinking deeply about the feminist controversies surrounding Beyoncé and other pop culture icons can equip them with skills to draw conclusions about complex messages society sends about who...

...students need information and opportunity to arrive at these conclusions for themselves. How can we use critical thinking to analyze the praise and criticism Beyoncé receives and consider her identity as both a human being and a nuanced performer? One way to cultivate these critical thinking and listening skills with students is to use song lyrics and music...

A teachers' spokeswoman warned that children trying to look like "airbrushed celebrities in the media only leads to misery".

Assume an accident has left you horribly disfigured.

In this way, tattooing can serve to heal, to empowering, and to promote body acceptance and self-esteem.

[Bridge:] Ain't got no doctor or pill that can take the pain away The pain's inside and nobody frees you from your body It's the soul, it's the soul that needs surgery It's my soul that needs surgery Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far Then you break when the fake facade leaves you in the dark You left with shattered mirrors and the shards of a beautiful girl

Students can annotate their transcripts using thinking notes to mark the transcript in places related to context, audience, purpose, values and style.

That is, all cultures around the world modify and reshape human bodies.

This is accomplished through a vast variety of techniques and for many different reasons, including: To make the body conform to ideals of beauty To mark membership in a group To mark social status To convey information about an individual’s personal qualities or accomplishments Certain body modification practices, such as neck elongation or tooth filing, may strike Americans as strange and exotic, we must realize that we modify our own bodies in countless ways.

...usually only a few inches long (Hong 1997). Men reportedly found the tiny feet, swishy walk, and apparent frailty highly erotic. Although foot binding essentially crippled the women who underwent the process, parents continued the practice to improve their daughter’s chances of attracting a husband. When China was opened to the West, the process began to die out, and...

Pay your surgeon very well To break the spell of aging Celebrity skin is this your chin Or is that war your waging

If you could change one aspect of your appearance, which feature would you change?

As health practitioners have observed: Only by looking at the psychological factors that go into sun-tanning behavior can we understand the young woman who waits in line at a tanning salon, although she understands that tanning will age her skin and can cause cancer…Low self-esteem, body image distortion and undiagnosed depression and anxiety can drive some to act self-destructively in the pursuit of some idealized image of beauty

At least one recent study has suggests that some individuals become addicted to tanning, despite its well documented links to skin damage, severe wrinkling, and skin cancer (Warthan, Uchida & Wagner 2005).

...obtain the ideal curvaceous feminine figure with broad hips and tiny waists, cinched as small as 12 inches (Riordan, 2007: 263). Such corseting was, in fact, a form of permanent body modification. With severely tight lacing, women’s bodies came to “literally incorporate the corset as the ribs and internal organs gradually adapt[ed] to its shape” (Riordan, 2007:263). This practice...

Some commenters pointed out that the words actually seem to spell "Carleigh SASS," which could be flipped as a compliment on her sassy, take-charge personality.

Nonetheless, some practitioners also report feeling more vulnerable, even socially ostracized, by such permanent scarring (Pitts 2000).

Looking back on it, Carleigh says she surprised even herself with her reaction to the situation.

...to be the singer’s direct response to the debate as to whether or not she is a feminist. Songs like “Pretty Hurts” and “Flawless” (and their respective music videos) criticize suffocating beauty standards and triumphantly assert the inherent perfection of all women. But amidst the celebration of female empowerment and sexual agency are subtle and not-so-subtle reminders that we...

...some aspect of their appearance, or to use their bodies as a canvas for creative self-expression. While some seek to improve their body-image, this is not necessarily a motivating factor for everyone who engages in body modification. Additionally, some attempts at body modification can also have unintended negative consequences that might ultimately damage self-esteem. Historical and Global Contexts...

Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that the number of operations increased by five per cent between 2009 and 2010.

[Bridge:] Ain't got no doctor or pill that can take the pain away The pain's inside and nobody frees you from your body It's the soul, it's the soul that needs surgery It's my soul that needs surgery Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far Then you break when the fake facade leaves you in the dark You left with shattered mirrors and the shards of a beautiful girl

...and scarification, once only associated with more marginal or deviant social groups in the United States, have now become more mainstream. Body piercing has become increasingly popular and socially acceptable in the US in recent years. One recent study of American college students found that 60 percent of women and 42 percent of men were pierced (Kaatz, Elsner &...