AsiasEvolvingPerception ofIdealBeauty

Marina Flores

Outofalltheculturalthemesencounteredinthissemester,themostintriguing,and perhapspropagatedaspectofculturesacrosstheworld,isbeauty.Inseveralofourfilms weencounterfemaleprotagonistsbeingappraised,anddenouncedascommoditiesby malecharacters.Anexampleofthistypeofevaluationisapparentinthefirstfilmwe watchedthissemester:MutiThrishingThePerfectGirl.Intheopeningscene,thefilms protagonistRigseldescribeshisidealwomaneducated,wealthy,and(ofcourse) beautiful.InSlumdogMillionaire,Jamaldescribestheloveofhislife,Latika,asthemost beautifulwomanintheworld.InMulan:RiseofaWarrior,Mulansfathermakeshis opinionsonhisdaughterbeingawifeveryclear.Infrontofallofthemeninthevillage,Hua MulansfathersaysshewillnevermarrybecausesheknowsKungFu.EvenifherKungFu wasnoproblemforamaninthevillage,Mulansvalueasawifewasalreadydownplayed byherfatherwhodidnotyetknowthathewascondemningafutureheroofChina.These ideassparkedmycuriosityastowhatthetraditionalAsianidealofbeautyisandhowtime hasevolvedtheseideastomoldthewomenlivinginmodernAsiatoday.

TraditionalStandardsofBeautyinAsianCulture
Inordertobetterunderstandbeauty,itisimportantknowboththedefinitionand understandtheculturalcontextofbeauty.Beautyisdefinedasacombinationofqualities thatisaestheticallyappealingtothesenses,particularlysight.However,whendiscussing beautyfromaculturalperspective,wemustalsounderstandtheuniqueidealsoftheculture andwhodictatesthesestandards.HIstorically,menhavedominatedallaspectsofsociety acrosscultures.Traditionally,itisalsothemenwhodeterminewhatqualitiesadesirable

womanpossesses,becauseitisthemanwhochoosesafitmotherforhischildrenand takesonawife. Asia,isagreatlandscapeofuniquevariationsofsocioculturalnorms.InJapan, China,andKoreahistoricaestheticbeautycharacteristicsincludedthineyes,anarrow nose,roundcheeks,andasoftroundedface.Inindia,beautywasmeasuredinfashionand decorativeaccessoriessuchasSaris,jewelry,andHenna.Beautyinculturesisfarbeyond thephysical,thereisprohibitorybehaviorandparticularexpectationsofwomenthatareset bytheirmalesuitors.ForIndianwomenthismeansfollowingtheSixNobleVirtuesofan IdealWife.Altogetherthesevirtuesrequireawomantobeawifewhoisaservanttothe household,anadvisortoherhusband,feedsherhusbandashismotherwould,patient,and asbeautifulandsexuallyenlightenedasagoddess. OthercharacteristicscommonofJapanese,andChinesebridesarecomprisedof softspokenness,andhumility.InTheScentofGreenPapaya,Muistraditional,gentle demeanoriswhatinitiallyattractstheengagedpianisttoher,buthealsoteachesherto readpriortoherhavinghischild.Hewantedtobesurethathisrelationshipwouldbe respected,andhewouldnotbeseenasthemanwhosleptwithhisunrefinedmaidwhile hewaspromisedtomarryanotherwoman.

MediaInfluenceonAsianBeauty
Theevolutionoftechnologyhasbroughtaboutnewmediumsofcommunicating culturalideals,throughpress,film,television,andsocialmedia.Itisagrowingtopicin Asiancountriesofhowthemediaisalteringyoungwomensideasoftheirselfimage.

NewsstandsareplaguedwithAmericanandEuropeanMagazines,featuring advertisementswithEuropeanandAmericanmodels.AsianFashionMagazinesare circulated,butscarceandfeatureAsianwomenfittingamoreWesternizedprofile.Itis saidthatthemediadoesnotdepicttherealimageofwomentoday,itcreatesan unattainablequintessentialconceptionofwhatwomenshouldlooklike.Thismediastigma hasleadwomentotakedrasticmeasuresintochangingtheirappearancetosuitthe WesternLook. TheWesternLook,thatmanyAsianwomenyearntoachievethroughplastic surgeryis,inreality,adramatizationofwhataverageWesternWomenlooklike.Themost commonplasticsurgeriesareknownasWesternizingProcedures,rhinoplasty(the breakingandrealigningofthenose)andblepharoplasty(creationofdoubleeyelidsby slittingopentheeyes).Amoredisturbingplasticsurgeryistheremovalofstrongjawbone linesthisprocedurecallsforpiecesofthejawtobesurgicallysawedofinornertocreatea morethinEuropeanchin.Plasticsurgeryhasbecomesowidespreadthatthecontestants ofMissKorea2013wereundergreatscrutinybecausetheirappearancewassostrikingly similartooneanotherandlesssimilartotheethnicbeautythatnaturalKoreanwomen possess. ItseemsthatthereisnowhereinAsiawheretheWestsinfluenceisnotfelt.The WorldBeforeHerisa2012documentaryfollowingthelivesoftwoyoungwomeninIndia, followingtwocompletelydifferentpaths.PrachiTrivediisayoungleaderforaHindu NationalistgroupknownasDurgaVahinianorganizationdedicatedtoteachingyoung girlstorebelagainstWesternculture,Christianity,andIslam.Inthiscamp,girlsaretaught

topreservetheirHinduculturebyanymeans,includingkilling.Meanwhile,RuhiSinghis competingforheronewaytickettostardomintheMissIndiapageantacontestglorifying andencouragingWesternbeauty.Thecontestantsundergoproceduressuchasbotox injectionstocreatemoredefinednoses,chinsandcheeks.Everysinglecontestantalso hasskinlighteningfacialsbecausefairskinisseenasamoredesirablelook.Theentirety ofthedocumentarypansbackandforthbetweentheHinduCamp,andpageantcamp. Thiscreatedavividpicturebeforemyeyes,theMissIndiacontestantshardlylooked Indian.Comparedtotheyounggirlsatthecamp,itwasveryapparentthatthelargest beautycontestinthecountrywasproducingyoungwomenthatrepresentanideaofbeauty thathasbeendilutedbyWesterninfluence.

StandardsofBeautyToday
Today,theWestsinfluenceoverEasternstandardsofbeautyisdiminishinga culturethousandsofyearsinthemaking.Medianowdictatesthedesireofwomen,notjust inAsia,butworldwide.ForwomeninAsia,theinfluenceofWesternculturehasprovento bethegreatestnonviolentweaponintheculturalgenocideagainstthem.Withadvanced cosmetictechnologyathand,womenareabletochangetheirappearanceattheirdemise orperhapsatthedemiseofthenewagedictators.Whatwereonceburning,thriving culturesarenowkeptaflickerbytheactivists,suchasthoseofDurgaVahini.Withthese advancementsbeingmadefortheWest,itisdiscerningtothinkiftherecouldpossiblybea daywhereAsianBeauty,isvirtuallyuniformtothethefalsifiedimagesplasteredacross Westernfashionmagazines.Idohavehope,thatbypromotinganddiversifyingalltypesof

beautythattheworldwillonedaywillbreakfreeofthechainsofdictatedbeautyand embracethebeautythatmothernaturehadintended.

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