Pressures from the Patriarchy

Hi there readers!

This past week I’ve been reflecting on the daily pressures women face from the media to attain physical perfection. I’d love to say that as a  budding feminist, I no longer feel pressured by the media to hate my body! Yikes if only that were true. To be completely honest, I suffer bouts of body anxiety on a pretty regular basis and lately I’ve been trying to pinpoint the reason behind it.  My common mantra of “ Do I look ok?” to my roommates  wears on them, I know,  because it IS annoying, and has begun to wear on me as well.   So what if I don’t “look ok?” and to what purpose does that phrase even serve? I find myself questioning why guys do not wake up and feel the same pressure young women do in trying to plan an outfit, style their hair, or slab on amounts of expensive makeup just so they can feel accepted as a human being? For the purpose of delving deeper, I would like to understand why I constantly feel the pressure to look beautiful, especially in front of guys.

I think that it originates from my childhood in which some of my favorites memories derive from watching my mother prep for evening parties (or any public outing for that matter). The process of watching her apply makeup and try on various outfits instilled the message that my appearance was very important,  and leaving home with a bare naked face was a huge DON’T.  Additionally, I am  constantly bombarded by advertisements everywhere that consistently reinforce the idea that women are naturally flawed. There is truly nothing like a beauty ad to remind me that one day I’m going to be ugly, fat, and old so I better buy this Revlon anti-aging product RIGHT now!! Why are young women consistently being fed the egregious idea  that their physical appearance is synonymous  to their value as a human being? I can’t help but trace it back to our culture’s dominant hegemony which, through the influence and domination of the media, instill this idea that women are only as valuable as their physical appearance.

Evidence of this can be found in any media outlet.  Beauty ads in fashion magazines, websites, or the TV,  contain endless tips on the many ways a young woman can improve her physical appearance.  Dealing with the pressures of schoolwork, organizations, and the day to day struggles is more than enough  without young women feeling the additional pressure of trying to look perfect. I discussed this topic with a couple girlfriends of mine the other night to gauge whether or not they felt the same pressure I did. Interestingly enough, all three of them expressed the same exact anxiety and pressure I find myself facing.  The anxiety and pressure we discussed of, consisted of the completely irrational fear that we will never be accepted, find love, or be truly comfortable with ourselves because of our appearance.  Therefore this semester, I will to strive to actively change my pattern of thinking, object to the patriarchy’s unattainable standards of beauty, and just relax a lil more!