Monday, September 6, 2010

The Pursuit of Perfection?

Perfect! Plastic perfect! That's what models in any form of media are and actually always have been. Tall, slim, fair, not a hair out of place, perfect teeth, perfect nails, perfect lashes and make-up. They are perfect. And all look the same, as if they have been mass produced from the same factory and by the same hand! No scope of uniqueness at all.

And they make those who admire them (especially girls in the adolescence and teen ages) want to pursue perfection, to look just like them. The girls don't realise that this "perfection" is a result of hours of make-up and airbrushing. As a result, these girls try so many things which are actually harmful to them, to look like the plastic dolls!


A cousin of mine eats very small meals because she is convinced she is FAT even though her shape (which I think is great) is due to her bone structure. I have seen many classmates in school who were anorexic or bulimic in pursuit of this perfection. Or those who have destroyed their skins and hair with all the beauty products "guaranteed" to make you hair. skin and whatever parts of your anatomy shine!

And it's not just the girls. If they have some sense, then I have heard mothers pass comments that could easily destroy their self esteem at tender ages. My own mother is one of those. She always kept telling me to use Fair and Lovely (which she has been using for god knows how many years to no positive effect) so that I can look better. I have had her scream at me in public for letting my hair down without combing it perfectly and hence looking shabby, which was really confusing because I would've just got so many compliments about how I looked. The mother of someone I know used to stare at her in public or even shout at her if she ate more than 5 spoonfuls because she wanted her to lose weight. It used to be so embarrassing for her and used to make her cry, for which she received more scoldings.

Both of us ended up dealing with what our mothers dished out for us in the same way, by confronting them and then not listening to them, living our life our own way. Unfortunately it sours relationships too.

Pursuit of Perfection? What is that perfection really?

1 comment:

  1. elusive...that which is to be never found...and wrecks the passage too

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