Pretty is as Pretty does...

Have you noticed that if you actually study the Internet, most of it is worse than trash T.V.? What I’ve mostly found thus far on the Internet is people doing crazy things, many times for no reason except so they can put on the World Wide Web. When I say wild things, I’m not even talking about Kim Kardashian reading a book or anything truly out of this world.This woman on some random site put on a hundred shades of foundation on her face for no apparent reason. Why would you do that, I ask? What would inspire you to abuse you face in such a manner? I saw her with the hundred shades of foundation piled on her face. She looked like she should be in a wax museum.This little experiment led me to wonder: What do men think of make-up? I think every man wants his woman to be naturally beautiful, even though he’s lusting over porn stars that have five shades of foundation on.I wonder sometimes why it’s so important for a woman to be pretty. If men are pretty it’s a bonus, but for women, it’s a requirement. I don’t actually understand. Why don’t men wear make-up? It’s such a strange phenomena. In all other animals, the males adorn themselves for females.I’m guilty of this make-up phenomena myself. I don’t wear a hundred shades, but I try to look pretty. I’ve bought into the notion that my skin should look even and my eyes should have black lines around them. What a random thing to actually believe. I also think I should be thin and have big breasts.Who exactly is making me think these things, and why am I buying into it? Am I weak to follow the trends in magazines? Am I stupid?I’m sorry but I want to look like Katy Perry or Salma Hayek or someone gorgeous. “You think I’m pretty without any make-up on,” is a line from a Katy Perry song. I want that, though, more. I want someone to love the bags under my eyes, the wrinkles forming around my mouth. I don't know what I want at all.I asked an old male friend what he thought of make-up. This was his reply: “Umm this is the first time I’ve ever thought about make-up.” But we meticulously smear that shit all over our faces, for you, you assholes. At least have the respect to think about it now and then.My friend continued, “I will say it’s much harder to be a woman. It’s easier for a guy to just wash his face and go whereas you guys have to put make-up on and whatever else you do.” Whatever else we do? He said it like it was trivial, all these things that we do.“You mean like shave or entire bodies?” I asked. He seemed to not be impressed by this amazing gesture woman make to look like we have hairless skin. Did he think we were born that way? Then it occurred to me, he didn’t think about the hair on our legs unless he could see it. Otherwise, he took it for granted that we women will transform our bodies into dollish figures.I’m guilty of this too. What is wrong with me, why am I conforming? Why have I bought into these unnatural beauty standards? I don’t know, it’s like I’m a robot or something, like I have no mind of my own.This is not right, but I have no intention of not shaving my armpits or not essentially putting paint on my face. In the Sikh religion, we are not supposed to cut any of the hair on our body, including body hair. Many of the Sikh woman who practice keeping all of their hair struggle because it is not accepted in mainstream society.Maybe these religious women are doing the right thing by rejecting societal norms about what is ‘beautiful’ in a woman. Maybe I wish I was as strong as they are so I could do my own thing. But the truth is, I’m not.One of the biggest issues facing women today is the fact that they are literally dying to conform to beauty standards. Eating disorders are all over the place all because women want to be ‘pretty.’Back to my friend and the make-up issue. “I definitely notice when it’s too much, that is a turn-off. If it’s not noticeable it’s great,” he commented. We women are trying really hard to put this stuff on our face to get the ‘natural’ look. Men don’t want to see any of that effort we are putting into it.So let’s recap, we women are putting colorful shit on their faces, taking a razor to our entire bodies, and starving ourselves. All of this for what? For our self-worth? To please men?How do I reconcile the fact that I know what I’m doing is conforming to standards that I had no say in creating? Do I just accept the fact that I’m a hypocrite and an idiot?Maybe I should just give myself a break. Self worth and self-esteem are precarious notions. We do a lot of things that are crazy in order to feel better about ourselves.Yeah, I’m not a perfect human. I still follow the clan and want to be part of the clan. I need that acceptance. Maybe you do too, or maybe you are better than me. Either way, it’s not a contest. it’s a life.It is hard being a woman, for multiple reasons way beyond our slavery to beauty standards. If Kim Kardashian is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world who is famous for nothing, this tells us a lot about our society. We value people for their butts more than their minds.But I will tell you what…I am more proud of my intelligence than I am of my ass. In the end that may be all that matters.nina