Overview
The speaker examines how beauty standards, especially regarding body image, are shaped and changed by society and media, and offers advice for overcoming harmful beauty ideals.
Evolution of Beauty Standards
- Beauty standards shift frequently, prompting constant creation of new makeup and trends.
- Eyebrow styles exemplify rapid and dramatic changes in beauty ideals.
- Societal focus on specific features, such as butts, has varied across decades, influenced by pop culture.
Personal Impact of Beauty Ideals
- The speaker felt alienated due to her body type as a child and teenager in the 80s and 90s.
- Plus-size clothing options were limited and unappealing, reinforcing a sense of separation.
- Experiences of isolation included missing social activities and internalizing negative self-perceptions.
- Through personal growth and societal change, the speaker now embraces her body and rejects shame.
Critique of Media and Social Influences
- Mass media and cultural icons significantly inform and reinforce beauty myths.
- Films and media often perpetuate problematic standards and roles, influencing self-image from a young age.
Three-Step Method to Challenge Beauty Standards
- Step 1: Fix your social media feed by unfollowing sources that reinforce harmful standards and curating positive, diverse content.
- Step 2: Ask friends and family to avoid using language that enforces exclusionary beauty ideals and communicate personal boundaries.
- Step 3: Change self-talk by replacing negative language about your appearance with affirming, empowering statements, inspired by the self-repetition in stand-up comedy.
Recommendations / Advice
- Curate social media to reflect beauty diversity and positivity.
- Communicate openly and assertively with loved ones about language that enforces harmful beauty standards.
- Adopt positive self-talk and reject self-deprecating humor or criticism about your body.
- Remember your body as a vehicle for your dreams, not a limitation.
Action Items
- TBD – Audience: Unfollow social media accounts that promote exclusionary or negative beauty standards.
- TBD – Audience: Communicate with loved ones about the impact of their language on your body image.
- TBD – Audience: Practice using affirming and positive language when speaking about your own body.