Our Obsession with Beauty

Chapter 1: Introduction
Beauty Trends and Harmful Effects
 There is an obsession with beauty in our culture
 Beauty horror, like body horror, is becoming popular in entertainment
 Beauty and body trends in the media can be harmful to self-esteem and mental health
 Tiffany Ferguson and Jordan Theresa have made videos discussing harmful beauty and
body trends, especially plastic surgery

Chapter 2: Aspirational Beauty Content

 Our current beauty conversation is defined by a rapid repackaging of aesthetic content,
labels, and standards that are said to be more aspirational than obtainable.
o Clean girl has become that girl has become vanilla girl has become warm
cinnamon spice latte almond girl has become patty cake patty cake baker's man,
bake me a cake as fast as can, girl.
 This rapid repackaging and constant surveillance of aesthetics implies beauty obsession
because we're incapable of just existing outside of performance.
 People have begun amplifying normal unaesthetic routines just to show they still exist.
 Others have begun de-influencing, which means minimalizing the importance of
consumerism and telling their audiences what not to buy.
 The rapid repackaging of aesthetics contributes to the growing chasm between us and
aspirational beauty, making us forever inadequate and always chasing an unattainable
goal.
 Beauty obsession and the constant need to self-survey, self-monitor, and self-commodify
makes us into products to be consumed.
 The constant inundation of media reminds us that the most important and successful job
we can have is to be beautiful, both in the mirror and by others.
 TikTok is not the sole problem, but it is not helping in alleviating beauty sickness.
 Critiquing the people partaking in these trends is not enough, as they have been
socialized their entire lives to do so.
 Media portrays beautiful people as living the best lives, while those depicted as ugly are
shown to be suffering before their transformation.
 We must take responsibility for how our beauty sickness affects not only us but other
people, especially online.
 Indirect or direct shaming of others to create insecurities in viewers is harmful and must
be challenged.
 Beauty sickness is sold to us and expected of us, but we must question our own actions
and beliefs and push back against these narratives.
  The Internet oversaturates the conversation on beauty sickness, making it faster, more
accessible, and hard to live life outside of accessing it.
 The Internet exposes us to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of beauty ads, videos,
and images per day, contributing to our beauty sickness.

Chapter 3: Even If Beauty

 Systems that go beyond TikTok girlies and silly little reels
o These things are detrimental and cause harm to those who watch and internalize
them
o They are a byproduct created by a culture that will continue to exist and evolve
into new mediums
 Our ability to expand outside of our beauty sickness is partially dependent upon how
willing we are to zoom in on the source of the problem, not just as byproducts
o Beauty is a complex subject that can't be defined on a scale of good or bad
o Beauty can refer to a person's appearance, objects, and how good someone feels
in their looks
 No one is telling you to gather your bras, lipstick, and high heels and toss them in a
flaming trash can
o It's possible to acknowledge our beauty sickness while participating in and even
liking beauty routines
o The idea that focusing on beauty means not focusing on intellect or life goals is
too simplistic
 Beauty and self-determination can coexist
o The discussion is not about whether people can like beauty because it's inherently
anti-feminist
o The discussion is about how beauty sickness is poisoning society and the need to
place a smaller emphasis on it
 Beauty itself is not the enemy, but beauty obsession can be harmful
o Beauty is important to people in numerous ways, even in ordinary life
o Beauty can provide comfort and serve as a reminder of how simple life should be
 The femme fatale archetype represents power and seductiveness
o Society tells women that their power lies in their sexuality and looks
o This conditional power is based on how attractive others find them
o It's a grotesque kind of power that disappears as women find their footing in the
world
o Societal beauty standards are discriminatory and will turn on women when they
underperform in any given category

Chapter 4: Social Media Beauty

Beauty Sickness
  Beauty sickness is the problem, not beauty itself
 Beauty sickness is when appearance becomes the sole focus of one's life
 People feel the need to participate in beauty trends to be accepted
 Beauty sickness is not a choice, but a result of being inundated with idealized images of
beauty
 Media literacy and feminism alone cannot cure beauty sickness

Aspirational Beauty
 Aspirational beauty standards are systemic in our culture
 Social media plays a significant role in promoting aspirational beauty
 People aspire to look like celebrities and influencers on social media
 Idealized images on social media can be motivating but also detrimental
 Even with media literacy, people are still affected by idealized images

Comparisons and Insecurities

 Comparing oneself to idealized images leads to lowered self-esteem
 Images of peers on social media can also create insecurities
 Peer images may seem more realistic but are often posed and edited
 Comparing real life to the curated images of others is harmful

Homogeneity and Intersectionality

 Social media beauty ideals are largely homogeneous
 White, thin, enhanced, able-bodied, cis beauty standards dominate
 Beauty pressure varies for individuals at different intersections
 Intersectionality is often ignored in discussions of beauty trends and beauty sickness

Balancing Act for Trans Women

 Trans women face judgment and pressure to conform to beauty standards
 Caitlyn Burns describes the balancing act of being judged for appearance
 Misgendering and pressure to try harder to be taken seriously as a woman

Chapter 5: Images Of Beauty

 Beauty standards are restrictive and intersectional
o Appearance standards vary across intersections (body type, skin texture,
disability, poverty)
o These ideals shape our understanding of beauty standards and beauty sickness

Personal Experiences
  Latina subscriber raised to emulate a rich white woman
o Forced to choose between assimilation and cultural identity due to idealized
images on TikTok
 Trans man feels pressure to conform to beauty ideals
o Media and societal pressure to be beautiful from a young age
o Envious of cisgender friends who can divest from beauty ideals more easily
 Hispanic subscriber faced constant critique of skin tone, weight, and hair
o Church, family, and school taught them what women should look like
o Felt like they were failing womanhood due to being brown, queer, and disabled
 Sikh South Asian teenager influenced by social media
o Struggles with changes in appearance and understanding their impact on
confidence
o Experiences feeling exoticized and fetishized as a brown girl
 Plus-sized individual internalizes societal beauty standards
o Felt pressure to fit in with aesthetic expectations placed on women
o Realizes their worth should not be solely based on looks

Beauty Sickness and Consumption

 Beauty sickness leads to insecurity, fear, and endless consumption
 Young girls start thinking about their ideal body at a young age
o Engage in dietary restraint and desire bodies like women in movies
 Beauty sickness leads to increased beauty procedures and consumption
o Plastic surgery, TikTok beauty trends, excessive cosmetic product purchases
o Majority of cosmetic procedures performed on women
 Women spend significantly on beauty products and procedures
o Cosmetic surgeries increased by 538% since 1997 in the US
o Cosmetics brought in over $60 billion in revenue in the US in 2015
 Unsolicited advice and emphasis on fixing natural aspects of the body
o Internet users suggesting cosmetic procedures to celebrities and influencers
o Beauty trends focus on buying products to achieve desired appearance
 Ideal images of beauty paired with products and lifestyles associated with the good life

Chapter 6: Type Of Beauty

 Different aesthetic niches on social media platforms like TikTok
o "That girl" aesthetic
 Requires buying matching workout outfits and dad shoes
 Involves a complex skincare routine with color coded jade rollers and
moisturizers
o "Clean girl" aesthetic
 Similar to "that girl" but with added emphasis on disdain for acne prone
skin
o "Vanilla girl" aesthetic
  Similar to "that girl" and "clean girl" with more emphasis on the color
beige
 Reminiscent of white academia with more tank tops
 Pressure to buy specific products to participate in these aesthetics
o Beauty buys needed to sport the aesthetic are already cult classics
o Everyone wearing specific brands and accessories
o Feeling inadequate compared to trendy peers if not participating
 Aesthetic trends as costumes and caricatures
o Emphasize performing for social media rather than being
o Fun and cool to embody, but not realistic or sustainable
 Motivational content associated with fitness and lifestyle niches
o Alters self-perception and creates pressure to constantly work, succeed, and
restrict
o Constantly striving to embody the perfect self
 Desire to exist as a person rather than a curated image
o Wanting to be comfortable and not constantly striving for perfection
o Rejecting the pressure to conform to beauty trends and aesthetic identities
 Beauty sickness and feeling constantly on display
o Over 40% of young women feel like someone is evaluating their appearance
o Participating in beauty trends for the pleasure and gaze of others
o Social media built on the idea of being looked at and performing for others
 Personal experience as a YouTuber and constant surveillance
o Appearance commented on as much as thoughts
o Pressure to always wear makeup and look a certain way on camera
o Feeling constantly gazed at and judged
 Social media making everyone their own mini celebrities
o Increasing beauty sickness and pressure to make lives beautiful
o Fear of being photographed or recorded without consent
 Transition in celebrity culture and the celebritization of everyday people
o Ordinary people marketing themselves as larger than life figures
o Heightened consciousness of everyday life as a public performance
o Growing expectation of being watched and offering up private parts of the self
 Impact of being constantly watched on self-identity and beauty
o Need to be beautiful and nice to look at while being watched
o Self-objectification and focusing on specific parts of the self
o Vicious cycle of desiring, aspiring, failing, and surveilling
o Feeling inadequate and ashamed of not meeting beauty standards

Chapter 7: Conclusion
 The problem lies in the impossible standards and obsession with beauty
o Constant surveillance and conversation about appearance
o Unobtainable standard of beauty
o Society's expectation to be beautiful
 Beauty should not be our job, we should be allowed to be average
 o Capitalism's influence on beauty standards
o Being treated as people, not ornaments
 Suggestions for turning down the obsession with beauty
o Limit exposure to idealized images
o Scroll past certain TikToks
o Turn away from the mirror
 Implementing routines to detach from the mirror
o Giving outfit a once-over without obsessing over it
o Refusing to look up beauty trend TikToks
o Creating boundaries and limiting mirror time
o Unfollowing people who make you question your appearance
o Wearing comfortable outfits that don't require constant monitoring
 Healing beauty sickness takes time and effort
 Becoming more aware of time, money, and energy spent on the mirror
 Ending the video with a reminder to be safe and expressing gratitude for watching
Why You’ll Never Be Pretty Enough

Chapter 1: Introduction
 Barbie's relevance and popularity
 Channel content: lifestyle comedy skits, creative videos
 Expansion to self-development and commentary videos
 Non-monetized videos with support links
 Request to subscribe and like
 No condoning hate or body shaming

Beauty Standards
 Beauty is subjective and influenced by culture, tribes, country, and time
 Examples of beauty standards: white skin, tan dark skin, body size
 Constantly changing beauty standards due to new trends
 Historical examples of changing beauty standards
 Current beauty standard: slim face, defined jawline, thin nose, big lips, flawless skin, no
signs of acne, aging, stretch marks, cellulite, or scars
 Different beauty standards for Asians and Westerners
 Universal beauty standard influenced by internalized racism, ideologies, and colorism
 Impact of colonization on beauty standards
 Examples of plastic surgery to achieve Eurocentric features
 Dominance of Eurocentric and Caucasian features in media and globalization
 Pressure on people of color to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards

Chapter 2: Bombard Young Girls

 Preference for lighter skin complexion
 Negative self-perception due to skin tone
 Pressure to whiten skin through bleaching or lightening products
 Asian girls told they're too dark or not beautiful due to their skin tone
 Desire to change natural features to appear more Caucasian
 Rise of African American hair care products
 Shifting beauty standard towards natural features of black women
 Objectification and sexualization of women
 Women valued based on appearance, men praised for professional success and strength
 Women taught to serve men, limited rights, and expectations of appearance and behavior
 Beauty industry targeting young girls and women with Western beauty ideals
 Objectification and pressure to conform to beauty standards
 Shaming and exclusivity in beauty industry
 Glorification of extreme fitness and unhealthy beauty standards
 Celebrities opening up about eating disorders
Chapter 3: Young Teenage Girls
 Philippa Hamilton was fired by Polo for being overweight by their standard
o Couldn't fit into their clothes
o Polo released an official poster that was ridiculously shop and disproportionate
 Victoria's Secret does not cater to plus size
o Known for providing model measurements on their website
o Former models have come forward about the unrealistic pressure they were under
o Expected to stay a size 2 throughout their whole career
o Obsessive training and extreme diets
 Brandy Melville is a clothing brand for young teenage girls
o Owned by 2 old Italian men
o Only stocks one size fits all
o Target audience is the skinniest white girls
o Sizes are 0 to 2, waist inches are 24 to 25 inches

Chapter 4: Including Young Girls

 K-pop stars face intense work pressure and media scrutiny
o Mistreated by their companies
o Put on extreme diets and expected to be really skinny
o Many k-pop stars have opened up about their eating disorders
 Desire for an hourglass body goes back in history
o Women and young girls have been trained to use corsets and waist trainers
o Barbie's unrealistic body sparked debate about its impact on young girls
o Study showed that girls who played with thinner Barbie dolls were unsatisfied
with their bodies
 Kardashians face body shaming and pressure from the media
o Promote unhealthy body image despite having personal trainers and plastic
surgeons
o Engage in weight loss fads and promote false claims on Instagram
o Kim promoted appetite suppressant lollipops and waist trainers
o Khloe exploited others to lose weight for revenge on a TV show
o Kim makes tone-deaf comments about weight and promotes plastic surgery

Chapter 5: Many Young Girls

 The Kardashians are known for airbrushing their photos
o Kim Kardashian was shocked when an unedited photo of her butt showing
cellulite was posted
o She was used to seeing airbrushed photos of herself and refused to believe the
unedited photo was real
 Many young girls and women feel insecure about their bodies because of the Kardashians
 o People aspire to look like the Kardashians and there is a rise in Brazilian Lifts to
achieve their look
o One fan paid over half a million dollars and got her ribs removed to look like Kim
Kardashian
 Traditional media and social media contribute to the distorted idea of beauty
o Media often retouches and airbrushes photos, altering women's bodies
o Facetune, Photoshop, Snapchat, and Instagram filters are easily accessible for
everyone
o Even models and society's ideal women photoshop themselves, leading to
unrealistic beauty standards

Chapter 6: Conclusion
 Embrace our natural selves and reject the unattainable beauty standard
o Educate and spread awareness about mental health, body image, and eating
disorders
 The beauty standard is always changing and aimed to make people insecure for profit
o Media representation has been primarily caucasian and Eurocentric, promoting a
specific look
o Celebrate the beauty in all sizes, ages, and cultures, embracing flaws and
imperfections
 Stop comparing ourselves to others and recognize our genetic differences
o Companies and industries rely on consumers, so we have the power to demand
change
o Movements like body and beauty positivity are promoting self-love and
acceptance
 Support the channel and share the video to encourage more conversations about these
topics
East Asian Beauty Standards

Chapter 1: Introduction
 Beauty is highly valued in society
 Beauty standards shape social interactions and influence our lives
 Chasing beauty is a common pursuit

Chapter 2: East Asian Beauty Standards -

Pale Skin
 East Asia places a large emphasis on pale skin
 Pale skin historically associated with wealth and privilege
 Sayings and idioms reflect the importance of fair skin
 Colorism and skin bleaching industry are still prevalent

Chapter 3: East Asian Beauty Standards -

Thinness
 Thin, slender figure is a big part of East Asian beauty ideals
 Historical examples of thinness being glorified in China
 Ancient practices like foot binding and waist binding to achieve ideal body features
 Modern obsession with thinness, reflected in beauty challenges and brand associations

Chapter 4: East Asian Beauty Standards -

Facial Features
 Facial features are considered important in East Asian beauty standards
 Research suggests that facial features are more important than the body in East Asia

East Asian Beauty Ideals

 Facial features associated with cuteness, youthfulness, and innocence
 Large eyes are considered attractive and cute
o Subconscious association of large eyes with baby mammals
 o Double eyelid surgery popular in East Asia to create the illusion of bigger eyes
 Aegyosal surgery enhances the puffiness under the eyes for a more youthful and innocent
look
 Emphasis on large eyes in Japanese kawaii culture and photo booths

Cultural Differences in Attractiveness

 Mannerisms and behavior play a role in the cute appeal in East Asia
 Terms like "aegyo" in Korean and "moe" in Japanese describe intentionally acting cute
with childlike charm
 No direct cultural equivalent in English for intentionally acting cute

Impact of Beauty Standards and Social

Media
 Exposure to attractive people on social media warps perception of average appearance
 Social comparison theory leads to comparing oneself to attractive people on social media
 Instagram usage linked to mental health issues in young girls
 Body dissatisfaction as a consequence of societal pressures and objectification of women
 Body surveillance and shame when falling short of unrealistic beauty standards

East Asian Beauty Ideals and Obsession with

Appearance
 East Asian beauty standards are unachievable and pervasive
 High spending on beauty products in East Asian countries
 Normalized usage of filters, Photoshop, and plastic surgery to alter appearance
 Beauty editing apps like Meitool and Snow reinforce cultural beauty standards

Prevalence of Photo Retouching in East Asia

 Meitool app generates over 7 billion monthly images in 2021
 Popular features include slim face, small head, and skin smoothening
 New vocabulary like "photoshoppable" reflects the popularity of retouching apps
 Comparison to hyper idealized image of oneself leads to self-esteem issues

Impact of Filters and Editing Apps

 Filters and editing apps perpetuate the idea that one is not enough
  Comparison to idealized versions of oneself rather than others
 Filters create the perception of being 30% uglier without them
 Normalization of filters leads to retouched ID photos and integrated beauty filters in
payment systems

Chapter 1: Alipay and Beauty Standards

 Alipay is the most widely used payment app in China
 Integration of filters in Alipay results in women and the general public conforming to
beauty standards
 Face scan payments become a technologically enhanced process of self-monitoring

Chapter 2: Self Controls and Beauty

Standards
 Self controls refer to the degree of how oneself feels connected or separate from others
 Independent self vs. interdependent self
 People from the west tend to describe themselves as independent, while people from the
east tend to describe themselves as interdependent
 Motivation to adhere to beauty standards is stronger for interdependence than
independence
 Interdependent individuals feel satisfaction from belonging in a group, while
independents don't feel the same way

Chapter 3: Culture and Conforming to

Beauty Standards
 Study conducted to assess the impact of culture on conforming to beauty standards
 Women from China and Canada were recruited for the study
 Hypothetical beauty product without culture-specific ideals was used
 Chinese participants showed stronger interdependent self-control and more favorable
attitudes towards the product compared to Canadian participants
 Chinese participants were also willing to pay more for the product

Chapter 4: Relationship between Beauty

Standards and Gender Pay Gap
 Comment by Prath suggesting a link between beauty standards and the gender pay gap
 Evolution of body image issues accompanied by socioeconomic growth
  Example of South Korea's rapid economic development and the increase in body
dissatisfaction and eating disorders
 Social-cultural theory stating that gender equality movements threaten the patriarchy and
lead to heightened emphasis on unrealistic beauty standards

Chapter 5: Conclusion
 Beauty standards have existed throughout time
 The need to feel beautiful is increasing, intensified by technology
Beauty Standards are BULLSHIT

Chapter 1: Introduction
 The speaker stumbled upon videos and comments on YouTube about people being
insecure about their looks.
 TikTok also highlighted the pressure on looks, with many videos focusing on people's
appearance.
 The speaker felt overwhelmed and questioned their own confidence after watching these
videos.

Chapter 2: The Western Beauty

 In the early 2000s, the beauty standards emphasized being slim and having a flat
stomach.
 The speaker recalls actresses and singers from that time having thin lips and laughing at
models with big eyebrows.
 Beauty standards have shifted over the years, and what was considered attractive in the
past may not be the same today.

Chapter 3: Unique Beauty Standards

 Beauty standards vary across cultures and change over time.
 Different tribes and indigenous people have their own unique beauty standards, which
were often mocked by white people.
 The only constant in beauty standards is that they are followed by the majority of society.

Conclusion
 Beauty standards are not inherent or biological, but rather social constructs.
 Our bodies are made a certain way due to our genes and ancestry, and it is important to
question and challenge societal beauty standards.

Chapter 4: Getting Nose Jobs

 Beauty standards are temporary and constantly changing
o Uncertainty about when certain beauty standards emerged
o Examples of media influences (lingerie ad, movie, celebrity photoshoot)
 Irony of obsessing over temporary beauty standards
o People who were once bullied for their looks are now glorified
 Desperation to change natural features
 o Nationalities wanting to change their skin tone
o People getting nose jobs to alter their nose bridges
o Desire to change hair color from brunette to blonde and vice versa

Chapter 5: Conclusion
 Beauty standards are dangerous due to plastic surgery
o Plastic surgery is more accessible than ever
o Concerns about ethnic nose shapes being pushed out of mainstream
o Classism and the affordability of cosmetic procedures
 Potential negative effects on self-esteem and bullying
o Teens getting nose jobs and feeling pressure to conform
o Feeling insecure when natural features don't match classmates
 Beauty standards constantly change, causing dissatisfaction
o Insecurities becoming desirable in the future
o Society blindly following trends without questioning their origins
 Embracing individuality and letting go of beauty standards
o Recognizing that flaws make individuals unique
o Beauty standards are superficial and not worth obsessing over