Horace Miner Religion

As of recently, the media has been flooded with positive interpretations of beauty standards all over the world. According to various sources, beauty ideals, in women especially, are socially constructed in order to judge a person’s value based on physical attractiveness; therefore, it is highly encouraged that people pay attention to their looks and take care of themselves, in order for others to create a positive first impression of one’s character. It is no secret that beauty standards vary from one culture to the next and it is difficult to establish a universal principle of what is considered beautiful. Many countries’ ideals contrast one another and, as a result, allow for stereotypes to emerge. This is the case between American

The Aztecs had human beings for sacrificial rituals. Aztec society was based on agriculture, and influenced by religion that encircled life of the Aztec empire. The Aztecs were polytheistic and worshipped gods that represented natural forces. These sacrifices were vital to their agricultural economy. All of the sacrifices were at a giant stone pyramids topped by temples where sacrifices were provided the gods. Human sacrifice played an important role to the indigenous tribes in the central Mexico. However, the Aztecs brought human sacrifice to excessive deaths that had never been practiced before. The Mexica Indians and other indigenous tribes believed it was necessary to constantly gratify the gods through human sacrifice. They performed this ritual spilling the blood of human beings onto the ground. The priests believed it was a way paying tribute to the gods for the weather, and good crops. If the blood flowed, then the sun would rise each morning. This would allow the crops would grow, and the gods would provide perfect weather for the

What makes someone beautiful? This striking question has always had a complex answer rather than simple. Society makes their interpretation of beauty with many standards that qualify for the “most beautiful people” in the world. America's picture of the perfect lady is extremely thin however full figured. America’s picture of the perfect gentleman is also thin, yet very fit. It’s always one thing or the other, never one choice. The public has their own particular rendition of what beauty looks like, yet american beauty happens to have a stance amongst the most startling standards. These standards of beauty that women see each day impact their confidence and self-esteem negatively only to push them to discover ways to fit into these unrealistic beauty criterias. Beauty standards in America are ever-changing, but society has yet to absolutely accept the average, everyday woman.

People with a favorite famous star “don't want to see those models, they want to be them” (Godsey, “Male Body Stereotypes”). In other words, one might believe that since his or her favorite star is well known, then that star’s looks are accepted into society. Models found in all forms of the media have used advanced editing applications on a computer to adjust any ‘flaws,’ such as blemishes (Rowland, “Media Images are Unrealistic”). With the advanced technology that enables people to make technological modifications, the results make the candid body strive to become like artificially changed

I began thinking about beauty, society, this generation. At school, my friends and I weren’t considered to be beautiful. Why? Just because we didn’t have the perfect clear skin or the smooth and shiny hair? When I was a small child, every night before I went to sleep, my mom always told me that every girl was a Princess and that every girl was beautiful in her way. Was that a lie? It probably was. In today’s generation, each and every individual has been blindsided by the norms of beauty laid down by society. The various expectations that the corporation had from women in terms of beauty are what has made almost every woman of today's generation comply with those norms. There is a constant pressure on each person to look good enough, to look beautiful. But no one bothers about how a person should behave, a time has come where people don’t care about the sentiments of the other or the soul of others. Kayla was considered beautiful only because she had a pretty face but what about beauty from the inside, from the soul? It had come to a point that even I believed it was just the beauty on the outside that mattered.

It is estimated that 1-2% of our population is affected by this disorder (Body Dysmorphic Disorder). Robert Pattinson, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe are just a few of many celebs who demonstrated symptoms of this disorder. Wildenstein traded in her Swiss features for a more feline look in order to please her ex-husband. Instead of focusing on what could mold her into a better individual, she decided to undergo multiple surgeries only to achieve a divorce thereafter. Getting a nose job, a lip injection, or botox has now become a norm in our society; celebrities purchase these procedures as if they were fetching for new shoes at the mall. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), Americans spend $12 billion on cosmetic procedures annually. This disorder equally affects men and women, and its victims tend to stay unsatisfied with their looks even after the procedure is done. They nitpick each and every “flaw” they conceive and attempt to change it or hide it as best as they can. Society’s growing obsession with outward appearance should be viewed as a dangerous

Beauty is seen throughout various times, perspectives, and culture around the world. It has shown to be a hot topic, routinely in media and described in literature. The everyday struggle to be beautiful has been

People take extreme measures by obtaining plastic or cosmetic surgery to resemble someone they desire to be or to have the same physical appearance as them. According to CNN, an online news source, “Nicole Kidman's nose. Angelina Jolie's lips. Plastic surgeons say they get these very specific requests regularly and usually oblige.” Plastic surgeons receive specific requests from their patients because they are seeking to become a near double for a celebrity. Society changes its aspects to who is accepted because individuals are influenced by the positive feedback to the “perfect” body. For instance, seven years ago, it was Jennifer Lopez’s body that was the ideal physical appearance who many people wanted to resemble, five years ago Selena Gomez, and today it is the Kardashians. (CNN) Due to many people changing their ideas of who has the accepted image many people take drastic measures to become a doppelganger of someone who is famous or whom they idolize. Melissa Dittmann, a researcher for the American Psychological Association, claims that ”Physically attractive people often receive preferential treatment and are perceived by others as more sociable, dominant, mentally healthy and intelligent than less attractive people.” Given the perception that people who are idolized in society are given more advantages compared to an individual who is referred to as simple or a nobody many seek plastic surgeons to receive changes to their appearance to become one of those individuals with the preferential treatment. To illustrate, individuals in today's society, specifically women adhere to the idea that being gorgeous and resembling a supermodel will make them attractive. (NCBI) Many individuals may only look at the physical image instead of what they are on the inside. Television programs today make the impression to people that cosmetic surgery solves with issues that are personal, mental,

The sense of dissatisfaction and the inability to achieve perfection has caused some individuals to become physiological obsessed with and dependent on cosmetic surgeries. At times obtaining dangerous measurements to achieve the desired perfect physique. Heidi Montag a celebrity who underwent ten cosmetic surgeries in a single day, as a means of achieving the perfect physique, is an example on how cultural ideals pressures individuals to conform to the current beauty norms (Ugrina 2014, p.100). Another example is the Brazilian man called Romario Dos Santos, who injected oil and alcohol into his biceps in order to look big like the other men at the gym. The procedure of injecting synthetic filler was successful in enlarging the biceps, however it almost cost his life as he tried to kill himself after developing depression and health problems (Awford 2015). This is an extreme example, but it does demonstrate how men are also affected by the ideals of the perfect physique. Studies have shown that body dissatisfaction of young men increases when they see images of attractive muscular men (Blond 2008, p. 244). It can be also noted how men are also choosing to undergo cosmetic surgeries to enhance their physical images as well as worrying about aging and optioning to undergo surgery such as face lifts.

Natalie Grant’s book explains how our culture follows beauty and perfection. She takes a deep breath and tells the truth, shining the light on some very real and dark lies that we believe about what makes us beautiful.

American Beauty is more than a satire on suburban life, it is an allegory that asks: what is beauty? This films rich metaphors provide not only an obvious thorough storyline but also provide a rich subtext that explores themes such as life and death, infidelity, homosexuality, however most importantly beauty. The film’s tagline “Look closer...” reminds the audience to not only look at the misery in the characters lives and what they define as beauty, but the beauty and misery in the audience’s own lives. The film is also supposed to remind the audience that what they may want and desire is not always what they want and need subconsciously.

What does one think when the word beauty is heard? Some may think about physical attraction, while others may have their own perception of what defines beauty. American Beauty (1999) is an American film directed by Sam Mendes. The characters throughout the film experience their own idea of happiness, or the beauty in America, in different ways. For Lester, it is an uncontrollable desire to have sex with a young girl named Angela that is friends with his daughter, Jane. Carolyn, Lester 's wife, has nothing but success in the real estate business on her mind. Her dream is to be the most successful real estate agent in her city, and she will not let anything or anyone get in her way. For Jane, the idea of happiness comes with being physically attractive to the opposite sex. And finally for the war torn neighbor, Colonel Frank Fitts, beauty is defined by having a normal, structured, happy American family. The overall objective of this paper is to take a closer look at what it means to live an American life, and focus on how these characters portray their idea of American beauty.

The definition of beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty has negative and positive influences on mostly people. Beauty is described by the inside and outside of us. Due to beauty, our self-esteem has been hurt dramatically, especially towards girls. Beauty is not always about our outside looks but it’s about our inside personality also.

As time progresses, plastic surgery becomes a lot popular. Plastic surgery isn’t just what’s seen on TV and on social media; plastic surgery is much more than facelifts, rhinoplasty, and breast enhancements. In fact, “plastic surgery is anything that undergoes the process of reconstructing or repairing parts of the body.” (Reconstructive Surgery) The facelift Kris Jenner recently just had done is equally considered plastic surgery as an ordinary person removing an extra finger they were born with. These are both types of plastic surgery, but they’re treated completely differently. A woman who obtains cosmetic surgery is scorned for getting the procedure done, yet the person who went in to remove their extra finger doesn’t. In reality, these issues are quite similar. Plastic surgery is often the last resort for those who want to desperately change how they look; those who obtain plastic surgery are quickly judged for doing so; however, both men and women should consider the reasons why a person might want plastic surgery; the reasons behind this may be deeper than one thought.

“Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be” (unknown). Society constantly uses the phrase “Be yourself” however, at the same time stimulates beauty standards such as body type; tall, skinny, incredibly tiny waists and light skin, the list seems everlasting. Cosmetic surgery, the surgical process of changing one’s physical appearance for cosmetic reasons, has become the solution for thousands of men and women seeking to reach society’s expectations. Over sixteen million cosmetic surgeries (ASPS Public Relations, pg. 5), most commonly known as plastic surgeries, performed in 2016 in the U.S, claimed to help patients with their self-esteem and overall improvement in their future. The aspects of others should not change you, becoming someone else should not have a place in the twenty-first century, the danger, cost and the personal impact of the rigorous medical procedures seem unacceptable. Having a low self-esteem and struggling with the different social beliefs of beauty aspects have other solutions rather than plastic surgery.