Media pushes unreal expectation of beauty

By Jared Epps

Guest columnist 

I think my faith in humanity slipped a bit when I heard a guy say he wanted to look like Jacob from “Twilight.”

Yeah, it’s that serious. It says a lot about the unrealistic standards we often hold each other to.

It’s silly to walk by a magazine rack and see “beautiful” people plastered all over the covers. I suppose the image acts as sufficient titillation for hormonal, undersexed teenagers, but it’s also indicative of how many of us buy into warped beauty standards.

I never stop to think about what an “ugly” person looks like. I don’t think anybody actually does, because there’s no need to. 

Our own media systematically brainwash us into an understanding of what a “beautiful” person is.

Unless you’re watching a sad excuse for a network, such as BET (Black Exploitation Television), then chances are beauty commercials will often feature women who just so happen to have white skin, long, straight hair, unrealistically perfect teeth and a disturbingly anorexic figure. Similar, but much more infrequent, commercials targeted at men exist as well.

 I realize everyone doesn’t hold others to these ridiculous standards, but many of our ideas of visual acceptance spawn from what pop culture says is normal (lame) or attractive (probably why most relationships fail).

Maybe I just don’t get it. I’m not sure why some girls may dye their hair or induce vomiting so they can look similar to the plastic women on TV. I’m not sure why someone would want to look like an idealized fantasy character from “Twilight,” either.

I’m not picking on the movie, it’s just that it’s easy to see the problem through such a massive pop culture phenomenon. 

The number of insane female fans fighting about Edward and Jacob speaks for itself (as movie executives laugh their proverbial butts off).

Celebrities in general seem to get much undeserved attention and praise. For example, I shouldn’t be able to witness people talk about how much they want to have sex with Megan Fox. All she’s done is star in terrible movies; she doesn’t care about the ridiculous number of perpetually aroused men who salivate over her. 

 The same can be said for many other “attractive” celebrities.

 If people need someone to slobber over, then why don’t we give celebrity status to people who have actual worth, such as the brave members of our armed forces and law enforcement?

 I blame pop culture because it has given undeserved value to worthless people. 

 It’s gotten to the point where we practically worship celebrities because, well, they’re celebrities (and “beautiful” I guess). Do people really need to admit their supposed inferiority to celebrities by holding them on god-like pedestals?

Maybe our armed forces and public service employees should leak a sex tape on the Internet; it’ll certainly make them popular with the witless drones who keep up with celebrity Twitter accounts.