Our society is so preoccupied with physical beauty (mostly female), I wonder whether this is “par for the course”, common to all ages, or whether something extraordinary is happening.

Just within my own lifetime, there has been a major reaction to beauty stereotypes during the 60s and 70s and since then, a reaction against that reaction, which has brought us full circle and perhaps beyond.  Both the Hippie movement and the so-called Second Wave of Feminism sought, among other things, to de-emphasize female stereotyping, not only in behaviour but in appearance.  Probably to the disgust of many women today, bras were burned, removal of body hair decreased, and all body shapes and types were welcomed.  It was a time that sought liberation from stereotypes – sexual, gender and racial - and it seemed to work well for a time.

In the 1980s, there was a huge cultural reaction, which is still not yet clearly understood.  In my mind, (which I noted at the time) much of this was sparked by the de-regulation “Free Market” policies promoted by Conservative governments in the USA and UK, led respectively by Reagan and Thatcher.  I couldn’t see how you could build a strong society through policies which promoted self-interest and greed as a good (for the economy and society), and which led to expectations that everybody could get richer.  It seemed to me that since supply is relatively fixed, when some people get more (a lot more!), others will get less.  The gap between rich and poor will keep increasing, and eventually de-stabilize society.  Our current economic meltdown to a large extent justifies my doubts … and it isn’t over yet.

Many ex-hippies became the new corporate leaders and it was then chic to flaunt your toys, whether clothing, houses, cars, boats, planes, extravagant parties or trophy wives (and eventually husbands).  Conspicuous spending to impress other people became the norm. The cultural impact of the advertising, entertainment and fashion industries exploded through corporate monopoly and rapidly advancing communication technologies.  To stay ahead of the competition, the media needed ever more content and they soon discovered that sensationalism sold very well, which of course led to ever more extreme measures, including the paparazzi hounding to death of Princess Di.

In this climate, emphasis on celebrity (media content) exploded and with it, absurd cultural expectations about beauty.  Model Thin eventually approached skeletal; a Playboy-inspired variation of model thin required huge breasts, an anatomical abnormality; to top it all, women were expected to be fashionable, changing with each year’s designer whim (or carefully executed strategy?).  Not surprisingly, various eating disorders (together with the diet industry) and cosmetic surgery have exploded apace.  Between 2000 and 2007, cosmetic surgery in the USA increased more than 50% and totaled nearly 20 million annually.  A significant portion of cosmetic surgery is racially motivated, since Caucasian stereotypes of beauty predominate, despite the appearance of Black and Asian celebrities (often looking quite Caucasian). Ironically, many of the directors of the fashion industry were and are women and “gay” men, who in the 60s and 70s were regarded as victims of stereotyping.

Is there anything wrong with this?  Apart from the fact that we spend an inordinate amount of time and money (think African and Third World countries) to be physically attractive or at least not un-attractive, it does not guarantee us happiness or piece of mind, since the judge is always outside of us, whether tabloids, Oscar Red Carpet critique, your designer, your media director and producer, your fashion editor etc.   I am aware that many people with eating disorders or cosmetic surgery addictions assertively proclaim they are doing it for themselves, but how come what they are seeking conforms with what is currently, culturally attractive and desirable (to others)?

The historical, Gautama Buddha was a pampered prince who was deliberately insulated by his father (the King) in secluded ‘pleasure palaces’ in order to head off what was predicted to be his destiny as a spiritual, world leader.  Eventually, the story goes, the prince was curious to see what life was like outside his palaces and was distraught to discover the harsh realities of sickness, old age and death.  The Buddha’s solution was not cosmetic surgery, cryogenics, robotics, genetics or nanotechnology, but the simple fact of acceptance.  If we let go of our attachments to security, beliefs, ideas, images etc., we come to an ever deeper appreciation and exploration of “Who am I?” and the corollary question, “What is my purpose in this life?”

In my own experience, the Buddha was right.  We can be beautiful, meaningful and interconnected without any monetary expense or cultural conformity.  We can feel comfortable in our skins, even as human and other beings – animals, fish, insects, etc – feel comfortable in theirs.. and we can all live together and support each other.  However, that does require some committed and skilful introspection, which is probably what we need anyway.

Or do you disagree with a vengeance?