Western Beauty Standards

Pretty Privilege.

The idea is that those deemed attractive are treated better and enjoy more privileges than those who are not.

These “pretty” people are often seen as superior and more deserving simply because they fit societal beauty standards. As a society, we’re naturally kinder to those we view as attractive; and we let them get away with behavior that otherwise wouldn’t be accepted. We’re all guilty of it. And, unfortunately for many, our societal beauty standard is incredibly exclusive.

The U.S. beauty standard is based on a type of beauty that centers on white femininity that is only achievable by a few: blonde shiny hair, big blue eyes, light/tan skin, thin body. Western beauty standards celebrate whiteness. This bias dates back centuries. Racial theorists Christopher Meiners and Johann Blumenbach proclaimed that white/caucasian people are the most beautiful of the races. But why? This preference has nothing to do with natural selection, evolution, or even biological differences between people. At its root, these preferences come from the need for supremacy.

The white colonizers needed to be the best in every way, shape, and form, including beauty. Our western beauty standards exist because of supremacy. Their beauty needed to be the best. This belief has clearly stuck as today’s “All-American Beauty” is still a thin, blonde, blue-eyed woman.

The discrimination doesn’t stop in America. Skin color preferences in South Asia are deeply rooted in their cultural values and traditions. They are especially shown in their leading entertainment industry: Bollywood. An article by Rife Magazine explains,

“The lack of dark skin represented on screen and the treatment of darker-skinned actors reflects the ideology of society as the films work to adhere to the preferences of the people.”

Author Sajeea Bhatti continues to share that a majority of those in the industry are fair-skinned. Additionally, influential actors promote products such as Fair and Lovely, a skin whitening cream.

Rupi Kaur (Artist, Poet, Performer)

Like many in the community, I found it difficult to appreciate and see the beauty in my AMEMSA features growing up. My brown eyes, thick eyebrows, tan skin, and dark hair were never complimented the way other young girls’ European features were. I never heard about how cute my nose was or that my eyes reminded them of the ocean. For years, my nose was the victim of ruthless jokes, and god forbid I had hair on my arms. When I looked at my childhood idols or the shows on TV, no one ever looked like me. Not really, anyways. But, you know who often had Middle-Eastern features? Disney villains. Disney’s favorite way to distinguish which character is the bad guy is by giving them an overly exaggerated and large aquiline nose and prominent eyebrows.

• Captain hook (Peter-Pan)

• The Evil Queen (Snow White)

• Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

• The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

• Madam Mim (The Sword and the Stone)

• Edgar Balthazar (The Aristocats)

• Amos Slade (The Fox and the Hound)

• Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective),

• Judge Frill (Hunchback of Notre Dame)

These are just some of the Disney Villains that fit this harmful stereotype. Notice how Jafar has an exaggerated nose that neither Aladdin nor Jasmine has?

When AMEMSA beauty is recognized by Hollywood, it’s often seen as sensual and ‘exotic.’ I mean, Jasmine is the only Disney Princess to seduce another character while wearing a sexualized and revealing red outfit and chains. Meanwhile, Sleeping Beauty frolics in the woods, innocently dreaming of her handsome prince.

If we continue to measure beauty by Western standards, we will never win. It’s up to us in the AMEMSA community to appreciate and romanticize our ethnic features rather than view them as something that needs to be fixed.