Women Reduction

I got into a discussion today at dinner about women's magazines. We were talking about a specific article in US where they were comparing two celebrities in the same gown and showing the poll of which one looked better. Our complaint was that in each of these cases the picture chosen was the woman who was slimmer. The conversation was about how these magazines are horrible for women's self-esteem because they degrade them and set the cultural standard for what beauty is. The average woman knows, while looking at one of those magazines, that she may never look like that girl on the page. Her conclusion: she must not be beautiful.


My brother thought it would be a kind gesture to remind us that most of the photos in the magazines we read are airbrushed and photoshopped...etc. to look that perfect. The point is, we are reduced to airbrushing. Women are not perfect by themselves--even those closest to perfect beauty are still unable to take a perfect photo. What do these magazines teach us then: women, you are simply not good enough. Period. It reminded me of a study I heard about that was apparently done at BYU that proved that these magazines do just that-- lower women's self-esteem.