Beauty Suffocates Society Has a person ever judged another person by the way he or she looks? Has a person ever made a decision depending on which person is more beautiful or pleasing to the eye? Our society is widely biased when it comes to attractiveness. The article “The Beauty Advantage” by Jessica Bennett produces two very bold arguments about the ideal looks of any person. Although Bennett makes excellent points in stating American culture is consumed by one's image and women spending too much money on facial products, she is mistaken when she claims that it is better to be average and good-looking than brilliant and unattractive. In our culture, we are consumed by one's image, idoling others with a “beauty bias.” On average, people who are good looking get hired and make more money than those who are less attractive. When an employer is working to fill a position with many applicants, people who are better looking have a larger chance of being hired. Hiring managers are more likely to hire those who are attractive but unqualified, ignoring where he or she went to school or where he or she received education; a new reality stating “It’s better to be average and good-looking than brilliant and unattractive” (Bennett par. 4). Beauty has more influence than ever; not just who one works with, but also whether he or she works at all. Deborah Rhode, author of the Beauty Bias, once wrote, “Women will always face a double bind, expected to conform to the beauty standards of the day, yet simultaneously condemned for doing so, therefore, beauty is becoming more essential when applying for jobs, being hired for a job, and maintaining that job.” (qtd. In Rhode par. 7). Deborah is explaining how in today’s society women are expected to look the best she can every day of her life. So when attending certain activities, if a woman doesn’t look her best, that could be a negative outcome. Bennett correctly states American citizens typically judge a person by his or her looks rather than his or her character. As Bennett claims, “It’s no secret we are a culture consumed by image” (Bennett par. 2). Agreeing with the truth of this statement, I believe America is extremely biased when it comes to a person's looks. I believe if two people attend the same job interview, the person who is ideally more attractive will be given an automatic lead in the competition to receive the job. The same situation occurs in every aspect of life. The prettier a person is, whatever his or her aspirations may be, he or she will succeed more than those who are not as pretty.Besides succeeding, beauty takes a gigantic roll as well in other common life situations. For example, a person who is shopping in the mall will more than likely purchase his or her clothes with the more attractive person at the cashier. It makes them feel safer. Right or wrong, I feel American citizens primary focus and attention is on beauty. Bennett has a very powerful, and correct, opinion on the type of people and the amount of money they are spending just to make them look “socially acceptable.” Bennett states, “Whether or not any of it pays off, there’s something terribly wrong when 6-year-olds are using make-up, while their mothers spend the equivalent of a college education just keeping their faces intact” (Bennett par. 7). When Bennett quotes “Whether or not it pays off,” this is meaning whether or not in the long run the mother has benefited from wearing all the expensive makeup. One hundred percent agreeing with Bennett, mothers and young women nowadays are spending too much money on what society thinks is “acceptable”; looking attractive. If America wasn’t completely consumed by a person’s image, women wouldn’t have to worry about buying all kinds of makeup just to fit in, but because America is consumed by one’s image, many mothers and women are purchasing make-up products while trying to make ends meet. While I agree with Bennett when she says it is terribly wrong when mothers are paying so much for makeup, I believe America needs to stop idolizing so much on how someone’s looks but more on who that person is and what qualities he or she has to give. Lastly, Bennett incorrectly remarks the difference of being attractive and not attractive and what effects this has on a person’s life. As a New York recruiter claims, “It’s better to be average and good-looking than brilliant and unattractive” (Bennett par. 4). Most people would agree with this statement, but I find it completely untrue. Are all doctors extremely attractive? Do all lawyers blow people away with their looks? As most people will answer no to these questions, how does being more attractive automatically consider a person to be better? I would rather be a successful adult in today’s age rather than having the perfect face and body. In America, I agree there are certain jobs that require a person to have those attractive qualities, but this doesn’t correspond to every job in America. I disagree it is better to be average and good-looking than brilliant and attractive; It is shocking to me this is what Americans actually think an agree with. To summarize, Jessica Bennett presents an appealing discussion on how America is solely focused on a person’s image and how much money is spent perfecting a person’s image in her article “The Beauty Advantage.” While Bennett correctly states American’s are consumed by one’s image and women spend too much money on beauty products, she incorrectly argues that it is better to be average and good-looking than brilliant and unattractive.
Works Cited Bennett, Jessica. “The Beauty Advantage .” The Beauty Advantage , 26 July 2010, Opposing Viewpoints in Context [Gale].