Fall 2010
By Lauren Painter
Most people
believe that beauty is only relative to physical appearance. Being beautiful
could mean someone is genetically blessed or generous, kind-hearted, and selfless,
or even both. Is “ugly” the antithesis of beauty? To many in this generation,
where someone is judged prior to knowing who they are as a person, most would
agree that it is. However, beauty and ugliness can go hand in hand.
When a person defines another person as “ugly,” one must wonder what validity their definition holds. Questions to ask would be why the particular person is ugly, what repulsive traits do they possess to make them appear this way, or what do they look like. “Ugly” carries a much deeper understanding than the word itself.
Susan Sontag wrote an essay titled Women’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source? The essay dissects what defines beauty and how it is perceived in a superficial society, with judgmental demeanors and criticizing eyes. “Ugly” is not defined in the essay, but if it were, it is likely that Sontag would have portrayed it as an evil being; someone with a cold heart. Ugliness comes in many forms, whether one thinks beauty is only what is seen in magazines or doing the same deeds as celebrities and other “beautiful people”.
The harsh and stone-cold assumption is that if one is beautiful on the outside, they cannot be the same on the inside. Ugly, in certain mindsets, could be envisioned as traits, such as: stupidity, poor physical features, or an excessive amount of selfishness. Unfortunately, most “beautiful” people can be ugly on the inside. There are plenty of exceptions, to much disbelief.
Being “ugly” is complex and highly controversial. It can be as simple as a disagreement with another and one is pinned with such a disconcerting title. It is as feasible as not wearing the latest clothes or not doing hair like everyone else’s, or being overweight. The debatable word is so argumentative because it is not clearly defined and understood, because it is extremely opinionated. As the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Ugliness is, too.
When a person defines another person as “ugly,” one must wonder what validity their definition holds. Questions to ask would be why the particular person is ugly, what repulsive traits do they possess to make them appear this way, or what do they look like. “Ugly” carries a much deeper understanding than the word itself.
Susan Sontag wrote an essay titled Women’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source? The essay dissects what defines beauty and how it is perceived in a superficial society, with judgmental demeanors and criticizing eyes. “Ugly” is not defined in the essay, but if it were, it is likely that Sontag would have portrayed it as an evil being; someone with a cold heart. Ugliness comes in many forms, whether one thinks beauty is only what is seen in magazines or doing the same deeds as celebrities and other “beautiful people”.
The harsh and stone-cold assumption is that if one is beautiful on the outside, they cannot be the same on the inside. Ugly, in certain mindsets, could be envisioned as traits, such as: stupidity, poor physical features, or an excessive amount of selfishness. Unfortunately, most “beautiful” people can be ugly on the inside. There are plenty of exceptions, to much disbelief.
Being “ugly” is complex and highly controversial. It can be as simple as a disagreement with another and one is pinned with such a disconcerting title. It is as feasible as not wearing the latest clothes or not doing hair like everyone else’s, or being overweight. The debatable word is so argumentative because it is not clearly defined and understood, because it is extremely opinionated. As the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Ugliness is, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment