Beauty & the Beholder: NaBloPoMo

Do you believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Or do you think there is a basic standard of beauty that everyone agrees upon?

In my opinion, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Most people don’t agree on what or who is beautiful. I think it’s subjective. Maybe there are a few exceptions, like Johnny Depp or a really beautiful actress. Of course, they aren’teveryone’s cup of tea either/
When I was a kid, I had a huge crush on John Travolta. There was a girl in my class that didn’t agree. It’s fine that we don’t agree. We just had different taste. My grandma thought either Hubert Humprhey of Herbert Hoover were handsome. My mom likes Sam Elliot and Neil Diamond. My crushes have changed since John Travolta. Jason Momoa and Tom Hardy have been my most recent celebrity crushes.
I’m sure that everyone has a certain idea of what beauty is or isn’t. Even with the crushes of my grandma, mom and myself, there really isn’t a pattern. We may have to agree to disagree.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web15/features/bio/B02.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web15/features/bio/B02.html
http://jaydeanhcr.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/random-thoughts-for-tuesday-january-24th-2012/
http://jaydeanhcr.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/random-thoughts-for-tuesday-january-24th-2012/

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from http://gutsandglitter.com/2011/08/13/men-we-would-marry-jason-momoas-characters/

13 responses to “Beauty & the Beholder: NaBloPoMo”

  1. I agree with you on Jason. I loved him when he was on Stargate.

    1. Yes. I didn’t watch it much but when I did I noticed him 🙂

  2. I agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, we are also socialized into what beauty is. As a woman, you presented examples of men, which is one way to compare the personal choices we all make. But the other side of it is that the societal pressure of what beauty is puts pressure on women (more so than men) to live up to a standard of what beauty is. It’s not a conscious buy-in, but think of all the people who think they don’t measure up in the beauty department.

    It would be nice to believe that these societal expectations don’t exist, but they do. For example, open any magazine or turn on the TV, and you can’t help but notice how many “opportunities” we’re given to take care of our inadequacies so that we can be beautiful. These images also influence our expectations about what beauty is and help form our “personal view.” We can’t help NOT being influenced by such things, because they permeate our lives on a daily basis.

    This sense of inadequacy is often in spite of the fact that there is someone (usually a spouse or significant other) who has chosen that person, as a beholder of beauty. It’s a deep subject, and while I’m sure you weren’t looking to make this a deep sociological discussion, it is interesting that what we view as beautiful is often a result of how we are socialized. Similarly, what is defined as beauty varies depending on one’s culture and other background.

    On a personal level, I see the effects of this stuff on my students, especially the young women. They have very interesting attitudes about what they will and won’t eat, and are fixated by doing whatever it takes to stay thin. Those who don’t follow these “guidelines” will acknowledge that they are giving up being considered beautiful.

    I could ramble on endlessly it appears, so I’ll stop here. Obviously, I think this is a fascinating topic, and I enjoyed the fact that the people we tend to crush on is indeed very personal. It’s just that most of the people we crush on are also marketed to us in one way or another. 🙂

    1. You should write a blog about it! 🙂 I thought about it but thought it would go too far off course. But I think you’re right. We’re supposed to like Tom Cruise. but I just can’t be forced into it. 😉 There have been studies about all of this. you know – the why’s/ Maybe we should do a follow up post. But I think you just did in this comment. lol It’s great! At least I know you’re reading it!

      1. I always try to read what you post. 🙂
        And as I was writing the comment, I did think I should do a post on it, which I’m now planning. You’ll be getting a pingback. 🙂

      2. Yay! That’s awesome! I look forward to reading it. Thanks! 🙂

  3. I definitely agree – I don’t find Tom Cruise even slightly attractive… haha. I would also like to read a follow up post – keep up the good work! 🙂

    1. Thanks! 🙂 I will do my best. 🙂

  4. […] one of her posts last week, Holley asked the question: Do you believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? She then shared some […]

  5. I took a stab at a continuing look into society’s “misrepresentation” of beauty. Enjoy! 🙂
    http://myriad234.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/distorted-perceptions-of-beauty/

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