Superficial Culture
I know that beauty pageants have “evolved” since my mother was a beauty queen. Even so, living up to a narrow set of physical and behavioral standards remains key. That is why I have chosen to take a closer look at beauty queens.
I believe the image of the beauty queen is an ideal metaphor for current attitudes towards women and, frankly, people across all segments of modern society. We have all been reduced to a set of superficial attributes. We have been flattened into two dimensional beings by people who benefit when people make snap judgements about others. But human beings are too complex to be reduced in such a manner. What you see isn’t necessarily what you get…
My mother was included in a Southern Living Magazine feature of beauty queens from the 1950’s. This segment focused on beauty tips, which is fine. But I wish that people new more about her many accomplishments. Unfortunately, I suspect few people care about those types of details.
