In defense of superficiality....

Lots of people object to celebrating beauty. They decry People Mag's Beautiful People Issue and fashion models and all that. They ( the critics) say people - especially women - should be celebrated for our intellects and what we achieve, not how we LOOK! Okay, as a smart woman, I see how this is unfair. If I'm smart, then I have license to look frumpy and I'll still be celebrated, but a woman who might not be smart but has the potential to be gorgeous, is just screwed. She has no life advantages.

The truth is, being born smart or talented is just as much as a genetic lottery as being born beautiful. So, the people lucky enough to be born smart or talented can be celebrated, but we have a double-standard for celebrating those who happen to be born beautiful? COme on! I know what you'll say - "But Sarah, at least the accomplishments smart people produce take actually work!" Here's my answer, "I'm sure being beautiful takes just as much work." Learning to do one's hair skillfully and mastering invisible make-up every morning is something that must take work. Keeping from letting one's figure go because it's all one really has must take work. Keeping up with trends because there's no use in being pretty if you look frumpy takes work too. No, it's not doing a physics problem, but who are we to say phyisical maintenance is less work for a pretty girl than studying physics is for a smart girl?

So, why is it that it's okay to decry the media for focusing too much on pretty people, when it would be absurd to say the media values smart people too much? I mean, smart and talented people get their share of coverage that much alienate people who have no talent or intelligence. I mean, think of those talented interior decorators or carpenters on design shows, intelligent commentators on the BBC, CNN or the CBC. Think of how we make fun of stupid people, like Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson ALL THE TIME! Think about shows devoted to making people look stupid, like "ARE you Smarter than a 5th grader?" No one ever says, look guys, there is a lot of media that fetishizes natural talent and intelligence, and we're making other people feel bad!" No, and you know why? Because we have a double standard. It's okay to hate on pretty people and the publications or productions that love on them, but why? If smart and talented people deserve recognition through The Nobel Prize, the Pulitizer Prize, The Giller Prize, The Tonies and many many more. I have no problem with superficial fashion mags or runways shows that give pretty people their due. Hey, they should be able to look at the media and see reflections of themselves too, just as I can whenever I watch those smart 5th graders trounce those adults each week!