Sodom <sodom@ma.ultranet.com> asks about the beauty meme:
1> defining the meme
This question touches on something big, I think. We have just been saying
around here that "the beauty meme" i.e. <beauty>, defines the meme, but I
think not. Sodom skirted *around* the meme in his talk, basically
detailing the effects of the meme, but he is asking here for a definition.
I'm not too sure, but I would propose something like "Looking good is the
first step in feeling good", or ala Simpsons (Marge to Lisa), "It doesn't
matter what you feel like on the inside, it's what's OUTSIDE that counts...
so smile, and people will like you". When put in words, I think we all see
how silly such a thing is... but it's not transmitted directly (except
perhaps in those womens mags... they really are a hoot!) What bothers me
is that, like wisdom, it is possible that real memes are silent... that
most of them, in fact, get passed along with the mythos of our society,
unnoticed to either participant.
"If you see in any given situation only what everybody else can
see, you can be said to be so much a representative of your
culture that you are a victim of it." -- S. I. Hayakawa
2> Identifying the sources and outlets for the meme
Well certainly the women mags are one source, as well as fashion shows
(heck <fashion> in general). What I loathe, however, is that I suspect we
men are just as responsible... what we notice in a woman is not brains;
it's always beauty. This happens very prominently -- e.g. Politically
Incorrect with Bill Mar, where the male guests are "talented writers", or
"successful businessmen", but the women introduced as "the beautiful", or
"the lovely" or what have you...
Whatever the original source, this meme has so invaded our culture that it
has secret (and not so secret) supporters everywhere.
3> Inoculating against the meme (assuming I start from birth)
Awareness, obviously. After that, you do have to ensure that the position
that external beauty occupies in "normal" women (??? -- sorry for the
generalization) is replaced by something else: i.e. if they are not to make
their self respect dependent on their beauty, what should it be dependent
on? In the end, I would let them decide this -- even if it means they
decide to make it dependent on external beauty. It is their life, after
all; whatever makes 'em happy goes!
ERiC