We need to stop only idolizing women for their looks

Our modern idols are famous for a variety of reasons: acting, singing, sports, and beauty. However, there are many people who are idolized only  for their looks. Why is this? Why can’t we look up to people for other qualities? Society and culture is constantly changing, but something that seems to persist is that women are only valued for their looks. Throughout history, women are expected to be desirable and ladylike in order to obtain and maintain the attention of men and avoid the judgement of other women. Why is this the goal of our lives as deemed by society?

What do you think?

And how do we as women feel about this? Some ladies I spoke to had strong opinions about how much they care about their looks. According to Sarah Burkholder, a Sophomore at Old Dominion University, “Women are held to higher standards of looks while at the same time being ridiculed for trying to achieve those standards.” If we use a ton of makeup to try and change out looks to the acceptable “standard,” then we are ridiculed for wearing too much makeup. The difficulty that women face of trying to live up to expectations is stressful and we have plenty of reasons as women to ignore it all! Samantha Satterthwaite, a Sophomore at Penn State cited reasons such as “unrealistic expectations” and “negative affects upon [young ladies’] mental health.” But many of us are too afraid to do so.

Personally, I would like to enjoy being a person and not a lady.  Sure, I know how to set a table and how to say “please” and “thank you,” and hell, I even know how to curtsy if I need to. But is that the only thing that matters in my life? NO. I’ve written five novels (a few of which I thought I might publish when I’m out of college), I am a triple-major at a university, and guess what: I’m proud of myself the way I am. I don’t wear makeup all the time because I don’t feel like I have to. And society shouldn’t make me feel like I have to.

What happened to intelligence?

More than once, I have “scared away” new friends or love interests because I like to talk about literature, science, history and politics. One guy actually told me that I was too smart to have a boyfriend. What does that even mean? But more importantly, what happened to intelligence? Suddenly, an intelligent woman is super intimidating, not impressive. Here’s what I propose: men need to stop being intimidated by intelligence, and women need to stop dumbing themselves down for society. There are smart, female college graduates at our universities, in politics and in the arts. And yet, we look up to celebrities like Kylie Jenner just because she’s pretty. Sue me friends, but I don’t think beauty is deserving of idolatry.

The infamous Kylie Jenner showing off her makeup skills (via Flickr)

What happened to talent?

There are talented women who don’t get the fame they deserve. Or, they might be written off as boring or bookish, simply because they might not be supermodel material. When did we stop looking up women who made vast political and scientific achievements and start looking up to women who only focus on their looks? There is so much more to a woman than what she looks like. Women are musicians, politicians, doctors, lawyers and many more occupations that require a ton of skill. So why are we still ignoring that fact?

Harmful effects

There are harmful effects of this societal issue. Because women are judged so often by their looks, young women everywhere believe that beauty is the only way that they can get ahead. Young ladies might turn to severely unhealthy habits such as eating disorders, just because they want to be what society deems “beautiful.” And despite much of the attempted shifting to body-positive ideas, we’ll never truly overcome this beauty-focused judgement issue until society changes. Instead of trying to eliminate body-negativity, why don’t we try to shift the focus entirely? Encourage women to develop their skills and beauty will take a back seat!