The girl from Ipanema is on a diet
The beauty standard aggressively marketed by American media has gone global and it’s changing the beauty standard in Brazil. A place long known for its rubenesque women is increasingly seeking a different model of beauty. Anorexia, liposuction, and diet pills know no limit in this land of sun and samba. See this story from the New York Times.
After reading various articles, Mrs. Barger’s book “Eve’s Revenge,”and “Controlling Corporeality” by Jon L. Berquist. I reflected quite a bit on my past relationship about three to four years ago, particularly on issues of physical beauty and finding relational satisfaction that crippled and eventually ended the year and half relationship with a wonderful women.
Through this heart-broken crisis, I tried to figure out or find the source of why our relationship was going downhill. I started by analyzing my perceptions and assumptions about beauty and physical attraction, trying to discern what true beauty is by perusing through the Scriptures, reading other literature, and various other sources. Eventually, I thought that I could change my paradigm of beauty by thinking and rationalizing my way to a new mindset or private virtue, but this did not help.
Later, I discovered that beauty is a relative concept, stated best as “in the eyes of the beholder.” For example, in other cultures, beauty, body, and physical attraction are socioculturally defined. Then I also realized that I can not strip away elements of distorted beauty easily, when those elements are what shape and form my sense of identity and perception of beauty; however, I was not satisfied by this.
Because I knew that my perception of beauty had been shaped by sociocultural elements, I set out to find and embody a healthy and balance view of beauty where I could find relational satisfaction.
I must say that I get tired of being bombarded by unrealistic and distorted portrayals of physical attraction and beauty that has become globalized. Achieving a redemptive view of beauty will not be easy; therefore, this task I can not do privately, it must receive social and communal support. This is an opportunity for the Christian community to embody a beauty ethic that is inclusive and redemptive. This will be an arduous task nonetheless, but it is our calling as those who manifest God’s image.