Women with a Capital W vs. 'Merica

"America the Beautiful" is a documentary focused on the fashion and beauty industries in the U.S.A., and even more specifically how these industries are affecting both the men and women as well as both the young and the old in this country.

The idea that women are being pressured everywhere they look to alter their appearance to match that of the media's portrayal of the "ideal" woman is nothing new. Niether the fact that many women's unique talents are underappreciated or not given a chance due to America's obsession with beauty. What was earth shattering to me was the fact that there are over 450 different chemicals banned from cosmetic production in the European Union while in the good old U.S. of A. there are a mere 6. Don't try to tell me that we don't value beauty over health. I was also astounded to find out that when individuals die from complications due to bulimia or anorexia, the cause of death on their death certificate is listed as "unknown". The growing numbers of people dying from these conditions could help aide research and treatment, but perhaps never will if their cause of death remains "unknown".

One of the things that I personally found so fascinating was this film's focus on the secondary targets of the media: men. At one point, the film's director Darryl Roberts, straight up asks a 30ish year old man if he views women as objects. I can not 100% accurately describe my emotions following his confident "Well, yes" and his friends' amused laughter. I took it as a personal insult. I am still rattled that, simply because I am female, to some people, I am viewed as a thing, an improper noun. To that man, I don't even deserve a capital letter at the beginning of my name. Am I overreacting to the thoughtless response of one senseless man? Probably. However, I still firmly believe that is important to realize that we have not only succeeded in infiltrating the psyches of women and how they perceive themselves, but also the psyches of men and how they perceive women.

During the film a playwright quoted an African woman she met once who, when being questioned about her attitudes toward her body, said simply, "Look at the trees. Is not each one beautiful?" I was reminded that the body God gave to me is something to be in awe of and celebrated.

On a semi-unrelated note, it is also quite interesting to me that our country seems to be facing the worst of two extremes. On the one end we are fighting to achieve the teeny-tiny body and flawless looks of the "ideal woman", while on the end we are wrestling with the obesity crises.

Here is the link to a review that I feel accurately reflects the power of this film in both its appreciation for women and its in-depth critiques on the fashion and beauty industries: http://www.kamwilliams.com/2010/07/america-beautiful-dvd.html