Review: The Ugly Truth

Author(s): Jean Kilbourne

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 In a fascinating chapter entitled "Skin
Deep," Chapkis argues that beauty, far
The Ugly !ftuth from being trivial,is a global and economic
issue. The Westernmodel of beauty has be-
come an international fantasy, spread by
by JeanKilbourne Thus, despite the fact that the "baby
boom" generation is reachingmidlife, beauty advertising,the media and multinational cor-
remains adolescent. Even with the growing porate power. American television programs
Beauty Secrets:Women and the Politics of Appearance,by WendyChapkis. Boston: South End visibility of older women, their most striking areshown worldwide.About a dozen advertis-
Press, 1986, 214 pp., $25.00 hardcover,$8.50 paper. quality is their apparentyouth. (pp. 9-10) ing agenciesrepresentthe majorityof multina-
Tothose who arguethat the emphasison fit- tional corporations."Thus,not only does one
W hen I began to study the image of ever vigilant." We are all just one razor ness is a significant step forward, Chapkis re- country determine the jingle much of the
women in the media almost twenty blade-or one more year-away from con- plies that control of our bodies has become a world will hum, but a very few, largecorpora-
years ago, what struck me first and tempt. substitutefor control of our lives. Fitness is an tions own the piper."Global advertisingstrate-
most powerfullywas the tyrannyof the beauty The essence of "femininebeauty"is this vig- individual personal effort. We need collective gies lead to uniformity of desires as well as of
ideal. The next thing that struck me was that ilance, this artificiality.Men are sometimes ex- effort if we are to achieve real power. "The images. "These global advertisingcampaigns
the ideal can neverbe achieved. It is inhuman pected to enhance their appearance, but model of the youthful and physically fit increasinglyignore national differencesin de-
in its flawlessness,but it is the only standardof women are supposed to transform themselves. woman ultimatelyis not a symbol of power so terminingthe productsto be marketedand the
beautythat thereis. It is also the ultimate stan- Men may weil be less awarethat gender is much as it is a symbol of the beauty of femi- images used to sell them. The ads contributeto
dardof worth. Womenarejudged against it all created since man, and hence masculinity, nine control over appetite and age." While the belief that success and beauty are brand
the time, whether we choose to be or not. has always been the norm, the generic- and there are some positive aspects of the fitness names with a distinctly white American look
In spite of the enormous impact of the ideal woman/femininity is defined by how it differs craze, it puts still more pressureon women to to them."
on all of our lives, it is often considered too from that standard.Masculine is the un- achieve the impossible. An obsession with ex- Chapkis understandsthat this issue is com-
adorned face, the uncontorted form, the
trivial an issue for serious analysis. In Beauty ercisecan be as damagingas an obsession with plex and often subtle. She rejects simplistic
uncontrolled appetite, and raw emotion. The
Secrets, WendyChapkis presentsa persuasive necessary artificeand self control of femi- dieting; indeed, anorexics generally suffer conspiracytheories. She also recognizes that,
argument that this seemingly most personal ninity has helped createamong women a from both obsessions. The currentideal is es- although the white woman is the ideal of
and mundane of all issues is in fact one of the greaterawarenessthat our 'natural'gender pecially unattainable for those who lack the beauty, "the world of color representsrelated
most political and profound. role is a more or less elaborate disguise. money or the time necessary for this look. myths of sensuality,adventureand exoticism"
Beauty Secretsis an excellenttitle: it spoofs (p. 130) Even more insidiously, the fitness craze and that "[als the advertising technique of
the women's magazines and it exposes the More than a million dollars are spent every coopts the whole idea of power for women, 'world-branding'helps spread white Western
shame and isolation that areat the heartof the hour in the United States on cosmetics. reducingit to narcissism.A fit body may give culture to developing nations, Third World
matter.The ideal image not only defines what Women learn that we are basically ugly in our the illusion of power, the illusion of change, women increasinglyappear in advertisements
is beautiful; it very clearly defines what is not natural state, that our beauty depends upon but it is just that. An underpaid and under- in the West promising entry to that vanishing
beautiful. Women are portrayedas attractive how well we learn to disguise ourselves. And valued woman who is physically fit is still un- world of the exotic."
and sexually desirableonly if they are young, we are told that our lovableness,our desirabil- derpaid and undervalued.A woman who can "It is no easy question," Chapkis admits,
thin, carefully polished and groomed, made ity are contingent upon achieving the ideal. lift a hundred pounds instead of twenty "howto carryon the strugglewithout wearing
up, depilated, sprayedand scented. The ideal Beauty is virtue in our culture. Judging from doesn't automaticallyacquireany more power battle fatigues." Adopting the counter-
image makesalmost all realwomen invisibleat the media, sex only happens to the beautiful. and autonomy in the society. stereotype of the model feminist,-the Super-
best, the targets of contempt and hostility at Only the beautiful deserve love and romance. In my own research,I'vebeen struck by the woman who can effortlessly rise above the
worst. The "ugly"are seen as ugly inside too, and re- cooptation of power and freedom as a major daily humiliations of sexism, is no solution.
It is verydifficultnot to internalizethis con- searchconfirmsthat they areoften judged that theme in advertisingtoday and by the constant Rather,she arguesthat we must createour own
tempt. Womenaretold in many waysthrough- way. People who are considered unattractive reduction of the political to the personal. We erotic images and reclaimour own sexuality.
out our livesthat we arenot quite right. Weare or obese- are harshly discriminated against are told that all we need to do is use the right
Playing with the way we look, creatinga per-
expected to "pass"by conforming to the ac- from childhood on. Almost everyone experi- products,get our own individualacts together,
sonally or sexually provocativeimage has
ceptable beauty standards. As Chapkis says, ences some damage to her sense of self. and all will be fine. There is neverthe slightest pleasuresof its own. Denying ourselvesthose
"Weare like foreignersattempting to assimi- Feeling unworthyof admiration, undeserving hint that people sufferbecause of a socioeco- pleasuresbecause they have been used
late into a hostile culture."Wewill never do as of the desire of another is partly a conse- nomic and political situation that could be against us in the past is understandablebut
we are,even the most "beautiful"of us. (Look quence of the Largerthan Life culture changed. If we are unhappy, something is hardly the final word in liberation. (p. 146)
at the uproarwhen Madonna revealedher un- promoted in film, novels, television and wrong with us, and buying something will
shaven armpits in Playboy.) advertisements.These media reinforcethe solve it. We can smoke a cigarette or have a Clearly the only way enhanced appearance
The "secrets"of the book's title aremultifar- belief that passion, pleasure,even sunsets are drink or try a new eyeshadow.Or we can lose can be a source of pleasureratherthan
only intended for a physicalelite. Should we, anxiety, is if it is firmly rooted in a sense of
ious. We are supposed to keep our beauty some weight. As Chapkis says:
in all our glaring imperfection, somehow our own value independent of it. Dressingup
ritualssecret, not to expose the artifice.Every- Why do women buy costly beauty products
can only be fun when coupled with a
manage to partake,we still suspect that this that demonstrablyhave little purpose other
thing must be taken care of in private.Even in confident knowledge that we are deservingof
isn't quite It. Whateverit is we are now, have than participationin a fantasy? The pur-
theads, we seeonly the results,not the process: now, experiencenow doesn't count. (p. 140) respect, affection, admirationand lust, even
we see men shaving their bristly beards, but chase of a new cosmetic, the decision to
without the props and costumes. (p. 171)
change the color or style of one's hair,the
women shavelegs that arealreadysmooth. We
start of a new diet are the female equivalent
neversee a woman tweezing her chin. Women Chapkis begins the book dramaticallyby of buying a lottery-ticket. Maybeyou will be Chapkis knows that real change can take
in curlerswith cold creamon their faces areob- revealing her own most embarrassing the one whose life is transformed. Despite place only
jects of ridicule.The process is supposed to be beauty secret- a moustache. She was daily experienceto the contrary,we continue
magical. bullied about it to the point of being drivento to hope that maybe this time, maybe this when beauty loses its distorted power in the
The processis neverto be questioned either. an electrologist. She comes full circle to end product, will make a differencein our lives. evaluation of a "woman'sworth";that is,
when the dependent relationshipbetween
Do you have a moustache? Get rid of it. Keep the book with some striking, even shocking, (p. 93) women and men has been dismantled....
it secret.Neverask why it should be removedin images of what liberated beauty could be, One recent ad in my collection shows a Butwhileindividulal actsof defiancemaynot
the first place. Don't the vast majority of which include "lipstickshining sensually on a woman clad in the usual corporateattirewith be equalto thetaskof defeatingthestruc-
women havehair on theirupper lips? But then mouth framed by a downy moustache." In the headline, "A lot of men have made a lot of turalinequalities
of racismor sexism,they
again we all have hair under our arms and on fact, the best aspect of the book is its encom- money dressed like this." In a chapter on arein no wayunimportant. Fightingthe
our legs, but you'd never know it. We are also passing of the personal and the political. "Dressas Success"Chapkis takes on this cur- pressureto conform,attemptingto hold
supposed to keep our anxiety to ourselves. We Chapkis juxtaposes theory with self-revela- rent myth, pointing out that the Yuppieimage one'sownagainstthecommercial andcul-
are all oppressed by these standards, yet we tion with intimate interviews from a gratify- is as reassuringas the punk image is unsettling. turalimagesof theacceptableis a crucialfirst
rarely talk about them. Many feminists are ingly wide variety of women. She is highly "The system works just fine if you play by the act of resistance.
Theattemptto passand
rules."What this myth overlooks, of course, is blendin actuallyhidesus fromthosewe
reluctantto appearconcerned with the subject conscious of the role of racismand classism in
mostresemble.Weendup robbingeach
at all. And yet don't we often judge ourselves shaping images of beauty and of the lessons that "[s]uccess as it is known in the contem- otherof authenticreflectionsof ourselves.
and each other,pro and con? Is it politically in- learned from "gender outlaws." Individual porarycorporateworld is dependent on a divi- Instead,imperfectlyinvisiblebehinda
correct to have long red fingernails? How stoniesattestingto our uniquenesshave always sion betweenwinnersand losers, with a built in fashionof conformity,we fearto meeteach
much makeup is okay? Can we wear high been our chief defense against the stereotypes. guarantee that rhore will fail than will be re- other'seyes.(ppp. 174-75)
heels? Sexy lingerie? Are women who de- (Unfortunately, the book's organization is warded. Women have always been the struc-
fiantly lock themselves into another kind of confusing and often seems arbitrary. Al- tural losers in the system."Failure,however,is As always, going beyond private solutions
stereotype any freer? though I readit twice, the structureeluded me. always seen as personal rather than political. means breakingthe silence."[T]herecan be no
Although "L[tlhe beautiful woman enjoys a It is also distressing that such a thoughtful "Dressedin the proper outfit and sporting the truly empowering conclusions until our
measureof respectand attention not generally book is marred by scores of misspellings, proper attitude, the political problem of sex- beauty secrets are shared." This book is a
bestowed on women in a misogynist culture," typographical errors, and mistakes such as ism can be sidestepped.The trickis learningto thought-provoking contribution to that
she does not escape either. She is often misnumbered footnotes. Chapkis was not accept reality,not trying to change it." sharing. D
alienated from other women. (A recentad for served well by her proofreaderand/or editor.
shampoo features a series of conventionally Nonetheless, the ideas are original, the per-
beautiful women with the headline, "Don't spectiveis righton target,and the readeris am-
hate me because I'm beautiful.")The "beauti- ply rewardedfor overlooking these minor but
ful" woman is relentlessly objectified while annoying flaws.)
young and judged especially harshly as she Chapkis sees through the illusion that
ages (or falls off the pedestal in any way; things have improved in recent years. For ex-
remember the hostility directed toward ample, she understandsthat the currentmedia
ElizabethTaylorwhen she gained weight). She celebration of a handful of "over-fortybeau-
is like a rich person doomed to eventualbank- ties" is by no means progress.She sees the link
ruptcy,for "'[fjemalebeauty is a state to be at- between this phenomenon and the concurrent
tained andlost." idealization and sexualizationof the little giri:
The over-fortybeautyshareswiththechild-
AWOMEN'S
Giventherealityof imposed femininity,each
womanis facedwiththechoiceof accommo- womanthepromiseof eternalyouth.Tobe %
BOOKSTORE
dationandits rewardsof sexualandsocial beautiful,theyseemto say,is to look a con-
approval,or rebellionandthepunishingridi- stant twenty whether biologically twelve or Street
186Hampshire 1
culereservedforthe'asexual'andugly.For forty-five.Now that foundation garments InmanSquare
thosechoosingrebellion,theworld'shostile and heavy make-up (which provided the illu- CambridgeMA02139
judgementis easilyinternalized andcons- sion of youth) have fallen out of fashion, (617)876-5310
tantlyreinforced..(p. 131) older women must literallyremaketheir 10-6Tues Wed Fri Sat 10 9 Thurs12-6Sun
bodies in the pursuitof beauty. Scientific
Weareall keptin line. When we see the ridiculle skin care, cosmetic surgeryvand [sic] fitness Presses Records&TapesCardsuPosters CalendorsT-Shirts Non-SexistChildrensBooks
Books Journals Feminist
of fat women, old women, ~'bagladies,""we programspromise to minimnizethe visible
are remindedof what will happen if we are n-Ot changes of living.

The Women's Review of Books / Vol. IV, No. 9 / June, 1987 15