Small noses, narrow noses, noses with tiny nostrils. It seems like the only noses so-called “beautiful” people have match these descriptions. And yet most of the time, these picturesque schnozzes flooding the media aren’t even real. Celebrities will often get rhinoplasty (the medical term for a “nose job”) to “fix” their noses. At a whopping average cost of $4,306, a nose job is expensive and can even be risky. Botched plastic surgery is no joke, people! But millions will go under the knife anyway, hoping to meet the elusive “Western beauty standard.”
Well, I say screw the standard! It’s time for us to realize that big noses are beautiful! They’re unique, powerful, and all-natural. The only reason we might see them as unattractive is that the beauty industry tells us to. Imagine how much money plastic surgeons would lose if we embraced our features. The same goes for the makeup companies. We have the power to turn the economy upside-down and save some dollars in the process!
The disdain for large noses isn't even a universal sentiment. In Japan, “stronger, higher, slightly bigger nose [bridges]” are considered desirable and “exotic." So our qualms with big noses really are a product of our society. They’re not inherently “ugly.” I mean, look at Neanderthals! Their noses were huge, and they had no problem getting it on with each other. How do you think we’re here today?
There may also be some latent racism involved in the preference for dainty faces. While white people can have large noses, the feature is more common in other ethnic and racial groups. I’m a half-Hispanic, half-Jewish woman, for example, and you can tell from my larger-than-average nose!
This begs the question: Is our tendency to favor small features a result of internalized racism, or is it more than that? I think it’s a little bit of both — a combination of what the media (which has its own share of racism like any other industry) tells us to find attractive, and the centuries of bashing non-white people’s appearances in America.
Nonetheless, Hollywood is slowly starting to accept big-nosed, distinctive-looking individuals. Some of them are even becoming sex symbols! Look at Adam Driver, the breakout star of the newest Star Wars movie (you might know him as Adam Sackler from Girls, too):
Pretty unusual face, right? And yet I know many people — myself included — who think Driver is attractive. His interesting features, acting chops, and charisma are the recipe for his sex appeal. Without his big nose and ears though, he would just be another average Hollywood hunk. Boooring!
So next time you look in the mirror or take a selfie, remember your big nose — or whatever else you feel self-conscious about — is what makes you you! A big nose is memorable. A big nose is one-of-a-kind. A big nose is beautiful!
P.S. I want to give a shout out to the big-nosed Queen, Uma Thurman. She’s so gorgeous!
