What is being pretty anyway? People tend to think that it means being noticed, and being flawless in every single possible way. But people will say what they think about someone whether they ask for their opinion, or not. There will always be those people that will constantly try everything in their power to tear someone down, and will tell them that they just aren’t good enough. It doesn’t matter what it is, around every corner, there is always a barrier that you have to get over. When it comes to looks, personality, and relevance, people tend to hit the hardest. But at the end of the day, it is up to us as individuals to make a name for ourselves, while the outside world tries to label us at the same time.
In the article "How To Be Invisible" by Akiko Busch, famous comedian Mindy Kaling is used as the face of invisibility. In ads during the Super Bowl, the comedian admitted to believing that she has become “invisible” to the public eye. Interestingly enough, being a celebrity, it is almost impossible for an ordinary person to believe that she’s actually invisible. Busch then defends Kaling’s statement by stating, “…she embraces her invisibility as a kind of liberation. More of us should do the same.” Busch continues, “If we don’t get the interest, attention, and recognition we think we deserve…we tend to file grievances.” In other words, people will start to believe that they aren’t good enough, and will feel distressed because someone didn’t compliment their hard work, or their effort. We automatically put a negative name on something if it doesn’t fit our criteria, and then we feel bad about ourselves afterwards.
Today, we constantly feel as if we deserve something for every move that we make. Whether it’s with a smile, a hug, or a simple phone call, we’re always seeking and hoping that someone will notice us to boost our confidence because we’re not able to do it on our own. We are afraid that no one will see our hard work or our beauty. This causes us to question if we truly exist to people. But, there’s a difference between being invisible and nonexistent. Busch touches on this when she says, “They [arctic foxes] also propose that becoming invisible, whether it is in color or behavior, is not the equivalent of being nonexistent…it is not about denying…qualities that make us unique, original, singular.” She argues, “…it can be a condition of insight and endurance, a position of strength and power.” Using our surroundings to amplify our beauty is a masterpiece. For example, some women may say that they wear make up to enhance their beauty. There idea isn’t to be noticed by other people, but instead to use their resources to create a more beautiful them.
Often when we think of beauty, we tend to put celebrities on a pedestal. For some reason, they tend to look better than all of the rest of us “normal people.” But I don’t blame some of us for feeling that way. The media portrays celebrities as perfect people, and they are professionals at making it seem as if celebrities have their lives together, and that gaining their stardom was easy. In a video titled, “A-list Stars Who Were Told They Weren’t Pretty Enough for Hollywood” on Entertainment Tonight, the narrator tells of several popular celebrities who have made it big in Hollywood, but before their fame set off, they “weren’t pretty enough” for the “biz." Amongst these famous actresses, surprisingly, was Meryl Streep. During her interview, the most Oscar nominated actor in history admits that a director had called her ugly to her face. When auditioning for the 1976 film "King Kong" the director told his son in Italian, “Why do you bring me this ugly thing?” Another famous actress on the list was Sarah Jessica Parker. The narrator tells us that she has “long been criticized for her looks” and that the popular magazine Maxim labeled her as “Unsexiest Woman Alive” in their magazine issue in 2007. All of these harsh comments, and classifications by the media did not stop these beautiful, phenomenal women from being the people who they are today. Though the beginning was tough, they were still able to mettle their way through the criticism and become who they were destined to be.
When we begin to realize that we must alter ourselves for a specific reason that is not self-fulfilling, then that’s when we should realize that it is a danger zone, and we must step away. No outsider should tell us that we don’t look the part or fit the predetermined criteria to succeed further in life, and to follow our dreams. Being “pretty” is what you feel when you’re at your best. Being pretty is having that confidence in yourself when nobody else does, and what keeps you pushing and striving to reach your fullest potential.
