Beauty Is an Oppressive Construct

The beauty within the last 150 years has shown itself to be an oppressive power structure that relies on other oppressive systems to enforce itself. When people think of beauty a few things tend to appear in their minds. Sharp jaws, slender bodies, and clear skin are among that list. How can the concept of beauty be oppressive if it doesn’t hurt anyone? To understand why that is, one must break down the concept of beauty, the societal understanding of beauty, and why is it allowed to exist amongst other oppressive systems like capitalism.

Beauty is not just beautiful people. It is the industries surrounding it, the society reinforcing it, and the other industries that only allow beautiful people into their industries. Beauty is the lengths that people are willing to go to be considered beautiful. It is destructive, exclusive, and oppressive. It relies upon white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism to keep itself going, and humanity has no need for it. Now, for a proper explanation of the previous statements.

Beauty Is Complex

The beauty industrial complex has many facets. The beauty industrial complex is an intricate web of industries and connections that make up a total system that is based upon exclusion, anxiety, and power. Exclusion is inherent to everything that beauty is. There can be no “beautiful people” if there aren’t “ugly people.” Where do those beauty standards come from? White supremacy is the answer to most of these things.

White supremacy and the beauty industrial complex interact to create the euro-centric beauty standards. The beauty industrial complex relies on white supremacy (among others), to determine who is beautiful. As a consequence of this, white thin faces and bodies are seen as most beautiful. This is all of course in the American context. However, there are many similarities in the beauty industrial complex in many other nations.

The ramifications of the beauty industrial complex are the creation of “ ugly people.” White supremacy once again interacts with the beauty industrial complex to create “ugly” people. Ugly people, defined by euro-centric beauty standards, are those with features that aren’t considered “white.” The fact that all features came from African people since they are the first people to exist on earth disproves the existence of “ euro-centric features.” However, for the sake of this article, euro-centric features will just refer to the features that white people have.

Non-euro-Centric Features Are Beautiful Too

People that don’t have these features are considered ugly. Those with wider noses, darker skin, etc, will have a harder time being considered beautiful. Those who aren’t beautiful are forced to buy products so they can fit the beauty standard. Otherwise, they may face the consequences of being seen as ugly. The consequences can be job discrimination, a more difficult love life, feelings of inadequacy, and more. They have to buy products like concealer, skin whiteners, and other such products in an effort to attain what society considers “beautiful.” A concept that is constantly shifting.

This isn’t the true extent to which Capitalism interacts with the beauty industrial complex. Organizations, corporations, and entire industries profit from the insecurities that are produced by the beauty industrial complex. This section of the complex is the portion that profits from the suffering and the feelings of inadequacy that being labeled” ugly” brings.

Skin whiteners, blemish removers, and other products reinforce euro-centric beauty standards with their application. People shouldn’t have to physically alter their appearance just to be deemed worthy of appreciation and affection. Human beings are inherently valuable no matter what skin color they are. There are major profits to be made when the antithesis of this message is spread. For example in 2021, according to statista.com, the cosmetics industry made over $48 billion in profit in America.

Profit From Pain

This is an insane level of profit, driven by the insecurities of those striving to be “beautiful.” Or whatever version of “beautiful” The beauty industrial complex shills out next. Plastic surgery, makeup, wigs, and many more are used to alter the body to fit the euro-centric beauty standards many simply aren’t born into. No one should have to endure invasive procedures so that they can be worthy of love.

However, there have been inclusion efforts in the beauty industry. The bubble of inclusion has expanded those whose features are more tolerable to white supremacy. An example of this is lighter-skinned Black women being included more in inclusion initiatives. Yet there may be a few darker-skinned Black women in inclusion initiatives dark skin as a whole are down. Or they have to have all the other features to still be considered beautiful. An example would be a darker-skinned Black woman that had clear skin, non-4c hair type, and was thin.

Change Is Possible

This can all be changed, like all oppressive systems the beauty industrial complex can be dismantled. Firstly, even if the beauty industrial complex were to be dismantled it would return to its place unless white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy are dismantled as well. Imagine a bubble, inside this bubble are only people that fit into the euro-centric beauty standards. Dismantling the beauty industrial complex is popping the bubble and making sure that the bubble never reappears. The bubble is all the forces that compel people to want to be in the bubble and all of the forces that keep people that are inside this exclusive space wanting to be inside.

Furthermore, all of the media that reinforce the beauty standards, all of the industries that profit from the beauty standards, etc will have to change. In its place will be things that destroy the very concept of beauty. All people shall be seen as valuable, not one body type and not just one skin tone. All people shall be worthy of love and affection. With this, people wouldn’t have to struggle to feel confident about themselves. People wouldn’t be bullied for having certain features because all features would be equally valuable. In a world where everyone is beautiful, no one is ugly. Not because everyone fits the beauty standard, but because there is no beauty standard and therefore no one can be ugly.

Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Edited by Sheena Robertson

Source:

TheDailyCougar: Beauty-industrial complex oppresses women by Mia Valdez

Ibisworld: Cosmetic & Beauty Products Manufacturing in the US – Market Size 2003–2028 by 

Forbes: It’s Time To Expose The Attractiveness Bias At Work by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Deardarkskinnedgirl: What is Featurism? by Naima Autumn Rose

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Colleen Eakins Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Tarje Sælen Lavik’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of Robert Lee Flickr Page – Creative Commons License