Modeling Trends (beauty, race, body image, etc.)

[HelenHandbasket]

Perhaps Asian women want to change their look because no one in the fashion industry has embraced what real, beautiful Asian women look like.

It's funny that there's been all this discussion about different black models representing parts of Africa and the states but where are the Asian models representing different Asian countries?

Even ANTM is guilty. Five seasons with 60ish girls and Gina is the first full Asian girl they've had (April was 1/2 white and Julie is East Indian which is a different subcontinent and definitely a different look). I'd also like to see more Native Americans, more Hispanic girls, as well as middle eastern and Indian girls.

There has been a pretty even mix of white/black but it would be nice to see more diversity in ANTM.

[ANTMADDICT99]

I think the definition of beauty to americans and most of the world is different than what asian people think. Asians tend to look more at facial features like eyes, nose, and mouth while everyone else look more for bone structure and the symmetry of the face. I'm not saying that facial features don't matter, everybody would want nice eyes but I think it takes a back seat to bone structure. I notice how girls like Lucy Liu is considered ugly in China but very attractive in the US. Its because she has a nice body and gorgeous bone structure and most asians don't really pay attention to the bone structure. Also I noticed that in Vietnam, high cheek bones are considered ugly.

[snow-phoenix]

I think in general, every culture tries to change their look. Asia, America, Europe, Africa...plastic surgery is becomming increasingly common. The general trend now is to be tall and thin. So girls will get lyposuction, etc to make themselves thinner.
In the end, there is no true definition of beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. Although each culture has its own definition of what that is, there is no defining features that make someone be considered beautiful or not. Symmetry is always good, clear skin is good, facial structure that is without obvious flaws, but that is what makes beauty so debatable. There is really no explanation for it.

[kitana89]

Funny that you mentioned this. Reemmber when Harry Potter 4 came out? Everybody said the girl who played Cho Chang was ugly.. well now they are saying she's pretty because she is in the spot like more. I guess beauty ideals can change. I've been to this korean forum called soompi and they USED to have an ANTM thread there but it got deleted.

Anyhow, I read all the posts there and guess what they said? They said quite rude things like, "Everybody is so ugly except Jade". They only said jade was beautiful because they THOUGHT she was mixed with Asian and Black. I thought that is such a shame because you can be purely one race and still be beautiful. Another thing I hated so much about the posts there was taht they all mocked BROOKE. I thought BROOKE was the prettiest one but everyone was like, "She's ugly. Haha she has a messed up broken face."

That was RUDE! I got even more confused after that because Brooke in my eyes was gorgeous yet, here I'm hearing these people saying how ugly she is?! WTF where these people taking?! Drugs or something?! They said Gina was hella ugly. Then after some time they started to slowly say taht all the African American girls are pretty. So that was a pretty big leap. I think it was good that they started seeing the beauty in the girls after they actually watched ANTM. It just hurt me so bad though when they kept bashing on Brooke and Gina.

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Yes it is true we are al obssessed with beauty. Every country has their ideals and evry country performs plastic surgery but It's very dominant in Asia and you can be humiliated and disgraced in Asia just for being plain

[Jessa]

Jenascia was also 1/2 Asian.

@kitana89
well beauty is perception right, and perception is subjective.
what is considered beautiful in say America might not necessarily be beautiful in Asia. Or even within Asia itself, there are different trends. In Thailand, the craze is all about Eurasians, a lot of Thai models are mixed Thai and caucasian. In Japan, they like the kawaii look, with the cutesy smile and cheesy v-sign pose. Or even from person to person, your cousin might think so and so while your neighbour might have a different opinion.

[snow-phoenix]

It's unfair that people are stereotyping these ANTM girls as the entire look for their ethnicity. Gina's looks do not represent all of Asia, there is such a multitude of looks, just like Nnenna's traits are not what every African girl is going to look like. But despite this, just because you think Brooke is the prettiest, doesn't mean you next door neighbor will think she is pretty, or your class mate or whatever. Everyone has a different idea of what beauty is.
And by the way, I'm not attacking you or anything, I understand how you feel. I'm only have Asia (Taiwanese and American mix) so when I lived in Taiwan there were many girls that thought I was ugly for not having purely Asian features (for example, I have the double lidded eyes and brown wavy hair) and claimed I wasn't "Asian enough", but there were also people who thought my look was diverse, and different from everyone else, and therefore beautiful.

[kitana89]

Actually I guess what hurts me is that even in America. Asians have the same ideals, and that means that you can be humiliated and disgraced for being ugly. Even here in America. Heck one time. I posted my pic up in those Asian forums and it hurted me so bad when this one guy kept harassing me and poking fun of me, saying I was ugly and would do this non stop. Everyone there rated me a 0. I don't even like rating threads. I was just curious. It totally got my perception of beauty confused because before I even went to those Asian forums, I had one pic posted in a German forum and tehy all said I was pretty. It just strucked me because how could I be considered pretty and ugly at the same time?

Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are girls who everyone says is gorgeous. In the korean forum, EVERYONE said Brooke and Gina were ugly. This si probably teh only forum I've been to who thought otherwise.

[snow-phoenix]

Don't take criticisms like that so harshly. For everyone person that calls you ugly, there is someone somewhere else that would think you were pretty.

Besides, there are things much more important than beauty anyways
Don't let it get to you.

[kitana89]

^ Thanx snow pheonix. Your probably one of the few people who actually made my confidence go up. I know personality means alot. My difference makes me happy for who I am. But like I said before, LOTS of Asians don't care about personality, only looks. Which is pretty dumb if you ask me.

[ANTMADDICT99]

Actually I guess what hurts me is that even in America. Asians have the same ideals, and that means that you can be humiliated and disgraced for being ugly. Even here in America. Heck one time. I posted my pic up in those Asian forums and it hurted me so bad when this one guy kept harassing em and poking fun of me, saying I was ugly and would do this non stop. Everyone there rated me a 0. I don't even like rating threads. I was just curious. It totally got my perception of beauty confused because before I even went to those Asian forums, I had one pic posted in a German forum and tehy all said I was pretty. It just strucked me because how could I be considered pretty and ugly at the same time?

Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are girls who everyone says is gorgeous. In the korean forum, EVERYONE said Brooke and Gina were ugly. This si probably teh only forum I've been to who thought otherwise.

I don't think you should let other people's perception affect how you feel about yourself. If I was you I would've never posted my pic up on those rating threads. The people on those boards are harsh and girls who think that your pretty would probably rate you as ugly.

I also noticed that asian girls are very critical of other girls. I'm half asian/ and half black and when I go to get my nails done, the women that do my nails always talk about me and they think I don't understand. I don't say anything and just listen to what they got to say and just laugh at it in the end of the day.