Standards of Beauty

[funnygirl422]

I know the contestants don't fully know what they are getting into, don't understand the way the material that is later edited into the show is obtained. Editing has been discussed on many forums and threads so I won't do a rehash. What is relevant here is that guests on the shows are very reluctant to acknowledge that they were manipulated/trapped/ tricked into making the statements that are later used. I don't think many people want to believe they were manipulated.

Even the people who are actor wannabees are often still very naieve and will go along with outrageous activities to get thier camera time. The ones who aren't in the business are so flattered that they are good looking enough to be chosen feel special about being on the show. Most of their families feel the same way, proud for them to be chosen. Then they all find themselves being judged on what is at best only a tiny fraction of who they are and is a huge percentage of who the producer sees them and styles them as. I saw some people who were really nice, hurt and some who were arrogant pushed further into unhealthy behaviors in a system where they were no more than a commodity to be used up for the next show. You know the producers in the shows are used and abused in the same way in order to get the show the executive producers expect them to turn out. You think it is good for anyone to be paid to manipulate another person into making statements that are a distortion of what they wanted to say. Nobody gets healthy doing this.

To quote Drew Carey; "I call bulls)@#&%. How many years have we been watching reality television now? How many times have we seen the interviews of reality show contestants spouting "it's not fair" or "I was edited poorly". How many times have we heard from contestants that have said that production was telling them what to say or trying to provoke emotions, etc?

Nah, you sign up for a reality tv show (blessed with your good looks or not) you know what you're getting yourself into and you are fresh meat for the grilling.

[Exposed]

That's true, the more Nicole Kidman grows to look like Barbie, the less pretty I think she looks.

The pale albino look wasn't pretty in the first place.


Anyway, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has different standards of beauty. I DO think that women tend to knock other women down to make theirSELVES feel better. They themSELVES may have low selfesteem and can nver give any woman a compliment. I'm just the opposite and rather TOO honest. MOST of the time I compliment on a womens looks. If she looks good, then she looks good. What's average to me, may not be average looking to you. Also as you get older, looks is the least thing to worry about.

[roseskid]

Nah, you sign up for a reality tv show (blessed with your good looks or not) you know what you're getting yourself into and you are fresh meat for the grilling.

[Candybar]

To quote Drew Carey; "I call bulls)@#&%. How many years have we been watching reality television now? How many times have we seen the interviews of reality show contestants spouting "it's not fair" or "I was edited poorly". How many times have we heard from contestants that have said that production was telling them what to say or trying to provoke emotions, etc?

Nah, you sign up for a reality tv show (blessed with your good looks or not) you know what you're getting yourself into and you are fresh meat for the grilling.

I believe each person thinks they will be the exception to the system. In the process of casting that myth is not dispelled. I thought I was an exception too because I was nice to the cast. Then I relaized I had been part of the system by virtue of my participation whether or not I was one of the good guys. Being one of the good guys enables the "bad" guys to continue to create their product.

Obviously the expereince caused me deep reflection and some major life change.

I am more aware now of how what I participate in colors who I am and creates who I will become.

[funnygirl422]

I believe each person thinks they will be the exception to the system.

But in the back of their mind or bottom of their heart, they know. They've seen it happen and, whether they are in denial or not, it is not a surprise to them when it hits the airwaves.

I am more aware now of how what I participate in colors who I am and creates who I will become.

Which is wonderful and I applaud you, however, participation in the Fort is not the same as participating in production. We give credit where credit is due. In the meantime, we have our fun at the expense of media egos.

[yourefired]

People definitely have differing standards of beauty. The girl Preston said was the most attractive (the brunette with the $1) is not the most attractive to me. I actually thought it was the brunette with the million dollars that he let go.

I actually think PJ looks like Paris Hilton, especially with her hair up. After watching Paris tonight at the nudist colony, I think the most attractive thing about Paris is that she has tons of self-confidence. She can also find the beauty in everyone else. Sure she has billions and is dating a very attractive man, but she doesn't seem too in love with herself but still has tons of confidence and self love. I think PJ mirrors that attitude as well.

Also, regarding the ER actress (Alex Kingston), it's interesting that you bring her up because she was let go after this past season. She says it's because she's too old and the show likes to keep the female characters young. I think it's probably moreso because her storylines were really forced after Mark Green (Anthony Edwards) left, but what do I know? I agree that she's very attractive and that the makeup people seemed to play down her looks, especially after she became a widow.

The topic is especially interesting after today's news that young Mary-Kate Olsen has checked into a clinic and is suffering from what appears to be anorexia. It just goes to prove that no matter how much in this world we have that we are never truly happy with ourselves. We may grow more comfortable with ourselves, but we'll still be our own worst critics.

[Candybar]

Also, regarding the ER actress (Alex Kingston), it's interesting that you bring her up because she was let go after this past season. She says it's because she's too old and the show likes to keep the female characters young. I think it's probably moreso because her storylines were really forced after Mark Green (Anthony Edwards) left, but what do I know?

It wasn't about her age. It was about her acting and had been an issue for some time. I still think that she is very pretty.

[watsondog]

Thats weird because honestly when I was watching I kept thinking how average looking most of the women look.

Not only were all the women in the top 1%, they were all in the top 1% of that top 1%. The vast, vast majority of women will never look like this, and *can* never look like this.

"Average" is Barbara Bush. "Average" is Penny Marshall. These women are as far from average as could be imagined.

I think alot of people look at "beautiful" as someone who is thin

If you're referring to these girls, you must mean extremely, extremely fine-boned, 20 to 25 pounds underweight, and so young that the normal skin bulges (from childbirth or just plain aging, for instance) haven't developed yet. Most actresses are in the bottom 5% of the population when it comes to shoulder breadth, pelvic breadth and other non-fat-related size measurements. Normal women, even normal thin women, don't and can't have 32-inch busts or 32-inch hips, like Paris Hilton or Courtney Cox. These women are thinner.

and keeps themselves up(great hair, makeup, clothes)

You mean, has $1,000 plus a month and 2 to 3 hours a day to devote solely to her appearance. You don't get that way without spending a LOT of money and a LOT of time - and of course, you don't get a chance to have that opportunity unless you have that money and that time. IMO that's not keeping yourself up, that's extreme, extreme narcissism.

I have never in my life met one woman who was even close to fitting your definition of above average.

[watsondog]

The pale albino look wasn't pretty in the first place.

I don't think judging people on their skin colour is terribly sensible, or fair, or open-minded. You do know that most natural redheads never tan under any circumstance whatsoever?

[queenb]

I guess it's true the women in the South are prettier than most, because I also think these girls were just average; I see lots of women who are way better looking than this every day just around my job; hell, my next door neighbor has a prettier face and as good a figure as the gals on FLOM! watsondog, come to Atlanta and hang out at Lenox Square or Phipps Plaza for a couple of hours. You'll see that around here, Penny Marshall is not the average. (I hate to slam on poor Barbara Bush, she probably looked a lot better when she was a younger woman!)