In case you didn’t get the memo, Angelina Jolie is the “Most Beautiful Woman In The World.” This little piece of information comes to us courtesy of Vanity Fair Magazine. I’m not entirely sure who appointed them the leading authority on feminine beauty, nor am I sure how this US publication became the global voice for all things beauty. However, read the headline. Apparently, it is what it is.
As a male with a pulse, and as an individual who prides himself on honesty, I wouldn’t dare try to convince you that I don’t find Angelina to be an attractive woman. That said, would I rank her at the top of my list – though I can honestly tell you I posses no such list or ranking – certainly not.
It’s bad enough that we are fed the lies of beauty and attractiveness and appearance by all major forms of media. When a celebrity gains a pound and a half, they’re fat. When a celebrity surpasses the age of 40, although it seems that threshold is getting lower and lower, they’re going for plastic surgery. A lift here, a tuck there, an enhancement you know where. It’s ridiculous. It’s disgusting. It’s heartbreaking.
We struggle with self esteem and confidence issues enough as it is, without all the added pressure of looking perfect. What I want to know is, who determined this standard? All media seems to have adopted it. Watch TV, watch a movie, open a magazine. They all look the same. The women are so thin they could turn sideways, stick out their tongues and look like a zipper. Then men, with their stuffed boxers (refer to this blog What’s With The Package On The Package? for more on that) and washboard abs, set a standard which is virtually unattainable by those of us whom are mere mortals.
When we don’t look like “them” we feel ugly. We feel fat. We feel unworthy. What’s worse is, we lose ourselves. No longer are we interested in becoming the best version of ourself. Instead, we want to look like Angelina or Brad or whomever happens to be the Sexiest Man and Woman Alive, so says People Magazine.
It’s even worse for the younger generation whom succumb to the pressures of unattainable physical appearance in the worst ways. Anorexia, Bulimia, Self Mutilation are all cries for acceptance. Drugs, alcohol and sexual promiscuity and experimentation are ways to cope or mask the feelings of inadequacy.
Perhaps the saddest part is, we are allowing our society to be consumed and our self esteem to be robbed by a mirage. Can beauty, in the physical sense, even be defined? I don’t believe it can. As cliche as the saying is, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. So, by human standards, how can one voice determine whom is the “Most Beautiful In The World?” Such a statement brings with it as many unique answers as there are people roaming this planet.
There is one often overlooked authority that has a thought or two on the topic of beauty. Granted, it’s not a movie, a TV show, or a magazine; although it is a form of print media. It comes with few celebrity endorsements. It doesn’t offer any flashy headlines. I can’t promise you that forming your opinion on beauty based on what it says will be widely accepted by your friends, although it is accepted by Someone greater. What I can promise you is that if you take it as truth, you’ll take a lot of pressure of yourself!
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:3-4
Our society has spent so much time looking in a mirror that we’ve lost sight of what really matters. We’ve spent so much time devouring the lies fed to us by the media, that we’ve overlooked the truth. The epic line from “A Few Good Men” says, “you can’t handle the truth.” I don’t know if it’s that we can’t handle it, or we’ve just stopped believing it. Either way, if you want the truth, here it is. There is One who is THE authority on matters such as the most beautiful person in the world. He thinks it’s you. Just the same as He thinks it me. Just the same as He thinks it’s the person beside you. In our own unique way, inside and outside, we are all at the top of the list!
