I know, I know. I’m late to the trend. With midterms, papers, projects and club events piling up (as well as trying to maintain a social life—yes, I do have one), give me the space to stand on my soapbox without having to pump out an essay. What follows is a series of observations I’ve had on happenings in the culture. I hope this will inspire all of you to maintain a critical eye when scrolling through your feed.
- Nara Smith
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Her hair is always on-point, makeup flawless, dripping in designer clothes and a perfectly flat stomach after having three small children at the age of 24—she’s everything women are told they “should be”. Sky high heels, Dior’s new look, praising the lord, breakfast from scratch (yes, even the eggs—I heard that she has her own chickens) every morning and an IMG model by night—she does it all. Nara Smith is THE male fantasy and the figure of women’s envy. Let’s be honest; we all want to be Nara Smith. We all want to be strikingly beautiful, have three children without carrying any of pregnancy’s battle wounds, be a model, a mother, a god-fearing Mormon and yet still wear short skirts and low-cut tops without being deemed a “wh*re.” We want a husband who looks like he’s been cut from marble, chivalrous, tall, and traditional. But this is a simulation. A fabrication. Nara Smith, TikTok’s domestic goddess, was created in a PR and marketing lab. She likely comes with a maid, an au pair, a plastic surgeon, and lots of wealth. You will never be Nara Smith, because even Nara Aziza Smith cannot be Nara Smith. She is a mere mortal like the rest of us, with a good marketing team.
- Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and the Supermodel Revival
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Whether it’s the Adriana Lima edits, the worship of the so-called “Slavic Doll” aesthetic ( I am so sorry to my Slavic readers), or the mass hysteria over the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featuring plus-size or models of colour, runway culture has returned in full swing. The praising of physiques deemed “unattainable” or the idea that you have to “struggle” or “work” for beauty is troubling. I worry over the mental health of young women and girls who hear that Angel Reese (a WNBA athlete) should eat less and work out more to be runway material. I worry about the health of a culture where protruding ribs and collar bones are a sign of abuse in dogs, but of beauty in human women. I worry for the sanity of the West, where starvation is a sign of “discipline” and eating half of the food you paid for is “chic” or “demure,” when millions of people across the globe and in our backyards can’t afford their daily bread.
The revival of the “Slavic Doll” aesthetic is equally pernicious. The birth of this aesthetic emerged from the post-USSR era, when modelling scouts visited impoverished cities in Eastern Europe, hiring teenage girls. These girls were exploited in the West, praised for features like prominent clavicles and sunken cheeks and eyes, features that are born out of food insecurity. This aesthetic is not aspirational, unless frailty is considered the true marker of feminine beauty.
Victoria’s Secret, despite its rebrand towards inclusivity, is not your friend. It’s big business. And big business is hideous, no matter how gorgeous their product is.
- Cosmetic Surgery/Permanent Hair Straightening
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We all want to fit the standard. To blend in. Hide what makes us odd. Straighten any imperfection, shave off bumps, and lose lumps. For me, these subconscious desires become ignited whenever the algorithm pushes keratin treatments (permanent hair straightening) or certain cosmetic procedures. Those middle school desires of having soft, straight, and smooth hair that doesn’t stick up or block people’s view in class, are soothed by the promise of an antidote. When I straightened my hair for the first time in the third grade, I thought it would last forever. I felt invincible. When the first curl reappeared, I was devastated. In grade nine, to look more like my peers and avoid commentary from mouth-breathing 14-year-old boys, I straightened my hair everyday. The appeal of the flat iron, the flat ironing of identity. It is an admission of shame that you do not feel comfortable in who you are. So spare me the “I have a deviated septum” or “my back hurts,” because you really mean “I don’t look good in pictures” or “I can’t wear cute tops from Garage.” Screw the lens: digital, male, or female. Your features are not imperfections; they are perfection. Don’t let marketing or brain-dead Stepford-Wife wannabe influencers tell you otherwise.
- Feminine Energy
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Be graceful, be demure, be sensitive, be soft, be quiet, and be submissive. Don’t swear, don’t be loud, don’t split the bill, don’t cut your hair, don’t make eye contact, and stay small. Does this sound like women’s empowerment? Since when did embracing domesticity, wearing pink ribbons, and playing the follower become the ideal for an intelligent, independent woman? B*tch please. It’s just repackaged misogyny. The notion that women are too fragile for stress, that our menstrual cycles require days spent lounging about on the fainting couch, is Victorian England levels of patriarchal nonsense (sidenote: if your periods are keeping you in bed or interfere with your daily activities, please seek medical attention). I refuse to allow myself to be reduced to the intellectual capacity of a child, and you should not either. We also have to consider what kind of man is attracted to a woman who submits to him, does not speak unless spoken to, operates to appease him, and lacks opinions. Someone who is attracted to vulnerability. That kind of man and the life he offers is something I would avoid with any means necessary.
- Constant Self-Optimization
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10,000 steps a day. No gluten, no dairy, no refined sugars. Non-fiction only. Wake up at 5 am for the gym. Protein, protein, protein for breakfast. No breaks. Don’t take time off. Are you eating enough protein? Actually, North Americans are not consuming fibre. What are the macros in this Starbucks protein matcha? Is it worth the calories? I’m sober, actually; alcohol isn’t worth the calories. I have to get my steps in. 10,000 is not enough—you need at least 20,000 for it to work. Have you considered pilates? No, weight training is more effective. Is this internship worth it? Did this make your head spin? Heart rate increase? Is the pressure of constant self-optimization actually harmful to the human psyche? While prioritizing healthy eating, exercise, and intellectual growth is undeniably healthy, the moral superiority we have derived from constantly performing at the top of our game is anything but. Humans have evolved to enjoy things. Yes, it is okay to enjoy life. You are allowed to go out for a round of drinks with friends, eat a brownie, watch a silly movie, and skip leg day to go dancing instead. And believe me, we will all be happier if we do. Health and striving to be healthy are morally neutral. Much of the diet and exercise advice online is marketing for supplement companies or coaching services. In other words, like everything on the internet, being in “good health” is carefully curated by big marketing firms in LA, New York, or London. This begs the question: Do you want your body to be a project for Mad Men-style ad agencies to experiment with?
The core message of this article is clear: beware of propaganda—no matter the source. Whether from the mouths of smarmy politicians or the botox-filled lips of influencers, remember that they are trying to sell you something—and it’s up to you if you want to be bought.