My Improvisational Life

I’m making it all up as I go along.

Cloy May 1, 2008

Filed under: Fat,Thoughts — Me @ 9:43 pm
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cloy \KLOY\, transitive verb:
1. To weary by excess, especially of sweetness, richness, pleasure, etc.

intransitive verb:
1. To become distasteful through an excess usually of something originally pleasing.

I have been noticing lately that our definitions of beauty, particularly for people, are disturbingly narrow. Turn on any TV show or movie and you see the same things over and over again — the same clothes, the same hairstyles, the same makeup, and the same bodies.

Why are we so afraid of the natural variation that exists among us?  Why can only certain attributes be beautiful?

Last night I watched a reality show that shall remain nameless because I am ashamed of my addiction, and one of the performers was someone who is, by all cultural definitions, beautiful.  I looked at her, and suddenly it was all too much.  The makeup, the immaculately styled but oh-so-carefully tousled “natural” hair, the skin across the cheekbones a little too tight, the teeth perfectly straight and white…this person who was undoubtedly pretty when she started out just…wasn’t anymore.

 

3 Responses to “Cloy”

  1. Bri Says:

    I have been finding the same thing – that women I once thought were attractive either are no longer attractive to me (because I have broken free from the “this is what has to be considered as attractive” mind set) or I have found out the physically attractive woman has the personality of a viper and suddenly she isn’t as attractive to me any more.

  2. boots Says:

    Amen to that. There’s a whole group of young blonde actresses and singers who I couldn’t necessarily identify from a picture because they all look the SAME.

  3. leafeuille Says:

    erin,

    i agree!!!!!!!!!!!


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