STS: using standards of beauty to manipulate others

[SomaticDreams]

Ra: I am Ra. You are correct to a great extent. Perhaps the most notable exception is the attitude of one already strongly polarized negatively towards the appearance of the body complex. There are those entities upon the negative path which take great care in the preservation of the distortion your peoples perceive as fairness/ugliness. This fairness of form is, of course, then used in order to manipulate other-selves. May we ask if there are any brief queries?

http://www.lawofone.info/results.php?ses...86&ss=1#22

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I think we have all seen examples of this in the mass media. Tv shows, movies, gossip mags - all good looking thin folks.

historically, the standards of 'fairness' have been most harshly applied to women. For guys, if you were rich, it didn't matter how 'ugly' or old you were, you were in.

recently though, this notion of 'fairness' is being increasingly applied to young males. I've read stories recently where guys feel the need to have 6 pack abs, go to the gym and take steroids, have cosmetic surgery etc to feel like they have a 'chance' with the opposite sex.

the manipulation is subtle ... and is all about presenting the 'ideal form' in the media. People then start having self-esteem problems, putting themselves down, cutting themselves. STS is laughing.

are you seeing this as well?

I agree with turtledude, however, I would extend this idea further.

STS ideologies are set up as a matrix of domination. It is not enough to say race, gender, ability or sexual orientation is a problem. They are all intertwined and define a 'privileged group' within society.

People utilize sexual orientation as a way of keeping people into gender roles; "What are you a fag/dyke? That's gross"

People can utilize gender and (dis)ability: "She's a woman, she can't drive, I'll drive." on the flip side, when women internalize this, they might ask men do things that are considered manly jobs, like yard work, or carpentry.

People often utilize race and gender as well. "That black professor is so articulate! I wonder where she went to school?" Although a seemingly benign comment, the assumption is that black women cannot teach, or are usually inarticulate.

All of these repressive social structures come into play. Physical attraction is just one of many social categories that are defined by those who wield power. Not only through the mass media, but any form of pervasive media. Traditions assume as much, and ideas permeate through social groups. Girls internalize this image because boys naturally are taught the ideal of beauty at a young age. So the systems perpetuate unless they are made conscious.

This is not to say there are not exceptions, but they are just that. Exceptions. Those people stick out, and regularly have to defend their existence as a feminine male (but they are not gay), or perhaps a masculine female (who is gay but still likes to dress like a female).

There are many more systems out there that divide us. A good starting point is to (as suggested by the Dalai Lama) to find our similarities first, our common ground, and connect with each other there. We often find differences, and defend our egos from these differences, and define ourselves through this difference. This difference also holds power, prestige, and wealth.

Is a society truly free, or equal with these repressive systems? If a gay couple cannot get married, or a straight man act feminine? If a black couple can get honest financial advice from a bank, or not worry about appearing poor, because that reflects back onto their entire race (unlike whites. White's have 'white trash', but there's no 'black trash'.)

I don't believe there is an equal or free society at all across the world, nevertheless America. I see repression everywhere- and it is very subtle. It is catalyst none the less that one must be aware of because it's consequences are real for those who are oppressed. If I was a woman, I would want to be able to perform my best without being first thought of as an object of desire. I feel as this is where homophobia comes from- men are afraid they too might be treated as a sexual object. They feel how uncomfortable they become when being advanced on constantly by other men. Imagine how women must feel sometimes, well rather, all the time?

A good exercise is to hypothetically change your status in some manner. Your race, ability level, gender, sexual orientation or wealth. Would you still be friends with your current friends? Would you have the family you have now? Would you be living as comfortably? What type of political views might you have? Would you be more or less free to do as you wish?

I'll end by saying that men get away with being ugly because they are 'action' or 'doers'. They are judged by what they are able to do, and how much they can acquire. Woman are simply mere appearances. They are meant to be pleasant to look at, speak with and engage with. They should be quiet, modest and obedient (but somehow, paradoxically, sexual, flirtatious and beautiful).

This is not true everywhere of course, but it is still the prevailing paradigm within western culture, and the world over. It is hardly a minority opinion. There are others out there who recognize these repressive systems, and I commend them for their compassion.

I think this is a very important topic, I look forward to other opinions and perspectives.