What do you think about this video from Colbie Caillat? I sincerely appreciate her ability to take off the makeup and reignite this conversation. It could be argued that she has found her success, in part, because of the makeup and Photoshopping that she is reportedly sick of. Theres maybe some auto-tuning in there too. I wonder if she will do every photo and video from this point forward without makeup. I sort of doubt it. That doesnt make this video unimportant or weak in any way. It does point to the fact that, no matter how you slice it, people wont typically buy what they dont find beautiful and that ideas of beauty are not purely objective. I totally get the point of what she has done here and, as a father of 4 daughters, I sincerely appreciate this message coming from someone at her level. The potential problem that I see here is that girls are, in addition to being truly beautiful without all the makeup, genuinely smart. Any girl who is paying attention will soon arrive at a potential dilemma that exists within this piece – that a person who has found (and will likely continue to find) lots of professional success at least partially because of her made-up looks is now saying that looks dont matter so much. For my part, I am extremely grateful to Colbie for doing this precisely because it creates the possibility for this dialogue. Because of this piece, I am struggling with the deeper truths that we wrestle with as a culture. For what its worth, I dont blame anyone (certainly not Colbie) for any contradictions or flaws within this message. I think what I am trying to say is that the flaws and contradictions are an important part of the conundrum and that I would hope we could use this to ignite some important conversations, rather than just walk away feeling charmed by her kindness. We should challenge our daughters to talk this out and I absolutely hope to hear what mine think. I am certainly not wanting to lambast Colbie for making this statement, so dont even go there. My question lies deeper within the realm of social/cultural norms. Yes, its true that you dont have to try so hard. No, its not true that how you look doesnt affect your ability to succeed and find happiness. I guess my point is that, for women (and for men to a lesser degree), the reality of our problem is not this easy. That doesnt mean it shouldnt be... just that it isnt. Does this piece undermine the genuine problem that we face? Is it oversimplified or reductive? Does it fix anything? Does it create a new problem? Has it started any important dialogue in your circles? What do you think? I want to know.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:07:19 +0000
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