[Opinion] Beauty and Witch

Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the Hollywood’s leading beauties, had an interview with a TV program after the release of her movie ‘Shallow Hal,’ where she played a morbidly obese woman. During the interview she said, “I tried to ask people on the street something while shooting, but they were seemingly ignoring me. Of course, I was under guise.” Paltrow must have not known how badly treated obese women are. Those who have ever gone through terrible experience due to their appearances agree, however, on that the so-called lookism is much worse than sexual or racial discrimination.

▷We tend to think that the obese have few friends and are lazy and dull while the slim are sophisticated and smart. Socio-psychologist Karlic argued, “Physically attractive people are considered more successful in a society,” and Marian Lafrance, a psychology professor at Yale University also said “People think a woman with long beautiful blond hair intelligent, sexy, rich and competent.”

And a recent survey indicates that most women in our society believe that ‘looks will decide whether they will make or break it.” According to the Times, Korean women are so addicted to plastic surgeries that they even risk their lives. They do not mind taking unauthorized diet drugs, the weekly magazine reported.

▷We cannot disregard their idea of ‘good-looking is competitive edge’ as a mere vanity, however. In fact, good-looking helps women get good husbands and jobs. An economic statistics think tank at Oxford University recently said that obese women are paid less.

And there were high expectations about Botox in the U.S. earlier this year, a biomedical substance used to reduce face wrinkles, as the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the substance. Many argued that it would be another Viagra. And the craze tells it all - youth and beauty is a lifelong weapon to women, and they willing to pay a high price for the weapon.

▷ “Beauty is an eye of beholder” is just a thing of the past. You can have better looks as long as you want to and have a means to do. You’d better be careful, however, not to be swayed by worldly standards of beauty that change as the time goes by.

Don’t be a snow white who waits for a prince to kiss until the last minute. Being a witch might not be that bad. Maybe I am saying this because I don’t have to show you how I look, but it will be more fun to become a witch who shapes her own future, rather than a beauty who always worry about how she looks to others.