According to Jean Anouilh, “Things are beautiful if you love them.” Love opens our eyes to beauty. In our culture, consumerism, materialism, and superficiality have created an epidemic of insecurity and distorted notions of beauty and attractiveness. And racism is intertwined with these lenses that warp the perceptions of many. I recently ran across a… Read More Love Opens Our Eyes to Beauty
I used to ask my students what they wanted to be when they grew up and why. The answers were often very revelatory, illuminating what motivated them, what inspired their hopes, and not just what they wanted to be, but who they wanted to be. It often reflected their values or insecurities, sometimes both. If… Read More Countering the Toxicity of Princess Culture
This Mother’s Day, Americans will spend an estimated $21 billion to show their appreciation and love to the women who gave us the gift of life. That breaks down to almost $170 for each consumer to say “Thank You!” in cards, flowers, brunch, and other gifts. Moms certainly deserve the recognition, thanks, and praise. But… Read More More than a Day
In the past, Abercrombie and Fitch has come under fire for profiting off of the sexualization of youth. And on the issue of race, Abercrombie’s past is extraordinarily ugly. Not only does it promote Aryan standards of beauty to sell its products, prior to facing a lawsuit, its hiring practices blatantly reflected racism as well. … Read More Abercrombie’s America: White, Thin, and Wearing Overpriced Clothes
Dove’s recent “Real Beauty Sketches” ad campaign has sparked strong praise from those who think it opens the eyes of women to the way their self-image regarding their physical appearance can become twisted and distorted (for a whole number of reasons). Critics argue that the takeaway is that the women featured in the commercials really… Read More Why Notions of Attractiveness Poison Our Society
There is an insecurity epidemic that is raging among teenage and preteen girls in our society. Last year we saw it most vividly in the spread of “Am I hot or not?” and “Am I ugly?” videos on YouTube, which not surprisingly led to vicious, hateful comments by anonymous commenters. This year, there will inevitably… Read More Keep It Real Revolution: Catholic Schools and Authentic, Secure Girls
One of the things I like least about the beginning of the volleyball season, which coincides with the beginning of the school year, is seeing fresh-faced 7th grade girls come back to school as 8th graders caked in garish makeup. What is disheartening is not the makeup per se, as much as I dislike it… Read More The Keep it Real Revolution: No Makeup
Millennial 