It is a well known fact in our culture that appearances hold a lot of weight (no pun intended, of course) on impressions of each other, and ourselves. Almost by second nature, it is not uncommon to immediately and internally judge someone on how they look - whether it be intentional or otherwise. This cannot be denied: if a person meets another for the first time, it is only natural that one may look for physical abnormalities first. Common perceptions may be “too fat,” “to skinny,” “a weird scar,” or perhaps just “a god-awful dye job.” As a society, it is what we look for and internalize first, no exceptions. That being said, it is also common, as of recent years, to look upon ourselves and be aware of the judgmental tendencies we have. Odd how our culture can be so aware of this fault, and be so quick to be disgusted by it; yet the truth is still there to haunt us. We all judge and are judged by our peers on a daily basis, almost without thinking about it. But the real questions to ask ourselves are: why we are inclined to do so? And in admitting that we are a judgmental people, how do we stop this trend from affecting future generations?

One might blame celebrities for this trend of being so harsh on outward appearances. It would make sense, after all. We as a society look to the beautifully polished faces in movies and magazines to define what beauty looks like. They all look so perfect in their designer dresses and tuxes on Oscar night, or completely blemish and bump free on movie and television screens. And while we admire their perfection, we know deep down that it is impossible for anyone to look that flawless in real life. We know that celebrities are held to a ridiculously high beauty standard, causing them to have equally as ridiculous ways of trying to stay looking “perfect.” This is where the horrors of plastic surgery, eating disorders and drug abuse stem from. We know all this, and yet continue to hold the rest of our society to those same ridiculous standards. We are simultaneously disgusted by and admiring of celebrities; by hating and loving them, we certainly give their influence a lot of power over our lives. But the trend of high and narrow beauty standards started way before an interest in the media began.

The true nature of judgement begins when one is a child. Like all other influences in our lives, the mindset that beauty is an improbable and unlikely achievement begins when we are young and impressionable. It starts with toys - after all, no one has ever seen an overweight Barbie doll, or a GI Joe action figure with the body of a place kicker. It is uncommon to see a Latino, black, or Asian figurine: and even with dolls like Bratz, made by a company which pride itself on having different skin and hair types, all basically have the same doll body, just with a different dye job. After becoming so accustomed to this perfect body type - tall, big breasted and slender for girls, tall, muscular and tan for guys, and most commonly CAUCASIAN for both - this idea of beauty is only reinforced in the movies and television shows that children watch. This is most apparent in Disney movies: up until the past fifteen years or so, Disney girl protagonists were tall, slender, and white: just with different hair colors to switch it up. In 1998, the first non-Caucasian female hero was Mulan, an Asian noblewoman with a deep desire to fight in war alongside her fellow men. A remake of The Princess and The Frog in 2009 featured Tiana, the first African-American princess Disney has ever had. Still, two minorities against a sea of white princesses are still not good odds. Even in this year’s Frozen - a movie that is supposedly the most progressive Disney movie to date - all of the main characters are noticeably blemish free, perfectly thin and beautiful, and most obviously white. If this is the kind of exposure our children get to what beauty is, it is no wonder why they grow up to be so judgmental of others’ looks as well as their own.

So, how does one stop this vicious cycle? Like the cause itself, we must look to the next generation of children if there is any hope to stop this devastatingly narrow opinion of what beauty looks like. We must teach them that there is more to appearances than just a skinny body and a pretty face. Some companies and corporations have begun doing just that. Lammily, a Barbie-type doll, has just recently hit the market. The main difference between her and other dolls already being sold? This doll has the proportions of the average nineteen-year-old girl, rather than a girl who starves herself and cannot stand on her own. This is a good start: next, we need figures with more color, as well as ones that do not all look like they have been made from the same mold. If all body types and skin colors are out there, it would be impossible to look at just one of them and say “Now that is beauty.”

It is impossible to deny that our culture is judgmental: we look harshly on abnormalities of any kind, whether we consciously do so or not. Why is this? It is because it what we were taught as children. This skewed idea of beauty - tall, thin, and white - is known to be impossible for anyone to completely measure up; though that does not deter us from trying. Celebrities certainly do not help: while we are disgusted by their means of achieving “beauty,” we simultaneously look to them for guidance in appearance. But where the real problem lies is in what our children are exposed to. Perhaps it is too late for past and present generations: maybe we are doomed to a life of harsh impressions of others and ourselves. However, if we can change what our children think of when they hear the the word “beauty,” then there may be hope or our culture after all.