Beauty sick: Book review

 

           

Name: Beauty sick; How cultural obsession with appearance hurts women and girls.

Author: Renee Englen, Award-winning professor of psychology at Northwestern university, PhD.
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 281

The book is divided into 5 sections, each of which contains more sub-sections.

Women around the world confront unattainable and ludicrous beauty standards, determined by cultural norms and preferences, every day. The criteria to be met is unreachable. Because we cannot modify every single body part of ours to look like that model whose picture is photoshopped and air-brushed to finally fulfill the criteria of the vogue cover page. Irrelevant of this, if we strive, we are most likely to contract the most perilous of diseases: Beauty sickness. In the words of Renee, beauty sickness is what happens when women’s emotional energy gets so bound up with what they see in the mirror that it becomes harder for them to see other aspects of their lives.

This book became particularly amusing because, from my student life, I can easily recall a bunch of juniors frequently heading to the bathroom for touchups. The amount of time they spent in front of the mirror had outdone that which was spent in the classroom. But why? I have constantly inquired myself about how a pimple on any girl’s face dissuade her from attending an important meetup and why educated and leading women around me are fearful of stepping out without wearing, at least, some foundation or a lipstick. Does a soap-washed face not suffice? After all, what makes eating painful and surgeries pleasant?

Without overstating, Englen got some wholesome points to have raised.

Initially, the award-winning professor, highlighted crucial points on the ramifications of beauty sickness; chronic body monitoring, focusing over the wrong things, self-objectification, being worn out by what is worn etc. Few of which are touched briefly below:

Chronic body monitoring/ Losing focus: Renee argues that the whole idea of looking in a certain way causes women to constantly retain themselves into surveillance. Beauty sickness restricts you from being satisfied of your body ever. Chronic body monitoring is a ridiculous price to pay for fashion, the author adds. And along this are invited a bunch of other problems such as losing focus. When Women waste all their energies on their appearance, it is barely conceivable to concentrate on worthwhile matters. The author humorously sums this up as: A beauty sick culture cares more about an actress’s selfie than important world events.

Self-objectification: When women are valued due to their appearance, it can cause them to be easily affected by other people’s judgements. Similarly, the margin to comment increases since appearance is the first thing people see when they meet you. Also, you have better chances of receiving harsh words if people are aware that is how you can be inflicted with psychological damage. Women are reduced to objects, implying a reductionist approach. This, in turn, brings cat-calling and street harassment.

Clothing that wears you out: I will name this paragraph just like Renee does, since it says it all. If you are beauty sick, you are more likely to spend on clothing and accessories that are not meant for any normal human being. Precisely, beauty sickness makes you choose unhealthy. For example, a woman who thinks she feels better in heels, should rethink, because her twisted feet and aching back would definitely testify against her.

As the writer is a psychology professor, she has conducted exemplary cases studies personally. From Leigh’s story, all the way, to Colleen, we can all spot our twin somewhere. She cites a lot of them to back up her points as well, establishing a robust argument almost everywhere. Apart from case studies, there are also references of researches carried out by well-reputed universities and researchers. I must say, you could feel a fine consistency throughout the book.

Normally, when I write book reviews, it is when something hits me enough that I cannot resist anymore. In Beauty sick, a mind-boggling identification hit the bulls-eye. Along with the harmful effects, Englen has managed to find some core reasons as to what beauty sickness emerges from and what fosters its continuation. Narratives, she claims, need reviewing. Most of us try to treat beauty sickness with compliments such as: ‘you are beautiful the way you are’ or ‘everyone has their own beauty’. These praises are not working anymore. In fact, they are only contributing for the worse. According to the author, Beauty is not even a topic to be commented on, regardless of the comment being negative or positive. She desires her readers to iron out this self-contradictory idea as she writes authoritatively: Those who shame women for their appearance feed beauty sickness. Those who praise girls only for how they look do the same. Praise and judgements both stem from the same narrative, commenting on how somebody looks is important, which is erroneous.

Know that the writer offers various other explanations such as media and ill-parenting, to address the problem too.

Now, there are a few places where I felt that Renee confesses her helplessness in blocking out of this sickness outright. She does share her ideas on solutions. However, she admits that we can only turn the volume down. And continues with a question ‘So how do we turn the beauty volume down.? And I believe this is where Islam comes to the rescue. How beneficial is the command of, the all-knowing and all wise, the Divine, obliging women to cover their selves!

I was thrilled that I had an answer already. So, Muslims could better say: we aren’t turning the volume down, we are turning it off.

To some readers, especially the ones who are habitual of fiction, the book might seem a bit repetitive. The author has redefined the sickness a multiple time. In my opinion, it was justified, given how affected we are from disease and how susceptible are the coming generations. So, if you plan on reading it, be prepared for a little exaggeration.

With all the features borne in mind, there is no question that Beauty sick is thought- provoking and fascinating- Book list (starred review). 

It raises questions, many of which, we never perceived the same way before.