A while ago Gabe asked, "So, good guys always have good hair?" It wasn't really a question. He wanted me to confirm what he had observed on the television. I found it very funny -- partly because he put into words what popular culture so badly wants us to believe, but is taboo to say out loud. And partly because of Gabe's innocence. I found it a little scary that he picked that up so easily (I don't let
him watch much outside of PBS).We assign so much of a person's personality to their looks. Give them good hair, a straight, mid-size nose, angular cheek bones, and a fit body, and they are a good guy. Give them a receding hair line, a large nose, eyebrows that meet in the middle, an asymmetrical face, a scar, extra body fat, and they are a bad guy. Have you ever looked in the mirror to see if you are a good guy or a bad guy?
I like to see atypical faces and bodies in the media. It is nice to remember what real people look like. It is nice to remember that good guys can be real looking. We are so saturated by media, it is easy to be hard on ourselves and others based on looks. And this isn't particular to women.
I have three boys, so I thought that I wouldn't have to deal with the scary world of body perception, but I guess I will. I wonder how you teach boys to have a healthy image of themselves and their bodies. And their hair ...
6 comments:
I liked this talk from general conference a while back from sister TAnner. She said: I remember well the insecurities I felt as a teenager with a bad case of acne............. It was difficult for me at that time to fully appreciate this body which was giving me so much grief. But my good mother taught me a higher law. Over and over she said to me, “You must do everything you can to make your appearance pleasing, but the minute you walk out the door, forget yourself and start concentrating on others.”
That was Bryn not Isaac
Does not the shrek guy turn out to be a bad guy? Whoops
Jeff
Yes, but the joke of the movie is that nobody suspects him because he has such good hair.
Love you sweetie!3
Gabe always has thoughtful questions. I liked your post, ya know I worry about having a girl because of all of the stuff girls have to deal with (probably mostly due to the fact that I work at an eating disorder center), but boys do have some body image stuff too! My brother in law who is a teenager spends a great deal of time getting his hair to just the right amount of separation with his gel and fingers. It is quite amazing. He had the nickname "the claw" for a while.
Oh by the way I am not really sure what a "gillie" suit is, Matt just told me that is what they are called. I am assuming hunting or army, I don't know. They resemble what I would imaging big foot to look like.
Astute obversation on Gabe's part! And i've been meaning to ask you: how is kindergarten going?
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