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Rant & Rave
Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey -- just the mere mention of these stars' names cause teen-age boys to get "that look." Boys’ desire for
perfect beauty hurtsGirls, you know the look. It's the awestruck one that causes us to roll our eyes in irritation, in plain jealousy (although we're convinced that such sentiment is surely hidden), and to retort, "She's not even that great. And she's so obviously airbrushed."
This is a piece of information I admit to have imparted to one guy I caught studying the cover of Mariah Carey's latest album, "Rainbow." In the picture, Carey is sporting a rainbow top so skin tight, the rainbow is stretched; and underwear so revealing, the back photo of her (turn the CD over) nearly cries for censorship.
The comment I made, however, didn't seem to faze her fan. Did this gawker defend his beloved? Turning to me with a sheepish grin, he said he would buy the "Rainbow CD," for the music, of course.
Beyond photographs, music videos often depict these stars in the most suggestive poses, giving teen-age boys a certain degree of heart palpitations. MTV's most successful videos feature women in skimpy and barely-there clothing, seducing male viewers not only with their voices, but with their Barbie-doll like bodies.
And now, with "Baywatch" broadcasting from Hawaii and showcasing local beauties for the whole world to gawk at, the intense pressure on young Hawaii women to look good increases.
I know of one 17-year-old boy who slid a candid photo of his girlfriend into the cover of his clear "show off" binder, covering her body with Jennifer Lopez's. He had effectively produced his "perfect" girlfriend, with the face of someone we knew manipulated and attached to a to-die-for body.
Such a small action seems innocent enough, but is often the root of emotional pain and confusion for young women today.
As female stars flaunt their bodies on television, it's implied that normal, healthy teen-age bodies are "not good enough" for boys driven wild by their hormones.
Without the characteristics those women possess, high school girls are eyed with disdain, and are often left feeling helpless, unwanted and unloved.
Last year, one of R&B's hottest groups, TLC, released its "Fanmail" album, featuring the song "Unpretty." It's a song many teen-age girls can and do relate to. The song reveals the eating disorders, desire for plastic surgery and low self-esteem caused by the pressure to change.
It is one thing for the media to send the message that their bodies are not good enough. It's another when the same kind of message comes from the boyfriends who are supposed to love them the most.
Yes, we know you're boys, and we know what's always on your minds, but what you need to know and understand is what you say, what you think and what you do, can and does often hurt our self-esteem and self-image.
Your obsessions with these airbrushed women -- who likely spent four hours being primped, dressed and coiffed -- belittles and offends the rest of us who make do in real time. If you'd just realize your thoughtlessness, maybe you'd find the old adage is true: "beauty is more than skin deep."
Shayna Lum is a senior at Mid-Pacific Institute. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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