The concept of beauty might appear to be simple, yet it contains hidden layers of complexity. Peeling these layers down, one will find underlying stereotypes concerning social roles traditionally associated with either men or women, as well as deep-seated prejudices against each. Although the traditional narrative, where roles are rigid and appearance standards are set, persists in modern society, trends toward challenging stereotypical ideas of beauty have surfaced. Alongside the specified issue, quite successful attempts at deconstructing the standards of beauty rooted in colonialist attitudes and, instead, introducing equality and equity, have been made. Despite seemingly different themes, the article by Bean (2017) shares the idea of subverting gender roles and beauty standards to promote the attitudes encouraging diversity and subversion of stereotypes with that one by Turner (2017).
Featuring the perspectives of nonbinary men and transgender women regarding appearance and the use of augmentations for shaping it, such as applying cosmetics and using clothes associated with a specific gender, the article by Bean (2017) deconstructs the notion of stereotypical femininity. By showing that the concept of performative femininity does not necessarily have to be applied to women and that nonbinary men and transgender women can also use it to express themselves artistically and emotionally, Bean (2017) shows the changing perception of beauty. As a result, the stereotypical, sexualized image of a woman is gradually erased as the traditional attributes of femininity are used by a different demographic.
Relating to the same issue of perceptions of femininity, the article by Turner addresses similar issues, yet raises an entirely different concern. Pointing to the existence of rigid beauty stereotypes, the article points to the colonialist nature of most ideas of beauty existing in popular culture. As Turner (2017) explains, “Europeans defined Africans and their descendants as grotesque, inferior, and naturally suited for slavery.” As a result, there is an unfortunate and racist yet very common trend to see African American women as unfeminine and incompatible with the existing beauty standards. The necessity to subvert this stereotype and recognize the beauty of African American women is critical in promoting equality.
However, what makes Turner’s viewpoint slightly questionable is that while it subverts the traditional image of “Whiteness” as the standard for beauty, it does not seem to transgress the stereotypes of femininity to which it introduces African American women. On the one hand, Turner’s (2017) main argument, which concerns the importance of acknowledging the beauty of African American women as equal to that one of White women, is valid and legitimate. On the other hand, the implication of Black women being introduced to the clichéd idea of women being valued based on their looks and femininity being defined by superficial qualities and staples is a rather questionable idea.
Nonetheless, Turner’s appeal to see African American women as equal to White women and African American culture as equally valuable to the White one is evident and vital. Her plight for equality and the necessity to accept the humanity of other cultures is an important step in addressing the presence of racism and sexism in the modern American community. In turn, recognizing the specified issues is bound to become the first step toward healing.
Despite tackling different topics, the articles by Bean (2017) and Turner (2017) share the common idea of stereotyping as a rudimentary phenomenon that must be removed from how modern society views women and femininity. Specifically, the perception of women should not be bound by the type of clothes that they wear, and whether they use makeup. The very notion of gender nonconformity could indicate that makeup could be the rudiment that should not be associated with being female. Whereas the paper by Turner tackles a combined issue of gender and race stereotypes,
References
Turner, S. (2017). Dismantling whiteness as the beauty standard. Black Perspectives. Web.
Bean, L. (2017). What beauty standards and identity mean to these trans and non-binary creatives. Teen Vogue. Web.