I'm going to be thinking about this quote all day: "It is idealizing the point in a woman's life when she is less experienced, less wise, less competent, less powerful."
P.S. Would anyone be interested in starting an Unpublishable book club in January? 👀
Shametenanace and make up. That’s a very interesting thing to ponder. How much of my make up is for me, fun, self expression vs shame and compliance? Bright unnatural red lips? Fun. Tinted moisturizer to cover discoloration? Def shame. Eye brow pencil. Shame. My lips but better lipsticks? Shame.
I love Clare Chambers book and would be interested in the book club idea. She is a brilliant thinker around this stuff (as are you, Jessica!). First time I heard body shame and self-hatred being called a public health problem. I love... "When everybody feels bad about their bodies, it's not the bodies that are the problem. It's something else.” BTW-- I'm in the older demographic (56) and would love more on anti-aging bullshit, if you choose to write on that sometimes, Jessica.
“We're talking about a set of commercial and social norms with entrenched power structures that have been socialized into us for generations.”
Yes! The generational component of this feels bone deep as I struggle with why I have participated in many of these body modifications. Thank you for such brilliant work Jessica, and for introducing us to new authors, books, concepts and ways of thinking. This is truly life-changing ❤️
We embark on skincare without ever analyzing WHY. When I really asked myself why I started a skincare regimen in my 30’s... I honestly had no compelling reasons that mattered to me. The fact that I just embraced a skincare routine as something I had to do, like drinking water or having 3 meals a day is some serious societal behavior mod.
"The fact that we want to have a body that is a certain way, and the fact that we associate a body that doesn't fit into that model as being something shameful, and the fact that there exists a procedure available to change the body — those are all socially created facts. They don't come from our own internal autonomy. ... This is to say, Why do they become procedures we want to choose? And none of that is down to individual autonomy." YES EXACTLY
I love everything about this article (as usual as I a love everything in Unpublishable). I am particularly intrigued by the idea of creating a consciousness raising groups. Any thoughts on how to start one of those?
That is amazing! If you don't mind sharing. How do you organize it? It is in person? Once a month? Is it organized like a bookclub. What a brilliant idea. You are so ahed of the game!
It's organized several different ways, but the main way is a monthly meeting where we meet and do our skin together on zoom, and I share beauty frequencies and teach on subjects of self-image, energy and skin physiology/psychology. I agree that I have been ahead of the game as I started developing a relationship to beauty consciousness when I was 12 ( 1987) In the meantime, I became an award-winning Esthetician ( best in usa 2016) and fell asleep for a good part of my forties...even partaking of body modifications like Botox, until I finally remembered who I was and what I was here to do, about 7 years ago. I see the world of beauty changing though and Jessica is doing immense work in shedding the light on the toxic, distorted ways we are sold the notion that something is wrong with us.
Great article and much to ponder. However, I did and still do see some relief from the pressure to look out together as an outgrowth of the pandemic. I see more people--including women--out and about in comfortable clothes and far less fussy hairdos than, say, 5 years ago.
My teenage daughters both routinely go to school this way. They don’t spend half the time or money on hair or makeup that I did in the 80s (a way high maintenance decade).
Many caveats here about my/their privilege, which surely plays a huge role.
And I’m not denying that colonial capitalist beauty ideals remain a powerful force. But it’s been nice to see and experience an easing, however slight.
Surely some people have experienced image-related relief since the start of the pandemic, but the data actually tells a much different story! Makeup sales are way up, skincare sales are WAY way up, surgeries and injectable procedures are booming at record numbers. The standard of beauty is becoming both more unattainable *and* more expected for the average person. There is also a huge difference in what kinds of products and procedures are considered "normal" and "baseline grooming" from the 1980s to today — even in the types of skincare products that are available, and that one is expected to use in a "basic" routine. Things like comfortable clothes and less-fussy hairdos have been beauty culture psyops for decades — they outwardly indicate that standards have relaxed, when the standards have actually become more demanding, albeit "under-the-radar" (i.e., women aren't expected to wear corsets anymore but are still socially, economically, and politically punished if they don't adhere to cultural beauty/body ideals). I wrote more about the modern shift to "sub rosa aesthetic labor" and how it tricks us into believing standards are relaxed/things are getting better here: https://jessicadefino.substack.com/p/five-minute-face-aesthetic-labor
Also, beauty culture doesn't only pertain to physical behaviors! So while teens may not be participating in all of these beauty behaviors themselves, the all-encompassing nature of beauty standards — and the fact that they've drifted so far from reality — is affecting them mentally/emotionally more than ever. Rates of anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, facial dysmorphia, etc are all on the rise and are related to being inundated with more images of an unattainable beauty ideal than ever before in history. So lack of participation does not necessarily mean things are getting better! Many are actually faring worse when it comes to coping with beauty culture on the inside.
Beauty culture and the beauty industry are very deceiving, and a surface-level analysis doesn't paint an accurate picture of how standards are evolving and how they're affecting us. This is what makes the subject SO hard to cover with accuracy and integrity, and why most of the beauty media gets it completely fucking wrong lol.
hi jessica! you’re the first substack i’ve paid to subscribe to and I wanted to ask--is it okay to share a screenshot of a quote from one of your pieces that’s for subscribers only? I totally understand if not, just wanted to check. :)
You're gonna love it! There are some parts that I don't 100% agree with (for instance, in the section on "natural" beauty, she defines "nature" as being separate from humans which feels colonial and inaccurate to me personally, so a lot of the conclusions drawn in that section don't really align with my own research & believes) but overall, her philosophy is SO necessary
I'm going to be thinking about this quote all day: "It is idealizing the point in a woman's life when she is less experienced, less wise, less competent, less powerful."
P.S. Would anyone be interested in starting an Unpublishable book club in January? 👀
Oooh this is definitely something I've thought about starting up before! I wonder how many readers would be interested...
Interested!
Yes yes yes- as a 45 year old woman I feel this so deeply.
Me!
🙋🏻♀️
Hell yes!
I am very interested!
I'm interested as well!
I am also interested
Definitely interested!
Very interested!
Yes please!
I’m interested!
"The value that we place on people according to their bodies is reflecting and reinforcing standards of inequality and discrimination." 👏👏
Yesss one of my favorite quotes from the interview!
Shametenanace and make up. That’s a very interesting thing to ponder. How much of my make up is for me, fun, self expression vs shame and compliance? Bright unnatural red lips? Fun. Tinted moisturizer to cover discoloration? Def shame. Eye brow pencil. Shame. My lips but better lipsticks? Shame.
Such a good exercise to go through w/ your entire beauty routine!
Yes, so much is shame and compliance for me too. And the “my lips but better” marketing especially bugs me. My lips are fine without a tint!
I love Clare Chambers book and would be interested in the book club idea. She is a brilliant thinker around this stuff (as are you, Jessica!). First time I heard body shame and self-hatred being called a public health problem. I love... "When everybody feels bad about their bodies, it's not the bodies that are the problem. It's something else.” BTW-- I'm in the older demographic (56) and would love more on anti-aging bullshit, if you choose to write on that sometimes, Jessica.
Thank you! Anti-aging is always a favorite topic, there will definitely be more to come!
“We're talking about a set of commercial and social norms with entrenched power structures that have been socialized into us for generations.”
Yes! The generational component of this feels bone deep as I struggle with why I have participated in many of these body modifications. Thank you for such brilliant work Jessica, and for introducing us to new authors, books, concepts and ways of thinking. This is truly life-changing ❤️
I'm so so glad Chambers' work resonated with you! It's life-changing for sure.
We embark on skincare without ever analyzing WHY. When I really asked myself why I started a skincare regimen in my 30’s... I honestly had no compelling reasons that mattered to me. The fact that I just embraced a skincare routine as something I had to do, like drinking water or having 3 meals a day is some serious societal behavior mod.
Yesss 100%
"The fact that we want to have a body that is a certain way, and the fact that we associate a body that doesn't fit into that model as being something shameful, and the fact that there exists a procedure available to change the body — those are all socially created facts. They don't come from our own internal autonomy. ... This is to say, Why do they become procedures we want to choose? And none of that is down to individual autonomy." YES EXACTLY
I knowwww hearing this quote from her felt so so validating
A beautiful read. Body modification is not beauty.
Thank you! Agreed.
I love everything about this article (as usual as I a love everything in Unpublishable). I am particularly intrigued by the idea of creating a consciousness raising groups. Any thoughts on how to start one of those?
I've been nurturing a beauty consciousness raising group for years! We're out there! ✨
That is amazing! If you don't mind sharing. How do you organize it? It is in person? Once a month? Is it organized like a bookclub. What a brilliant idea. You are so ahed of the game!
It's organized several different ways, but the main way is a monthly meeting where we meet and do our skin together on zoom, and I share beauty frequencies and teach on subjects of self-image, energy and skin physiology/psychology. I agree that I have been ahead of the game as I started developing a relationship to beauty consciousness when I was 12 ( 1987) In the meantime, I became an award-winning Esthetician ( best in usa 2016) and fell asleep for a good part of my forties...even partaking of body modifications like Botox, until I finally remembered who I was and what I was here to do, about 7 years ago. I see the world of beauty changing though and Jessica is doing immense work in shedding the light on the toxic, distorted ways we are sold the notion that something is wrong with us.
Yes to the book club!
Great article and much to ponder. However, I did and still do see some relief from the pressure to look out together as an outgrowth of the pandemic. I see more people--including women--out and about in comfortable clothes and far less fussy hairdos than, say, 5 years ago.
My teenage daughters both routinely go to school this way. They don’t spend half the time or money on hair or makeup that I did in the 80s (a way high maintenance decade).
Many caveats here about my/their privilege, which surely plays a huge role.
And I’m not denying that colonial capitalist beauty ideals remain a powerful force. But it’s been nice to see and experience an easing, however slight.
Surely some people have experienced image-related relief since the start of the pandemic, but the data actually tells a much different story! Makeup sales are way up, skincare sales are WAY way up, surgeries and injectable procedures are booming at record numbers. The standard of beauty is becoming both more unattainable *and* more expected for the average person. There is also a huge difference in what kinds of products and procedures are considered "normal" and "baseline grooming" from the 1980s to today — even in the types of skincare products that are available, and that one is expected to use in a "basic" routine. Things like comfortable clothes and less-fussy hairdos have been beauty culture psyops for decades — they outwardly indicate that standards have relaxed, when the standards have actually become more demanding, albeit "under-the-radar" (i.e., women aren't expected to wear corsets anymore but are still socially, economically, and politically punished if they don't adhere to cultural beauty/body ideals). I wrote more about the modern shift to "sub rosa aesthetic labor" and how it tricks us into believing standards are relaxed/things are getting better here: https://jessicadefino.substack.com/p/five-minute-face-aesthetic-labor
Also, beauty culture doesn't only pertain to physical behaviors! So while teens may not be participating in all of these beauty behaviors themselves, the all-encompassing nature of beauty standards — and the fact that they've drifted so far from reality — is affecting them mentally/emotionally more than ever. Rates of anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, facial dysmorphia, etc are all on the rise and are related to being inundated with more images of an unattainable beauty ideal than ever before in history. So lack of participation does not necessarily mean things are getting better! Many are actually faring worse when it comes to coping with beauty culture on the inside.
Beauty culture and the beauty industry are very deceiving, and a surface-level analysis doesn't paint an accurate picture of how standards are evolving and how they're affecting us. This is what makes the subject SO hard to cover with accuracy and integrity, and why most of the beauty media gets it completely fucking wrong lol.
hi jessica! you’re the first substack i’ve paid to subscribe to and I wanted to ask--is it okay to share a screenshot of a quote from one of your pieces that’s for subscribers only? I totally understand if not, just wanted to check. :)
Yes, totally fine! Thank you for asking ❤️ and subscribing!! That means so much to me :)
This is such an exciting article, I ordered the book immediately!
You're gonna love it! There are some parts that I don't 100% agree with (for instance, in the section on "natural" beauty, she defines "nature" as being separate from humans which feels colonial and inaccurate to me personally, so a lot of the conclusions drawn in that section don't really align with my own research & believes) but overall, her philosophy is SO necessary
https://youtu.be/F9K5IS-inHs
have you heard this Jax song Victoria Secret. It reminds me of this group.
Yes. Let's do it a book club!
Cant wait to read this!