Kendra Cobb
English 101
Summary/Response Essay
October 18, 2016
English 101
Summary/Response Essay
October 18, 2016
It’s What’s On the Inside That Counts
Many women often ask, “Does this make me look fat?” and many men don’t know how to answer this question without offending them. If a man says that she looks great, she will think he is lying and not believe him. If a man says that the clothing does make her look fat, which he should never do, the woman will be offended. The article “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” written by Dave Barry explains how men and women view their appearance differently. The article is correct about women thinking that they aren't beautiful enough, but the article blames men for making women feel like they have to look a certain way and that men are satisfied with being average.
Women are often too focused on meeting social standards while men do not care how they appear to others. Most men think their appearance is around average. Normally, they don't care about how they look to others or what others think about them. On the other hand, no matter what they are told by family and friends, women tend to think of themselves as ugly. They have low self-esteem due to media standards and grow up believing they have to look like a Barbie, society’s twisted version of perfection. Barry commented, “Girls grow up playing with a doll proportioned such that, if it were human, it would be seven feet tall and weigh 81 pounds...of which 53 would be bosoms” (Barry par. 5). This is a social standard that women feel they need to meet. In contrast, men would never compare themselves to others; they would never change their appearance to please the public. Men don't seem to care what the social standards have to say, they are comfortable with the way they look. There are obvious differences in how men and women look at themselves and women are more uncomfortable with what they see.
While some men are satisfied with being average, women, on the other hand, are not. Barry states, “If I had to express, in three words, what I believe most women think about their appearance, these words would be: ‘not good enough’” (Barry par. 4). A woman can try as hard as she wants to look stunning, and she will still say that she isn't pretty enough. There are women who feel the need to get plastic surgery to make themselves look more attractive. Women put makeup on and spend hundreds of dollars on all of these products to cover up their imperfections. Models go on diets so they can be skinny enough to be in an ad. Women often think they do not look good enough for society.
There are always women going around saying that they need to look a certain way so guys will find them attractive; what they don't know is that men don’t pay attention to the makeup. Barry comments, “Of course many women will argue that the reason they become obsessed with trying to look like Cindy Crawford is that men, being as shallow as a drop of spit, WANT women to look that way” (Barry par. 8). Women think that men expect them to put on layers of makeup in order to be attractive. Barry says that men don't pay attention to the makeup and the effort women put into look the way they do. Men are not the reason women feel the need to look a certain way; the reason is because of the standard that our society has set. Girls want to look like the girls on the posters that men think are beautiful, and that is not the fault of men.
Although men tend to not care what people think about their appearance, there are men who care just as much as women do. Barry says, “Being average does not bother them; average is fine, for men” (Barry par. 3). Most men try and act like they aren't bothered by they way they look because it could make them seem less masculine. If a male was asked to shave his full head of hair off, he would become self-conscious about what he looks like the people around him. Men would worry about the shape of their head or if they have any unusual birthmarks. If a male was told to wear a certain type of clothing that he isn't used to or doesn't like, then he would be uncomfortable and be worried about what they look like to society just like women.
There is no right or wrong answer to give a woman when she questions a man whether an article of clothing makes her look fat; the only thing you can do is be honest with her. In “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” by Dave Barry, the article shows how men and women look at themselves differently. This article is clear about how women think they aren’t beautiful to the society Barry also accuses men of being the reason women feel like they have to be perfect, and that men are content with looking ordinary, but many men care just like women.
Women are often too focused on meeting social standards while men do not care how they appear to others. Most men think their appearance is around average. Normally, they don't care about how they look to others or what others think about them. On the other hand, no matter what they are told by family and friends, women tend to think of themselves as ugly. They have low self-esteem due to media standards and grow up believing they have to look like a Barbie, society’s twisted version of perfection. Barry commented, “Girls grow up playing with a doll proportioned such that, if it were human, it would be seven feet tall and weigh 81 pounds...of which 53 would be bosoms” (Barry par. 5). This is a social standard that women feel they need to meet. In contrast, men would never compare themselves to others; they would never change their appearance to please the public. Men don't seem to care what the social standards have to say, they are comfortable with the way they look. There are obvious differences in how men and women look at themselves and women are more uncomfortable with what they see.
While some men are satisfied with being average, women, on the other hand, are not. Barry states, “If I had to express, in three words, what I believe most women think about their appearance, these words would be: ‘not good enough’” (Barry par. 4). A woman can try as hard as she wants to look stunning, and she will still say that she isn't pretty enough. There are women who feel the need to get plastic surgery to make themselves look more attractive. Women put makeup on and spend hundreds of dollars on all of these products to cover up their imperfections. Models go on diets so they can be skinny enough to be in an ad. Women often think they do not look good enough for society.
There are always women going around saying that they need to look a certain way so guys will find them attractive; what they don't know is that men don’t pay attention to the makeup. Barry comments, “Of course many women will argue that the reason they become obsessed with trying to look like Cindy Crawford is that men, being as shallow as a drop of spit, WANT women to look that way” (Barry par. 8). Women think that men expect them to put on layers of makeup in order to be attractive. Barry says that men don't pay attention to the makeup and the effort women put into look the way they do. Men are not the reason women feel the need to look a certain way; the reason is because of the standard that our society has set. Girls want to look like the girls on the posters that men think are beautiful, and that is not the fault of men.
Although men tend to not care what people think about their appearance, there are men who care just as much as women do. Barry says, “Being average does not bother them; average is fine, for men” (Barry par. 3). Most men try and act like they aren't bothered by they way they look because it could make them seem less masculine. If a male was asked to shave his full head of hair off, he would become self-conscious about what he looks like the people around him. Men would worry about the shape of their head or if they have any unusual birthmarks. If a male was told to wear a certain type of clothing that he isn't used to or doesn't like, then he would be uncomfortable and be worried about what they look like to society just like women.
There is no right or wrong answer to give a woman when she questions a man whether an article of clothing makes her look fat; the only thing you can do is be honest with her. In “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” by Dave Barry, the article shows how men and women look at themselves differently. This article is clear about how women think they aren’t beautiful to the society Barry also accuses men of being the reason women feel like they have to be perfect, and that men are content with looking ordinary, but many men care just like women.
Work Cited
Barry, Dave. “The Ugly Truth About Beauty.” Delta College, Delta
https://www.deltacollege.edu/emp/pwall/documents/theuglytruthaboutbeauty.pdf.
https://www.deltacollege.edu/emp/pwall/documents/theuglytruthaboutbeauty.pdf.