Beauty? What on earth is that.....

Beauty as a product of Geography

It is fascinating being in different countries and cultures for many different reasons but one particular reason intrigues me and that is how beauty seems to be a product of geographical location. There is no doubt "beauty" is more of a philosophical question and it is certainly in the eye of the beholder but what becomes evident is the contribution culture plays in creating that aesthetic ideal.

I was prompted to write this post because I was asked by a Thai lady why foreigners like tanned skin. She really could't understand why pale skinned "farang" as we're called spend hours in the sun, because here in Thailand pale skin is revered. There is an abundance of skin whitening creams and procedures available, which by all accounts seem rather dangerous. These can include: mercury, hydroquinone, steroids (clobetasol), kojic and azeliac acid; none of which are particularly good for the skin long term.

The list of what constitutes beauty in different countries is endless. In Mauritania, amongst the white Moor Arab population, obesity is encouraged through the use of fat farms. This is considered a sign of beauty and wealth. A generation ago, a third of young girls and women would be force fed to gain unhealthy amounts of fat - they would then be deemed in an eligible state for marriage. Luckily, this trend is dying out.

We then have the famous Brazilian bottom, the abdominal scars of the Karo tribe in Ethiopia, stretched ear lobes of the Masai, rhinoplasty surgical bandages in Iran....all considered beautiful.

Abdominal scars of Karo tribe

Post surgical bandages of a nose job in Iran (considered a status symbol) 

There was an interesting project done by a journalist called Esther Honig, who asked graphic designers in 25 different countries to photoshop what they best thought represented the countries ideal. It's fascinating and these are just faces! not even bodies.  Below are a couple of examples and the link shows all 25 images.

http://www.demilked.com/global-women-beauty-standards-before-and-after-esther-honig/

Original

Argentina

Germany

It just goes to show, beauty is such a complex issue; a combination of culture, geography, wealth, timing, personal choice, unconscious thought....the list goes on. What would our beliefs about beauty be without cultural conditioning I wonder?

The subjective nature of Bodybuilding across the Globe

This question of beauty interested me because of competing in an aesthetic sport, which depending on the category will certainly involve an element of "beauty pageant" and this subjective nature of judging may also be different in different countries. In addition, what is considered attractive changes with time, like fashion.  Lets take the male "bodybuilding" category as an example; the 212 category at Mr. Olympia (the biggest/ leanest category). The male bodybuilder from the 1970's was a very different breed from that today. Access to better training methods, knowledge and steroids means what is possible today is different from 40 years ago and there is an element of entertainment now involved in the sport, where it almost transitions into a freak show. The 212 bodybuilding physique is about pushing the limits of muscular growth and finding out what that limit is....which goes beyond aesthetics.

A personal perspective

I'm pretty simple when it comes to my concept of beauty. I don't have a physical check list - it is something ethereal which is so much more than the sum of the parts. I find people that are natural, comfortable in their own skin, and authentic very beautiful - a face does't need to be symmetrical or a 6-pack doesn't have to be present. In fact...the below picture is my idea of beauty! A very rough skinned baby elephant called Ida, with cuts and warts. She has the most bizarre "voice" I have ever heard - which sounds like a cat being strangled, but she kisses (suckers) my sweaty face every day after a run and that to me is true beauty because I'm not sure anyone else would do it!

Does this seem contradictory to the sport I compete in? Not really....when I have to go on stage, you play the game, act - this is a part of sport. The same is true for martial artists. Do athletes competing in boxing and other combat sports mean a person is of a violent temperament? Perhaps..but in many cases I have  found the opposite to be true. Outside of a competitive environment, it couldn't be further from the truth. Humans are many things at many times and this complexity and contradiction is part of human nature.

Not a fan of the foot chains...but my idea of beauty...warts and all!