Superficiality in America

Superficiality in America

In early American and European lands, lets say the 1600's through 1800's, life was very much different. Men were born to be strong, and reliable, in order to help the work force. Women were born to maintain the house and please the men of the house, whether they are fathers or husbands. The courting of these times was very simple, it was to better the living conditions of the families involved. A man would marry a woman to acquire a wife and land, or other forms of property. In romantic stories, there was love that drew people together, but in actuality in these situations, love was either found after the marriage, or not found at all. The world has changed drastically since this time. There are so many factors to relationships now, since our means of living is different. People meet at clubs, date for a couple of weeks to try out their prospective mate, and either continue into having a relationship or reject the prospect because of their failures to please. Marriage is still somewhat over property gain, and it has lost some of its sacredness. People have become shallower and the inner capabilities of others means much less than it used to and should. We could care less about a person's attitudes, the world has become consumed with sex and what is attractive and who is attractive, and this plague is very predominant in the United States of America. Also, the world has become obsessed with showing off its wealth in a flashy and unnecessary way. Celebrities spend hundreds of thousands on jewelry and spend more money on the rims

of their expensive cars than the cars themselves. America is so influenced by the media, that middle-class people spend the limited money they have on these ostentatious merchandises. Everything is about self-image and reaching what is depicted as "beautiful". We sit back and talk about how "hot" Brazilian natives are, but we choose not to take into account that besides its tourism, Brazil is a poor country that is high in crime and needs help. And we glorify this. We have about 100 shows that are all about models, choose who you want to marry, a bunch of "beautiful" people together in a great apartment and watch the turmoil. The fabrics of our social life are reflections of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, and this isn't saying much. Boys used to idolize Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, nowadays the general idols are Colin Farrell and Brad Pitt. As if, to make things worse, there are TV shows that illustrate people trying to LOOK like Brad Pitt or Britney Spears. The United States of America has become more and more shallow and superficial. And it is not ceasing now, it will only continue.

Superficiality

The definition of superficiality is of, affecting, or having to do with the surface, shallow; actual rather than substantial; trivial and insignificant. Here is another definition of superficiality, America. The country and the people in it have taken a turn for the worst. The inner thoughts and ideas of people are fleeting, and soon a person will not be judged by the content of his/her heart, or the inner mechanisms of his/her mind, but by

his biceps or her bust size and the color of their hair. The world is so commercial now, everything is up for sale. They used the American flag to sell products after 9-11, and sex is used as the ultimate marketing tool.

"Think about the Abercrombie & Fitch models frolicking on the beach, the famous faces selling Revlon cosmetics, or the curvaceous Victoria's Secret lounging in their sexy lingerie. Think too of the movie stars, television actors, and sports stars you watch and have possibly come to idolize. Can you help wondering how much their good looks contribute to their success?"(Mims & Nollen 82)

The media and commercial corporations of America are truly the rulers of this country. Besides them holding most of the economy in the palm of their hands, they also have the means to manipulate everyone. They can chose what is fashionable, who and what is attractive, what we should strive to become. The new Barbie dolls are a great example of this. Barbie was at one point directed toward middle class girls and wore clothes that most people could afford. "No more. Now Barbie is into labels, and she's not shopping at outlet malls."(Borger 90) Women, especially young girls strive to look like Barbie and Britney. There are pressures that society has put on women, making it seem that the only way to be successful is to look like this, or at least that this would help you. "Searching for wifey(girlfriend) the looks are basically what catches my attention and the personality is what determines whether I pursue the relation or not... but on a teenage shallow hormone level it's ALL about looks."(Interview #1- Male) Women are often looked at as

objects in America, but its not just women. It is more occurring now that men are now being looked at as objects as well.

"...Men's Health, a magazine that in the last six years has built a circulation as big as Esquire's and GQ's put together, says the mass media 'in the last five to seven years has really changed the way it portrays men.' Whether you look at Calvin Klein's underwear ads or that Diet Coke commercial where the girls in the office ogle the shirtless construction hunk, 'men are more and more portrayed as sex objects... So they are feeling the way that women have for many, many years..."(McLaughlin 85)

The idea of beauty is now at a level too high to reach. And now, people's measures of reaching it are becoming more and more drastic.

The Measures People Will Take

The demands that American people feel about the way the look have pushed people to methods that are self-mutilating and dangerous psychologically and physically. Anorexia and bulimia are two eating disorders that have befallen many teenage girls, but it is rarely stated that as of recently, more boys than before have fallen victim to these disorders. Men, especially athletes, have also looked towards steroids to help create the body that they feel is optimum. The portrayal of characters like David Hasselhoff from

Baywatch, and basketball and football stars, has forced men and teenage guys into a state of low self-esteem where they feel puny and weak. The following is an excerpt