[HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: more...and more

[Barry Arrowsmith]

>
>
>  You have some good points, Ginger, but there's a difference between
>  looking good and looking trendy.  Legwarmers and exposed navels fall
>  into the latter category.  However, most aspects of beauty are not
>  arbitrary, society-induced characteristics.  They are instead
>  indicators of health and youthfulness, and favored among most animals
>  as indicators of reproductive ability.  I see nothing wrong with
>  trying to look one's best; I think it indicates a respect for 
> oneself.   
>
>  And regarding the magazines, come on, Barry, you don't honestly think
>  women take everything in those things seriously, do you?  They're
>  entertaining, good fluff to read when you don't feel like thinking too
>  much.  It's fun to look at fashions, admire some and ridicule others,
>  but I think most women past the age of 16 understand that there's more
>  to life than looking like a model.
>
>  Regarding Molly, despite the apparent female thing, I must admit I
>  don't understand the severe dislike of her character either.  Bill,
>  Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny don't seem nearly as traumatized
>  by Molly's evil favoritism as several listmembers.  Molly has a very
>  narrow definition of success, but I never read that as affecting her
>  love for her children.  I find her humorous. 
>
>  -Kelly
>

Kneasy has another moan: sort of.

I agree it wouldn't  do to stretch the argument too far - however - 
it's not just the magazines. Dunno about you, but I find that TV, both 
programmes and more particularly the  adverts, are even worse. Yep, 
they're silly - every 15 mins viewers are expected to believe that 
"healthy  shiny hair' is the true path to happiness and success. It 
might be - for a Shetland Collie. It's an insult to the intelligence of 
anyone with an IQ greater than their shoe size. But all this stuff is 
pretty well ubiquitous, it's become part of the background noise. It 
does affect people - or the advertisers wouldn't do it.

And many of the criteria for what looks good, or healthy, or whatever - 
they change. They are an aspect of fashion IMO. I can remember when 
Marilyn Munroe was considered one of the most  desirable and damn near 
perfect women in the world; just look at her in 'Some Like it Hot' - or 
Elizabeth Taylor in 'The Taming off the Shrew' -  voluptuous is the 
word -  and how often do you hear that word today? You don't. Yet it is 
a characteristic that many males find attractive, and accurately or not 
is historically associated with fertility.

It's not so much looking good that is the selling point of most of this 
stuff -- as Ginger observes it's youth - a denial that we change 
physically as we age - a biological inevitability. Now you may think 
I'm odd (quiet at the back, please) but I'm of the opinion (after 
decades of enjoying the company of  women) that there are no beautiful 
women under the age of 35; before then they are merely pretty - nought 
but a child, and hardly yet formed.

This youth thing is itself a modern aberration - until fairly recently 
in western society, and still so in other cultures, age is the 
repository of wisdom, of knowledge, of experience, of continuity. Age 
had a value. But things have changed; folk don't go to their 
grand-parents for advice anymore, they go to a best-seller. 
Consequently aging is becoming purposeless except as an end in itself 
and even so it's best to pretend it isn't happening - lest those aging 
become seen as irrelevant has-beens with the possibility of eventually 
being viewed as useless encumbrances. (The Queen sends centenarians a 
congratulatory message - personally I'm convinced it says "Drop dead, 
you silly old bugger.")

But there's a benefit to my personal circumstances thanks to this youth 
craze; I don't feel compelled to behave with the gravitas appropriate 
to my grey hairs. A disreputable old age awaits, may indeed have 
already arrived. Yippee!

As for Molly, I expressed my opinion in post 84023 on HPfGU.
I've seen nothing to persuade me to change my mind.
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