It's Not Really That Simple

"Modern Beauty." That is the title of Mary Kay magazine's new "look." My copy of the magazine came in the mail today, and I laughed upon reading that term on the cover. Modern Beauty. As if beauty today is somehow a different thing than beauty in the past. On page 4 of the magazine is this quote,

It's simple. It's soft. It's glowing. Beauty today embraces all things feminine. This is empowered femininity. It's you looking and feeling pretty while living life to its fullest. So experiment. Play. Be you.

Suddenly, because we have progressed towards this new, modern beauty, we have a way to embrace all that is femininity. It seems to be saying that since we've conquered this whole outward beauty (because this is a make-up magazine) thing now women can be empowered. Notice how this magazine chooses to define this empowered femininity. "It's you looking and feeling pretty while living life to its fullest." When I read "living life to its fullest" I can't help but see a cry for further power. We've conquered beauty, so now let's go conquer the rest of the world. "It's simple. It's soft. It's glowing." We've got it. Now that we've "embrace(d) all things feminine," now that we possess beauty and femininity we're ready to show our power. "It's simple."

Yea right. I believe that almost as much as I believe Santa Claus still comes down the chimney bringing me my Christmas presents.

Everything in the preceding paragraphs is about as far as possible from embracing and empowering femininity. Do you know why? Because it is based on the disillusion that arrogant confidence, isolating independence, and manipulative power make up true femininity. I don't believe that the essence of woman wants to continue fruitlessly pursuing the demands of the world. I don't think the essence of woman wanted to start that empty chase at all.

The saddest part is that the words used in that magazine are meant to be words of freedom. They are meant to be words that give women permission to "be you." But they are the same words that are trapping women. They aren't giving her the keys to freedom. They are continuing the lie. They pretend that the facade of a strong and empowered exterior is what a woman needs to be happy, to find fulfillment, and to encounter who she really is.

Woman does not find herself in the constant fight of the world. Rather, she finds herself when she steps away from a desperate attempt to "feel pretty" and "experiment" with the ways of the world. She finds herself when she trades this shallow vision of femininity for God's true vision.

Beauty is not something that modernity has perfected. True beauty is what will perfect modernity.