When asked the question “What do you define as beautiful?” almost everyone will have a different answer, especially among different generations. As Plato so eloquently said, “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”. This means the perception of beauty is subjective, it can be interpreted in different ways by different people. While it’s true everyone ultimately decides what is beautiful to them, society is heavily persuaded by Hollywood and the fashion industry. As children, we are also influenced by our parents’ views. When a child hears her mother says “I’m fat” or her father say “she’s hot” these statements influence what the child will perceive as beautiful. Beauty may be a matter of one’s own opinion, but throughout history the media, Hollywood and artist have dictated what the …show more content…
A particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality
4. A brilliant, extreme, or egregious example or instance
The word beauty can be used to describe places, animals, objects, people and even ideas. However, it is most notably used to define women. Throughout history different ideas of beauty have developed, this is likely because the perception of beauty differs from person to person, and we’ve always had a desire to push our views on each other. In the Roaring Twenties, Clara Bow was considered America’s first sex symbol. Best known as the “It girl”, Clara was the iconic flapper of her era. She defined beauty in an era where a "boyish figure" was favored. “Women at the time wore undergarments that helped achieve this androgynous look by flattening the butt, chest, and hips”. (Biek) Her fashionable red bob hairstyle, big eyes, and heart-shaped lipstick quickly launched her to stardom. Since movies were silent women had to show emotion with their eyes, this lead to an increased use of makeup in movies; thus changing society’s view on cosmetics, making it more acceptable and widely used. Her short, jaw-dropping flapper dresses completed the look everyone