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Naomi Wolf The Beauty Myth

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Buzz Aldrin is a famous astronaut who was one of the first men on the moon. This photo depicts Buzz Aldrin preparing for a fashion show during Men’s Fashion Week in New York. Being one of the first people on the moon, Buzz Aldrin has been a highly-respected figure in society. Even though modeling is a normal occurrence, this picture depicts Aldrin in a different way than he is usually shown. The once-daring astronaut is now is being shown in subtle way. The picture does not show Aldrin in his usual heroic state; instead, he is shown in a more passive role. Despite him being depicted in an unusual way, he is not being represented in a negative way.
Being known as a highly-accomplished astronaut brings a person a great amount of prestige. Many …show more content…

Women who are more attractive by social standards often have advantages over other women. Naomi Wolf’s essay “The Beauty Myth” dives into detail about how women constantly feel pressured by society to look a certain way- even if that look may be unhealthy- just to be viewed as acceptable in society. Wolf argues how large of a role beauty plays in society by saying “beauty is a currency system like the gold standard” (Wolf 12). She also discusses how women’s appearances have a major influence on how they are treated in society. Women feel that they are being judged not only by the men of society, but also by themselves. Wolf claims that women’s looks are altered by men because men put a great deal of emphasis on how women look. This relates to the photo of Buzz Aldrin because he is having his appearance altered by women. This is intriguing because this shows a role reversal. Since women are stereotypically seen as the passive gender, Aldrin now takes on this passive role. Even though Aldrin is changing his how he looks, he is not drastically changing his appearance as women tend do. Women spend a crippling amount of money and go through risky surgeries for their looks to meet societal expectations. Wearing makeup is something that is not usually associated with Aldrin, which is another reason why this picture is an unusual representation of

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