I've always been profoundly confused by the shelves of "Flaunt Your Inner Beauty!"-type self-help books. The idea that they exist isn't what puzzles me, it's the authors. The men and women writing these books are most often celebrities who have used their looks to the point of exhaustion, to pave their way for success. If Tom Cruise (quite possibly the whitest man alive) wrote a book explaining how to be comfortable as an African-American in a predominantly white America, nobody would read it expecting to find life's answers. They would read it because it would be an absolute joke and unbelievably hilarious. But to me the idea of Tom Cruise penning a self-help book for brown people is as idiotic as Tyra Banks giving advice how to "flaunt" your inner beauty (an expression that just might be an oxymoron). Tyra Banks' latest publicity stunt is to finally shed her weave and show her natural hair to her audience and of course, people are applauding her for it. Really? Ms. Banks used her physical appearance her entire career to get ahead so she can now have the opportunity to be a self-promoted "leader" to women searching for advice.
I do not doubt that Ms. Banks worked hard to get to where she is but I firmly believe that people would be better off building confidence and self-respect learning from people who have actually struggled through life. If Tyra Banks wants to promote well-being through her television show, that's fine. But I would hope that her audience would start to wonder if the air-brushed pictures of Victoria Secret catalogues are the pages that honestly reflect their desires in life. I have faith that women will realize (if they haven't already) that these catalogues and self-help books are hiding behind the wigs, weaves, and makeup that cover up any glimmer of true inner beauty.
So off comes Tyra Banks' weave and here comes the applause and criticism. I just hope the applause is directed at the idea that we might begin to see Tyra's inner beauty that has been covered up for so long and not applauding her publicity-soaked "courage." Either way it's still going to be a struggle for me to believe that she isn't removing her weave to dress up and hide her fading celebrity status.
I'm not at all against weaves. Wear whatever makes you feel genuinely beautiful...as beautiful as Ray Finkle.
I do not doubt that Ms. Banks worked hard to get to where she is but I firmly believe that people would be better off building confidence and self-respect learning from people who have actually struggled through life. If Tyra Banks wants to promote well-being through her television show, that's fine. But I would hope that her audience would start to wonder if the air-brushed pictures of Victoria Secret catalogues are the pages that honestly reflect their desires in life. I have faith that women will realize (if they haven't already) that these catalogues and self-help books are hiding behind the wigs, weaves, and makeup that cover up any glimmer of true inner beauty.
So off comes Tyra Banks' weave and here comes the applause and criticism. I just hope the applause is directed at the idea that we might begin to see Tyra's inner beauty that has been covered up for so long and not applauding her publicity-soaked "courage." Either way it's still going to be a struggle for me to believe that she isn't removing her weave to dress up and hide her fading celebrity status.
I'm not at all against weaves. Wear whatever makes you feel genuinely beautiful...as beautiful as Ray Finkle.
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