Pretty Mean Girls
So I have this bad habit of reading ALL of the gossip blogs at some point in my day, almost every day. Like dads read the newspaper with their morning coffee (lol).. Somewhere after my morning devo, and after my green smoothie, I find myself planning my day and perusing the blogs. I honestly don’t understand the infatuation humans have with celebrity lives or why it’s such a lucrative business. For me, it is reminiscent of high school and being in everyone’s business but your own. I get enticed by the pictures, video clips, and the silly subject titles on the stories. I know it’s a waste of time and every time I read them my brain takes a nap from true stimulated thinking, but I can’t help it.
Although, this is a guilty pleasure of mine *Kanye shrug*, I also
notice something I am actually saddened by. In
these blogs are the perpetuation of pitting women against each other. The
comparisons of who looks/dress better or who has the most money/best mate. It
is like an online "mean girls" clique. Now, I have been in a mean
girl’s clique before, I cannot tell a lie. But one thing I never did was
blatantly put down another woman or diminish her self-worth based on the
clothes she wore, etc. I have always been sensitive to how I made other people
feel and would not tear down another person based on their personal style,
quirky character traits, or other unique qualities. My mean girl clique was
mainly mean to the boys and sorry fellas but you probably deserved it. HA!
What I have realized through my avid blog reading is that there is
a terrible perception of women being sold to blog readers and only we can
change that perception. They sell the idea that there are tiers to beauty and
only the most attractive, rich, and fashionable are at the top. Now
this is seemingly true and most often people categorized under these traits are
placed on a pedestal. But should it really be accepted as truth? What is really
beautiful? Who are we to judge on which of Gods creations is better than the
other? How have beauty standards changed over time? (..this could go on
forever)
Now, I know that there are celebs I enjoy looking at over others
but I refuse to forget that people I am looking at and evaluating are humans
too. They have feelings, families, cares, and worries that God cares about just
the same. Now if we are comparing celebs so brutally, what are we doing to each
other? How are our middle/high school students and college girls sizing each
other up and putting each other down based on looks?! It is terrible. No one
should feel ugly, or less wanted based on societal standards of beauty.
When I went “natural”, I remember a lot of women being upset I had
cut my long hair for a short curly afro. I loved it. I had to fight the daily
pressure to have my hair flowing like Beyoncé, because right now she is what
many look to as the standard. I like Beyoncé as much as the next person, but I
also felt beautiful with my short fro. Her long tresses are not the only style
for women in the world! She even has a song "Pretty Hurts" about the
pain women go through to be beautiful. Yet, other women constantly made me feel
like I was crazy for my hair change. I wore my hair in the beautiful natural
state for about a year and enjoyed it! I used my hair as a form of expression;
grew it out, straightened it, added clips, and was even versatile with the
color. All simply because like I change my outfits, I like to switch up my
hair. IT ‘S MY PREROGATIVE. What I am hinting to is the fact that we place way
too much pressure on each other about looks rather than inner beauty. Before I
put on my makeup I do a heart check with God. If a pretty girl has an ugly
heart, nasty personality, and a troubled/jealous soul, is she really beautiful?
NO, NO, AND NO. What I am asking YOU the reader to do, is to rethink beauty and
find something beautiful in each and every one. I am definitely not perfect in
this area, but trust I have asked God to work on my heart. I’ve asked him to
make sure that I am not looking at the world’s standards of beauty, but instead
looking at the heart of man just like he does.
Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you will not be
judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be
forgiven;
Xo STAY BEAUTIFUL,
Gabby