Audrey is a magazine writer and was in the modeling biz as a teen. And now her book, All Made Up: A Girl's Guide to Seeing Through Celebrity Hype and Celebrating Real Beauty, has been climbing its way up readers' to-buy list if the stocks at Amazon.com are to be the gauge.
Here's part of an interview that Respect Rx had with the young author:
Respect Rx: When you were a teen, why did you want to be a model?
Audrey: I wanted to be a model for all the obvious reasons: the fame, glamour, preferential treatment that's showered on women who have that look and label. I heard the way guys talked about models...the way everyone in a room took notice of a girl if someone said 'Oh I heard she's a model." It didn't matter if she worked for a local newspaper or was on the cover of Vogue. Labels like model, actress, celebrity, pop star etc. get noticed...and I wanted that for myself, too.
What did you learn about that world that you want every girl to know now?
That there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with wanting to be pretty or liking magazines, movies, pop music etc. BUT that we all need to ask why these things are so important in our country. Like, why are we on a first-name basis with women who entertain us or who fit a certain beauty standard. But yet we can't name women who are changing the world? THAT'S what I want to get everyone thinking about.
What are the top five myths that we learn from teen and celebrity magazines?
Myth No. 1: That we should pay attention to every little "flaw" or "imperfection" we have like the size of the pores on our face or whether or not we get a few razor bumps. Remember the Maybelline slogan from a few years ago that went along with their Great Lash Mascara? It went "Maybe She's Born With It... Maybe It's Maybelline" and all the commercials were showed a model with enviable long eye lashes. That always made me think "Oh come ON! NOW we have to worry about the fact that our EYE LASHES aren't as perfect as the next girl's?!" I mean please. Just think about how different the world would be if we all spent less time being trained to worry about scrutinizing, plucking, tanning, manicuring, waxing etc our bodies and spent more time on saving the environment or trying to solve the world's AIDS crisis.
Myth No. 2: That the women in magazines (and on reality TV shows, sitcoms, movies etc) deserve all the recognition they get. Sure, some celebs work really hard to get where they are, but where are they ultimately? They're just entertaining us. I bet if you made a list of the most important professions out there, you'd probably include things like doctor, teacher, human rights activist, etc. So then why aren't any of those women in the public eye???
Read the rest here
Check out Audrey's blog, Don't Believe the Hype. I've also included it in the list of links here.
2 comments:
it's really sad that most people these days have become superficial. they equate beauty with what is seen with the naked eye. even men these days have become vain. what they call the metrosexual. but at the end of our lives, will God ask us if we have managed to look beautiful all the time while we were living here on earth? NO. because He looks inside the heart. Mother Teresa may not have what it takes to be in the cover of a glam magazine. but definitely for me. she is one of the most beautiful person who lived in this world. -blue heart angel
Hi blue heart!
I agree with you. Sometimes I wish fashion magazines and the style network would just disappear! But then it really is a matter of helping people realize their worth as persons -- with souls, not just flesh and bones. For me, too, Mother Teresa embodies real beauty. =)
Come back again soon!
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