When I first heard this song, “Pretty Hurts” by Beyonce, I did not deeply understand the message behind the lyrics. After I had learned a little more about gender ideals and the harm that standards can do I then began to understand the message she sang. In summary the song explains how striving to be pretty has become such a normal thing that is has evolved into a disease.
The idea of beauty has been a common obsession among women. There is enough evidence to say that women are objectified and have to fit into unnatural, inhumane, uncanny feeling expectations. These expectations include basing their value solely on their body parts over their mind.
The music video has a theme that involves the reality of beauty pageants. It shows extreme measures that women take towards meeting, ”thinner is better”. There is no happiness when trying to reach these impossible expectations that not only damaged your body from starvation but also create mental challenges all around.
Beauty for women should not have to include eating disorders and pain. It is a poor representation of women that has been harshly manipulated by extreme ideals. Beyonce expresses how women have manipulated their bodies with plastic surgeries, and harsh eating habits to subdue their hunger that have transitioned them completely from their natural selves. The ideals have completely consumed their wellbeing and are no longer recognizable.
The song is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover because of the reality the music video shows of women completely damaging their physical, and mental health to compete to meet the expectations they have placed upon them. This example can also reflect onto a bigger picture of societies standards upon women.