“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” — Coco Chanel Movies have always served as a mirror to society. From epic tales of historic battles to intimate stories unfolding within the walls of a home, films have consistently captured society’s most honest and often harsh realities.
Much of this reflection is shaped by how movies portray their female characters. There was a time when actresses were relegated to secondary roles—they weren’t driving the plot, yet they drove audiences to the theaters. Over time, narratives evolved, and while there is an undeniable shift in the portrayal of women, the deep-seated issues remain far from resolved.
One such issue is the relentless, unrealistic standard of beauty that women and only women are subjected to every single day of their lives. They are expected to have perfect waist lines, perky breasts, tight asses —all while they fight for equal rights, birth children and at this point, try and run the world. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been told that I won’t be taken seriously if I don’t fit a particular mold.
How can others take you seriously if you don’t first meet an impossible standard yourself? Because, apparently, a woman only deserves respect if she can slip into sample-size outfits and keep her calorie deficit in the thousands. In the world of glamour, these standards reach another level. Female leads are cast as mothers to men older than them because, heaven forbid, a single wrinkle appea.
