What do you find unattractive about todays beauty standards?

Author: Reece101

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#61
K_Michael
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@ADreamOfLiberty
I don't have to believe in god to see that your body is an incredible and naturally beautiful thing. Thinking you can improve it with artistic whims and wounds communicates that you don't agree.
Saying that something is naturally beautiful and trying to "improve it" are not mutually exclusive.

A carpenter can chop down a beautiful tree and make beautiful things out of it. And tattoos and piercings aren't nearly so destructive. It would be more akin to a bonsai artist shaping the tree's growth into a specific aesthetic. He's still perverting nature's intent with that tree; it will never grow as big as it was supposed to and he had to cut branches away and confine it so it couldn't grow regularly. He harms the tree and makes something beautiful.
#62
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@Greyparrot
To me it shows a broken person who doesn't have a clear purpose. It's an outward sign of inner turmoil.
That might be the exact point they were trying to make with the tattoo in the first place. My girlfriend has a tattoo on her thigh from where she attempted suicide because she wants to remember the hurt she went through in that period of her life. Tattoos are a costly signal to others that the person with the tattoo valued the message of the tattoo so much that they had it indelibly pressed to the limited canvas of their own body. You could compare it to the r/place canvas in that the limited space makes everything on it more meaningful. I don't have any tattoos right now, but I intend to get at least one someday when I have the spare money.
A lot of my feelings on tattoos and piercings related to my transhumanism but I'm not going to get into that right now.

#63
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@K_Michael
I don't have to believe in god to see that your body is an incredible and naturally beautiful thing. Thinking you can improve it with artistic whims and wounds communicates that you don't agree.
Saying that something is naturally beautiful and trying to "improve it" are not mutually exclusive.
That's true, but then you get into what counts as improvement. To my aesthetics there is almost nothing you can do to a healthy body to make it look better. If it's not a healthy body the best way to make it look better is to make it healthy.

I get similar feelings for two other things:

1) in regards to architectural elements which attempts to intimate materials. Vinyl (which is an amazing plastic) which pretends to be wood, (now ceramics that pretend to be wood), plastic that pretends to be metal, metal that pretends to be tile.

The function of the material is part of its beauty. This imitation tries to separate form from function. As if wood is intrinsically beautiful instead of it becoming a standard of beauty because it was such a useful material.

2) in regards to animal breeds which have clearly impaired functions, i.e. short legs, floppy ears, out of control hair, absurd over-muscle, etc... In these cases especially I see the ability of humans to create a standard of perfection that is profoundly divorced from function and when compared to the original species can only be classed a wretched mutilation.

Like I said the symbolism to me can be very different from what people who get tattoos or piercings think, but it's not as if there aren't plenty of options to make personal statements with clothing and hairstyle. They go beyond that and the reason why is very often, as Greyparrot speculated, because they feel like what they have and are isn't good enough. They look in the mirror and they can't face it, and I'm not just talking about surface appearance. They feel the need for permanent and/or damaging change because it makes it feel more like they are changing themself.

I think I must agree with Greyparrot because when I think of tattoos as they are used by say Polynesian traditions I don't feel any repulsion at all. The only difference is the perceived reason they're doing it.

Contrast this with the giant lip stretching ornaments of (those guys) in Africa (yea you know who I mean). I still think that's gross and in that case its because the harm and mutilation is present in an objective way that doesn't exist for well executed tattoos.
#64
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@ADreamOfLiberty
That's true, but then you get into what counts as improvement. To my aesthetics there is almost nothing you can do to a healthy body to make it look better. If it's not a healthy body the best way to make it look better is to make it healthy.
That's why I put "improve it" in quotes before. I guess I didn't say it explicitly in my previous comment but I (and I assume most people with tattoos) don't view them as specific improvements. I used the bonsai tree specifically as an example because by most of the metrics of what makes a healthy, normal tree a tree, it will have actually worsened. I personally like the aesthetics of tattoos because I know there's usually deep personal meaning for each of them, and they each provide and opportunity to learn about that person and also because it presents a way for me to start talking to them as someone with social anxiety. Most people I've spoke to were happy to share the meaning of their tattoos, and were more friendly after I expressed interest in them.
I also think that most people with tattoos are very aware that their tattoos make a lot of people perceive them as uglier (mostly because of Karens and boomers who tell them they'd be prettier without tattoos). They knew that they were making a tradeoff when they got the tattoo. If anything, that sacrifice of conventional beauty makes their tattoos even more meaningful (and therefore to me, more beautiful than something that could be easily removed/reversed).

the symbolism to me can be very different from what people who get tattoos or piercings think
This is one of the reasons I like to ask people about their tattoos. Piercings tend to be less meaningful and more aesthetic, but I usually like them unless they're hollow gauges over a certain size because they do edge into the territory of being actively dangerous and impractical, as well as completely irreversible.

it's not as if there aren't plenty of options to make personal statements with clothing and hairstyle.
I think you'll find that people with tattoos express themselves plenty through clothes and hair, probably more than other people do. For me it goes back to the permanence of the tattoo that makes it a more meaningful signal. If you had to choose one shirt that you would have to wear for the rest of your life (assume it's a magic shirt so you didn't have to worry about stink, stains, or wear and tear), you would want to put a lot of thought into what that shirt says about you to other people and yourself. That's what a tattoo is.

when I think of tattoos as they are used by say Polynesian traditions I don't feel any repulsion at all.
Ok, so I think you just have a divide on the reasons for tattoos then, bc Polynesian culture have tattoos for a lot of the same reasons as regular Western tattoos. I'm not an expert so some of these may be inaccurate or overly general but here's a little I know on Maori tattoos.
First of all, in general all tattooing is linked to mana or prestige. The head is the most sacred part of the body, so ta moko is reserved for the face only and for Maori of high social status. This is similar to western culture in that most people with tattoos view them with pride. It's also associated with coming of age in both cultures, though in western culture it's only because that's when you can do it without parental permission.
  •  Moko tattoos are used to denote History (i.e. personal lineage and acts you've done in your life) You could compare this to a person of Irish heritage getting a Celtic rune or motif as a tattoo, or to something like my girlfriend's tattoo, which represents defeating that part of her life to her.
  •  Koru tattoos denote a loving relationship in your life. This is similar to getting a tattoo when a loved one dies. It doesn't have to be a name, it's just something that makes you think of them. In Maori culture it isn't specifically associated with death but western culture has this weird thing where you only do stuff to remember people after they die.
  • Pikorua is a newer design that denotes an eternal bond. It wasn't possible with older technology, so this practice is post-Old World contact with Polynesian culture. This is like getting matching tattoos with your significant other from what I can understand. This one is also often made in some form of jewelry, but I can't tell if that's new or not based on what little research I've done.
I think another part of why you're okay with Polynesian culture tattoos is that they are more aesthetically pleasing to you. The designs are mostly abstract, often symmetrical or repetitive, and are always in the same places, where as western tattoos can range from someone's favorite cartoon character to saying "Cum gutter"around their genitals.

the giant lip stretching ornaments
Yeah those are going into the territory of actually distorting the human form and actively harming you. I would put these alongside corsets and Chinese footbinding, as things that I can't get behind because they force harm on people just to meet the same expectations as others. The main difference is that I don't think the African lip gauge thingies are a beauty thing so much as a status signal for rich people. In that respect they're kinda similar to ripped jeans in that they're actively sabotaging themselves to say, I'm so rich I don't need pants or lips that work properly. I could be entirely off-base on that one though and I'm a little researched out for the day, so I'll leave it at that.
#65
Intelligence_06
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This thread has become less "Today's beauty standards" and more "different senses of beauty". Obviously we are not meant to adjust to the beauty standards of all different cultures, each one different from any other.

I would actually argue that nose rings, tattoos, etc. are not "the" beauty standard today due to how little representation they have in society in general. It has been months after I have seen anyone unironically wearing a nose ring, for example.
#66
Vici
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does anyone support plus size. i hate it detest it 
#67
PREZ-HILTON
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@Reece101
Fat bitches
#68
sadolite
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Tattoos of any kind anywhere on the body,  piercings anywhere but the ears and only one on each side women only. Those ear lobe discs, definitely not. Hair dyed in abnormal colors, freakish body alterations. Freakish hair cuts. I like people with unmolested bodies.  All of these things in my opinion are indicators of poor judgement and self loathing issues.  This is my opinion based on decades of observation and personal experience. There are always outliers with anything.
#69
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@PREZ-HILTON
Agreeded. Who actually things fat people are attractive? They are probarly going to get heart attacks, or their ankles may collapse. 
#70
FLRW
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     Trump Toupee' 
#71
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@Vici
Depends on how fat it is. If it is a woman with a fat ass(while keeping it fairly smooth) I think it is more acceptable in society.
#72
Vici
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@Intelligence_06
im talking fat like the stuff on your belly

obviously having a nice ass is healthy (usually people who exercise squats are things of the sort have it) but again, I'm talking about the fat which people have when they are scared of exercise.  
#73
sadolite
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I would not possibly know what "todays beauty standards" are. How can one tell the difference between the past and present? Have you been outside and seen people?

#74
Shila
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Todays beauty standards are still the same as they were before.

It’s just less people are meeting those standards today.
Topic's author
#75
Reece101
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@Shila
What do you mean? Like wearing mixed fabrics and all that?
#76
Shila
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@Reece101

Todays beauty standards are still the same as they were before.

It’s just less people are meeting those standards today.


--> @Shila
What do you mean? Like wearing mixed fabrics and all that?
Beauty is based on appearance. More people are less appealing than before.
#77
Elliott
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Tongue piercing, the idea of kissing a girl with a large metal bolt through her tongue I find totally repulsive. But sadly my days of being a total babe magnet are long past.
#78
Shila
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@Elliott
Tongue piercing, the idea of kissing a girl with a large metal bolt through her tongue I find totally repulsive. But sadly my days of being a total babe magnet are long past.
The metal bolt is to discharge any static buildup during oral sex. 


#79
Elliott
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@Shila
The metal bolt is to discharge any static buildup during oral sex. 
Not something I have experienced.
#80
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@Shila
@Elliott
Tongue piercing, the idea of kissing a girl with a large metal bolt through her tongue I find totally repulsive. But sadly my days of being a total babe magnet are long past.
The metal bolt is to discharge any static buildup during oral sex. 
Not true; not true at all. 

Sex
Tongue piercing is often touted as a sexually stimulating accessory, according to The History Of. Many people claim that it enhances oral sex. Many varieties of tongue rings are available with attachments intended for sexual purposes. ~ Purpose of a Tongue Ring (leaf.tv)


#81
Shila
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@TWS1405
--> @Shila
@Elliott
Tongue piercing, the idea of kissing a girl with a large metal bolt through her tongue I find totally repulsive. But sadly my days of being a total babe magnet are long past.
The metal bolt is to discharge any static buildup during oral sex. 
Not true; not true at all. 

Sex
Tongue piercing is often touted as a sexually stimulating accessory, according to The History Of. Many people claim that it enhances oral sex. Many varieties of tongue rings are available with attachments intended for sexual purposes. ~ Purpose of a Tongue Ring (leaf.tv)

How people try to discharge static electricity.

You could always purposefully discharge yourself every once in a while. If you carry a metal object like a coin, key or paper clip around with you, and touch it to something metal in your house, any electrons stuck to your body will flow through the metal and away, preventing the “jumping” effect that causes a shock
#82
Lair77
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Height standards of men expected to be taller and women expected to be shorter are unfortunate.  I'm 6'0"; I date girls of various different heights, but I do like taller girls. I've dated some women taller than me.    I know this girl whose 6'2" but wrote she's 5'9" on Tinder.  I loved her body, but felt bad that she was under pressure from society standards.

#83
Lair77
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I also think male fitness influencers on youtube and instagram have sort of normalized the expectations being 180+ lbs of muscle, 8-pack abs and <9% bodyfat.  Most people who attain that physique, do it seasonally for photo shoots but don't look like that year round.  A lot of men are comparing themselves to people who take steroids or have exceptional genetics. 

Also, I think many men have the misconception that they need to be super-buff to be attractive to women.  Whereas many women prefer the toned/athletic but not necessarily meathead physique.