I.

Activity

ACT. 6.1

Watch the movie 200 Pounds Beauty (2006). Afterwards, answer the following
questions:

1. Describe the physical self of the main character (1) at the beginning pf the movie, and
(2) at the end of the movie.

The main character Kang Han-na is an extremely overweight woman that is a ghost singer for a
popular singer. She has a great voice, but she isn't attractive enough to be considered. The
main character's physical appearance changed because she underwent plastic surgery, which
is common among Koreans in order to boost their self-esteem and be accepted as a person.
Han na had plastic surgery from head to toe; her eyes went from steady to attractive, her nose
went from huge to pointed, her lips didn't change much, but her face went from rounded to oval.
Her body changed a lot because it is the main reason why everyone loses confidence; she went
from obese and plump to petite, a dainty gorgeous woman, despite the fact that she was
beautiful when she was her true self.

2. What is the climax of the story? How does this turn point appeal to you?

The story's climax occurs when the overweight woman emerges beautiful and slender. The
main character decided to use South Korea's tool, plastic surgery, to boost confidence and be
"accepted" by others. She chose to be different from before for the sake of her "crush" or the
man she so desperately desired, as well as to be recognized. This story appeals to me in a
variety of ways. For example, when she was down because some of her so-called friends
literally showed no support or even made her feel down, I somehow experienced that situation
and it truly is a loss of self-confidence. Also, the climax affects me when she finally gains
confidence when everyone begins to compliment and admire her beauty; I can relate to that
situation because I am the type of person who does not like to be complimented all the time, but
when someone does, it genuinely makes me happy, which helps me gain and improve my self-
image.

3. Based on the entire narrative and on the ending, what kind of beauty is prescribed or
supported by the film? Explain your answer.

In my opinion, the film prescribes an exotic sort beauty because it deals with body composition
and facial features. It describes how one admires a person based on their physical appearance
rather than their personality, which is completely normal and fine, but it is more admirable when
someone looks deeper into the person's character. The lesson I've taken away from this film is
that plastic surgery is truly a personal choice, but it depends on whether you do it to boost your
confidence and self-esteem or because of social pressure. Accepting your flaws requires you to
love who you truly are, and once you do, everything falls into place.
IV. Assessment

In your own point of view, write a 200-word essay about your physical self and INCLUDE what
are YOUR OWN WAYS in taking good care of your physical self.

“I AM PERFECT BECAUSE I AM IMPERFECT”

According to Gloria Graynor “we all know that self-esteem comes from what you think of
you, not what other people think of you”

Indeed the quotation is true, because, in my opinion, our thoughts about ourselves are
the primary reason why some of us have low self-esteem. I believe that if we look at
ourselves positively, our low self-esteem will eventually transform into having high self-
esteem because we are embracing our own flaws and by doing so, others cannot make
fun of our imperfection because we have already learned how to love ourselves;
therefore, others' hurtful opinions about us cannot hurt us anymore because we know
within ourselves that we are enough and we don't need to abide by stereotypes when it
comes to ourselves.

Because of the standards that we can see on various online platforms, most of this
generation desires to have an above-average physical appearance. When it comes to
how they will act in society, physical appearance has greatly influenced not only today's
youth but also those from the past. Furthermore, this lesson introduces a critical
component of our physical appearance: self-esteem. It is classified into three types: low
self-esteem (where I see myself previously), inflated self-esteem, and high self-esteem
(where I see myself now).

Physical appearance is the first thing that we notice when we interact with different
people, and for some, looking good is very important in order to feel better about
themselves. Because of their flaws, many teenagers nowadays suffer from low self-
esteem. However, as time passed, I realized that I needed to embrace my flaws in order
for others to accept who I truly am. Even though I no longer have pimples, I have
changed as a person because I learned how to be sensitive to the feelings of others
because I know how it feels to have insecurities. I told myself that the pimple marks I
now have should serve as a reminder that I once knew what it was like to be flawed.

In the present, I am proud to say that I have overcome those stages and that I now have
high self-esteem. Acne taught me a lot of things, including having a positive outlook on
life that I can use in certain situations. With this current outlook in life, it can transpire
and lead to other things, such as being able to influence and educate other people that
being imperfect is absolutely fine as long as we're happy with ourselves and we're not
stepping on someone else's moral. If I ever come across someone who is experiencing
the same problem that I am, I can show them that having a positive outlook in life can
lessen the burden that we carry due to less stress and less of the thought that we aren't
enough. As a result, it is truly beneficial not only to myself but also to others.

With that, I've felt better about myself since I began to accept that acne is perfectly
normal. This lesson taught me that no one is perfect; everyone has flaws, and it is
through those flaws that we will learn, especially when we are having difficulty accepting
ourselves. Having a good physical appearance may be pleasing to the eyes, but what is
more important is learning how to be sensitive to other people's feelings because we
don't know what they've been through, and we should never judge someone based on
their appearance but instead look for the beauty that comes from within that we all
possess.