BEAUTY, SELF-

IMAGE AND
BODY
SHAMING
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
BEAUTY
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
What is BEAUTY?
In groups discuss the following questions. Jot down your answers; then
write your own “dictionary definition” of beauty and share with the
rest of the group

What do you consider beauty?

Who decides what beauty is and what it is not?
Is beauty a social construction or a mark of personal tast

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

 Now find at least 3
dictionary definitions
of beauty and compare
them to the ones you
created in groups.
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Reflect on the following quotes in groups and then share
with the rest of the class

“Beauty is about “I'm tired of all the “There is certainly

“Beauty is being being comfortable nonsense about no absolute
beauty being only standard of beauty.
the best posible in your own skin.
skin-deep. That's That precisely is
version of yourself It’s about deep enough. What what makes its
inside out.” accepting who you do you want -- an pursuit so
are.” adorable pancreas?” interesting.”

.
“No object is so
beautiful that, “Everything has “Beauty is power;
“Inner beauty is
under certain beauty, but not a smile is its
for fat people.”
conditions, it will everyone sees it.” sword.”
not look ugly.”

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

Look at the following pictures, who do you feel
most attracted to? Explain why

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

Watch the following video in which Michio Kakuexplains
why we feel attracted to certain people. Take down notes.

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

 Read the article “Constructed Beauty
and our Obsession with image” by
Anna Hosain and discuss in groups.
Choose 10 vocabulary items that can
summarize the main idea in the text.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-hosain/constructed-beauty-and-ou_b_4809399.html
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Now watch the TED talk by Cameron Russell

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

Answer the questions on the video:
How long has she been a model?

Why does she change her outfit at the beginning of the talk?

What does she say about image?

How was her first modelling experience?

What are the questions people always ask her? What are some of her answers?

What does she say about her pictures?

What is it like to be a model according to Cameron?

Why is she insecure?

What is her final conclusion?

Prof. Lucrecia Dari
 Beauty is in the
eye of the
beholder …
…or in the skills of the photoshop artist.
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Go to the BuzzFeed website and take a look at the following posts:

• The 23 Worst Photoshop Fails Of 2013

• The Most WTF Celebrity Photoshop Fails Of All Time

• This Is What Mariah Carey Looks Like Before And After Photoshop

• 12 Fotos de famosas antes y después del Photoshop

• 28 Before And Afters That Show The Transformative Power Of Makeup

• This Is What Celebrities Actually Look Like Without Makeup

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/makeup-before-and-afters
http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/this-is-what-celebrities-actually-look-like-without-makeup
http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/makeup-before-and-afters
http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/these-gifs-show-mariah-carey-before-and-after-photoshop-and
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicalima/fotos-de-famosos-antes-y-despues-del-photoshop
http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/the-most-wtf-celebrity-photoshop-fails-of-all-time
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Make-up, Filters and Photoshop
In group write a list of pros and cons of wearing make-up and
using Photoshop (and even Instagram filters) to alter pictures.

• Do we need them?
• Why do we use them?
• Are they becoming an addiction?
• If these aids are used to construct unreachable, unreal beauty
standards, why do we try to conform to them?
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Read the article “Bodies aren’t ugly, bullying is”
What is the Project about? Go to Facebook and take a look at the photo album.
What do you think of the people in the pictures?
How do you feel about the Google autocomplete searches?
What is behind all this hatred towards fat people? How can this situation change?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/10/the-militant-baker-bodies-arent-ugly-bullying-is_n_4413252.html
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.440596846040673.1073741825.163269230440104&type=3 Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Discuss Baker’s reflection upon the issue:
“As long as we continue to demonize and degrade
one body type, we will never reach true body
acceptance as a society. And until we reach true body
acceptance as a society, we will continue to see low
self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, sabotaged
relationships, employment inequality, sky high
suicide rates, and all sorts of other social infirmities.
No more please. No more.”
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
 Create your own poster
Ask a partner to take a picture of you
and try to generate your own
autocomplete search. You can try
googling other terms related to body
stereotypes. If you want, you can share
the results with the group.
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
 BODY-
SHAMING
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
 Google the term “body-shaming”
Find the definition, provide examples
and pictures to clarify its meaning.

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

Now visit the website

http://nobodyshame.com/
Find about the campaign and then create your own. Think of a
name, a slogan, a purpose and a strategy /gudeline /instruction
/Project, etc. . Then write a blog entry with a brief description
of the campaign.

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

To integrate everything we have dealt with, write a
piece dealing with the topics that have been
discussed. You can explore different conceptions of
beauty; you can give your HONESTopinion on
attractiveness; you can talk about your self-image,
what has shaped it and how to improve it; you can
narrate a story of a body-shaming experience…
the sky is the limit.
Prof. Lucrecia Dari
Listen to “Beautiful Body” bt Natalie Patterson… Just listen to it, and enjoy it

Prof. Lucrecia Dari

Prof. Lucrecia Dari