[EDITORIALS]Just a pretty face
Published: 26 Jan. 2004, 23:01
The social trend of admiring outward appearances is excessive and far too common. From eoljjang, a shortened Korean word for “good-looking face,” to momjjang, meaning “good-looking body,” a trend of admiring good-looking appearances is rampant here.
A female suspect on the most-wanted list who had kidnapped and robbed a woman after threatening her with a deadly weapon, attracted more than 10,000 members to an Internet pen-pal club someone created for her. The only reason was that her face looked pretty on the poster. That is clear evidence that the abnormal trend of admiring a good-looking face has reached a danger level.
The syndrome of wanting a pretty face is no longer limited to females. Young men who want to be an Adonis and men in their midlife years who do not want to be kicked out of their jobs frequently have plastic surgery.
The social trend of admiring a good appearance has created an atmosphere of “good appearance is also personal ability.” In such a social atmosphere, youth with their immature egos are being sacrificed. Because of excessive dieting, the number of young people suffering from anemia is growing. Others have physical difficulties like bad appetites and binge-eating. Especially among women, the risks of menstrual disorders and osteoporosis are high.
It is said that the money spent on beauty treatments amounts to 7 trillion won ($6 billion) per year. To be beautiful is the basic desire of a human being; we cannot criticize that desire without a reason. The problem is that people pursue beauty even at the sacrifice of their health, and Koreans’ value systems are changing rapidly.
Putting aside the virtue of building up one’s character and personal abilities, if one tries to win with his appearance only, or to judge others by that standard, there will be no future for our society.
Part of the responsibility lies with broadcasters. They have poured fuel on the social fire of people wanting to be a Cinderella by showing pretty faces and good-looking entertainers in almost all broadcast programs.
It is necessary now, more than any earlier times, that broadcasters work hard to amend the social syndrome of admiring pretty faces.
A female suspect on the most-wanted list who had kidnapped and robbed a woman after threatening her with a deadly weapon, attracted more than 10,000 members to an Internet pen-pal club someone created for her. The only reason was that her face looked pretty on the poster. That is clear evidence that the abnormal trend of admiring a good-looking face has reached a danger level.
The syndrome of wanting a pretty face is no longer limited to females. Young men who want to be an Adonis and men in their midlife years who do not want to be kicked out of their jobs frequently have plastic surgery.
The social trend of admiring a good appearance has created an atmosphere of “good appearance is also personal ability.” In such a social atmosphere, youth with their immature egos are being sacrificed. Because of excessive dieting, the number of young people suffering from anemia is growing. Others have physical difficulties like bad appetites and binge-eating. Especially among women, the risks of menstrual disorders and osteoporosis are high.
It is said that the money spent on beauty treatments amounts to 7 trillion won ($6 billion) per year. To be beautiful is the basic desire of a human being; we cannot criticize that desire without a reason. The problem is that people pursue beauty even at the sacrifice of their health, and Koreans’ value systems are changing rapidly.
Putting aside the virtue of building up one’s character and personal abilities, if one tries to win with his appearance only, or to judge others by that standard, there will be no future for our society.
Part of the responsibility lies with broadcasters. They have poured fuel on the social fire of people wanting to be a Cinderella by showing pretty faces and good-looking entertainers in almost all broadcast programs.
It is necessary now, more than any earlier times, that broadcasters work hard to amend the social syndrome of admiring pretty faces.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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