Makeup’s deception still worth watching
Whenever it is my turn to sing, the atmosphere suddenly gets calmer and people start drinking. So I try very hard to keep the mood upbeat. One of the songs I have to resist singing is “Fix My Makeup” by Wax.
You may wonder why a man likes to sing about fixing makeup, but there’s no special reason. It is one of the top 100 karaoke favorites that is easy to select, and I am touched by the mournful lyrics. “I am afraid you may be disappointed to see me change after all these years, so I fix my makeup everyday as my heart beats with hope of seeing you again.” It is the story of a woman waiting to see the man who left her. In case he comes back unexpectedly, she wants to make sure she is at her best.
A joke goes: Putting makeup on in your 20s is just makeup, but in your 30s, it is a disguise. Makeup on a woman in her 40s is a transformation, and in her 50s, it is camouflage. By the time she turns 60, it is just packaging. Nevertheless, it is true that you look prettier when you have makeup on, regardless of age. Makeup is to hide weakness and emphasize strength to enhance charm. You will find many before-and-after photos online, juxtaposing how makeup changes a person. It is amazing and mysterious how the same face changes so drastically.
Research found makeup is proportional to a sense of insecurity, self-display and desire to assimilate, and is disproportional to social confidence, mental security and self-esteem. However, why do we need complicated explanations for putting on makeup? It is human instinct, regardless of time and place, to look beautiful. The global cosmetics industry has a nearly $170 billion market, and premium locations on the first floors of department stores in every country are occupied by cosmetics counters.
Since the emergency leadership council headed by Park Geun-hye launched, the ruling Grand National Party is showing drastic changes. While skeptics say, “You shouldn’t be fooled by the makeup,” we should not be so critical when the party is trying to improve itself. Will the Grand National Party be loved by citizens when it fixes its makeup? It will be an interesting transformation to watch.
*The writer is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.
By Bae Myung-bok
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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