丁嘉怡
What does 「34-24-35」 stand for? Mainstream values of beauty nowadays.
Nevertheless, the most desirable body shape for women in the past was
both plump and sturdy.
Plump figures were generally preferred in the past because of the social
and cultural context in which women lived. For instance, in an
agricultural society, most of the work required human labor, so women
were expected to strong and sturdy enough to handle all the work.
Inside the house, women were assumed to take good care of all house
chores, not to mention the children nursing. Under these circumstances,
women who were strong were winners. Besides, people at that time highly
value their male offsprings, so the elders preferred their women folks
to have wide pelvises who were likely to give birth to male children.
As the world changed, so did these values. At this modern time, the
mass media are aggressively affecting people』s life styles and thinking
modes; the preferred body shape of women is now switched to the slim,
even the skinny ones. 「Sixty percent of our Female patients who come in
for liposuction weighed under sixty kilograms,」 said Dr. Jie-Feng Chen (陳杰峰),
who is the surgeon in charge of orthopedics at Wan-Fang hospital. As we
browse over the TV channels, walk on the streets, or chat with girl
friends, we can easily find topics related to dieting. All things
around us seem to have something to do with losing weights or keeping
slim. 「The inclination of Taiwan women』s figures is—the thinner, the
better. And this request for a perfect body shape is strongly
influenced by superstars. Take the popular Korean TV series for
example, our patients demand that their body shape be like those on the
screen.」 As the lecturer assigned by minister of education and serving
as professional orthopedist, doctor Chen indicates that obviously our
aesthetic values are directed by superstars.
Are thin women charming? Are the plump ones sexy? As far as I am
concerned, it doesn』t matter what the value will be; it is women』s
self-determination that counts. If one desires to have a slim figure to
satisfy oneself, then she has made her own choice. If one gets a plump
shape, yet she is proud and feels comfortable about that, then she has
determined the figure of her own. In the next coming generation, will
the values of the perfect women figure switch again? When will women
really possess their bodies? I think it is when women hold their bodies
in esteem that we women can be our own perfect women.