The Ugly Truth – Appearances Matter

Chic fashion models, glamorous movie stars, stylish influencers. we look up to these people and admire what they have. We admire their lifestyle, the presentation of themselves that they have put hours into building. But we hate them at the same time. We condemn them for portraying an unattainable image of beauty. We say that being pretty isn’t important. We say that looks aren’t important as we put on our 10 layers of make up everyday. How can anyone truthfully say looks aren’t important?

Romantic pursuits aside, looking good takes you places, whether you’re a gorgeous lady at work or a handsome man on the street. Looks will only cease to matter when we turn blind. What we perceive as beautiful may be due to societal influences but it’s also very much biological.

Notice the unending war against such messaging. No matter how hard we tell young girls that being pretty doesn’t matter, we fail. Utterly. And it’s not because the media’s influence is strong, or that education and advocacy is not loud enough. The problem here is the message.

It’s a confusing and inaccurate one. Instead of talking beauty, we should be talking attraction. What’s the difference? If you’ve ever found yourself attracted to someone you haven’t traditionally considered beautiful you know what I’m talking about. The charisma, the positive vibes, the confidence, the passion and the values a man displays elevate his social presence.

Sure, people who were born good looking are already one step ahead, but an ugly heart will pull their attractiveness down, if not immediately then in the long run. The way he dress, the manner in  which he treats people around him, the way he talks. These things add on to an overall sense of attractiveness. We talk about inner beauty, of being kind to others, of having a good attitude and strong confidence. These are the things that we should be focusing on.

So it’s not to say that we shouldn’t avoid a universal ideal of beauty. And not to emphasise that looks don’t matter. It’s about recognising that as functioning members of society, attraction matters. Not just attraction from your outwardly appearance but from how you project your inner self and let it shine through. Instead of taking the easy way out and blaming society on being superficial, we should just put in the effort and respect for others, to improve ourselves to the best of our abilities, be it on our faces or in our hearts.

Accepted (2006)

With the knowledge we gain in breakthroughs in each generation, intelligence has somehow taught us to be less wise. These days smart phones are smart and people are dumb. We have gotten lazy and complacent, everything can be found at the tip of our fingers yet people don’t bother looking. The easiest excuse out of anything is “I don’t know how to do it” yet in this day and age how can anyone say they don’t know how to do something when everything can be learnt online.

(Image from http://www.impawards.com/2006/accepted_ver2.html)

Accepted is a movie about a bunch of college rejects that start a “sham” college to please their parents but in the end they learn the real value of education- to excite and enthuse students to learn more about and pursue their passions. This movie is a cheesy comedy that plays on all the stereotypes possible in an American college experience but as typical as the plot device is, it is obnoxiously true and glaringly relatabe. I do not speak for an American college but I can relate to the overall theme of this movie which is the youthful pursuit of dreams. College is the point of our lives when we are not only opened up to the world or as Dean Lewis puts it “the beginning of your disorientation”, but also where we decide the course of our future.

In the movie it is obvious that the main attendees of South Harmon Institute of Technology are college reject and misfits which reminds me a lot of the less “respected” schools we have here. The ones that make it into college are the ones who follow the safe path to their future desk job and give up their dreams. Yet to the rejects, it seems their only choice is to pursue their dreams and they have nothing to loose. It is quite twisted if you look at it. Society has brought us to a point where the people who are endowed with more choices end up choosing a choice they usually like least (and join in the robotic workforce) and those left with no choice are the only ones who are the only ones who dare to step out and pursue these dreams.

There are consequences of stepping out, not just socially but also economically and psychologically and I would say this is a life choice. Live mediocre and safe or risk and live life to the fullest. It is a tough choice indeed…

This is not so much a film review as it is a reflection or rant (as some people may think of it). There isn’t much fancy filming techniques or plot devices. Just a simple comedy, plain story but resounding message. We have all known it all along but things never really change.

6.5/10 (An average film, quite funny at times with satire jokes)