American Culture

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

download word file, 5 pages 3.0

As I walked down the streets of Los Angeles, California, I observe. This is my first time in the states. I was finally able to raise enough money to come over from South Africa. This place is so beautiful. Look at all these beautiful people, but they all look so"¦thin? Everywhere I look there are people working out, jogging, roller blading, lifting weights in the park. Everyone is already beautiful; I don't understand why they are all continuing to try to be more perfect.

I think that I will stop and take a look at what kind of magazine they sell here in the states. Every cover of these magazines holds a different women or man that has very little clothing and quite a bit of facial make-up. Each cover page boasts a section for beauty, how to make yourself more beautiful. Nothing ever informs these people that they are beautiful.

Do the magazine manufacturers think that if they told people that they were beautiful in one issue, that then the consumers would no longer have any need for their product? If people were to realize that they really are beautiful they way that they are, a lot of companies in this world would go out of business. Here in this country it seems that people are making money off of other people's insecurities. This whole concept seems so self-centered. People don't seem to care how they make other people feel, as long as there is some way for them to make money off of it.

YM, what is that? Looks like a girls magazine. This girl does not look real! Is this who they idolize? Everyone in this entire magazine is loaded with makeup and no one has any meat on his or her bones. What is it...