Beauty standards play a large role into today’s society. People are constantly judging others and creating beliefs of how someone should look and act. Although this is a big issue in today’s society it was also an issue between 1945 and 1980. During this time period the beauty industry began to grow. The more this beauty industry grew the more the lifestyle of women began to change. It began first with making yourself clean, really emphasizing hygiene, and then quickly differentiated from that. It then grew into different categories and hygiene was the most important part. In the United States, some people especially toward the west, were not of high social status due to their hygiene not being up to date with the new beauty industry. Due to the continuous growth of these standards it began to cause moral, social, and racial superiority among those who were not clean or did not always appear well. 

With beauty standards of such high beliefs, which mostly affect women, women were not always given the same opportunities as men were and were sexual assault victims. Due to these standard’s issues in the work place and social opportunities are affected. Although this occasionally seems to happen to men to it appears that more than often men are holding women to these standards forcing women to believe they have to become this idea of “perfect.” Some people take these issues farther than others causing health problems such as anorexia and bulimia. Although the standards are different between each culture they still pressure women to become something different in order to enter the work place and for other social opportunities. Not only are there overall standards for women but there are also standards that begin to point out different aspects of the body. It is not enough for you to be put together or skinny but your arms must also look good, your lower half should look good, etc. More standards are continuously added to each part of the women, even the genitalia area has been given standards in today’s society.

In Barbie Doll, Marge Piercy discusses a “girlchild” going through the phases of growing up as a girl such as puberty and what is expected of you because you are a girl. The poem talks about all the things the girl grew up with, how she was treated and what effects it had on her. Throughout the poem the “girlchild” is told things about her appearance if that part of her appearance is considered bad. Piercy discusses things that are positive about the little girl yet they are still somehow viewed negatively through those around the girl in society. She also discusses how these negative comments have affected the girl throughout the poem. All throughout the poem the girl does not seem to be enough until she has passed away and is painted in makeup when someone says that she looks pretty.

In the first stanza of Barbie Doll, the standards of women begin to show. It discusses how the “girlchild” was given dolls that peed, kitchen sets, and irons. The girl was also given lipsticks that were the color of cherries. Piercy describes how these were the “usual” things given to girls. This stanza emphasizes that as soon as a girl is given the “usual” things she is automatically being given the sense of standards. With these toy’s she begins to believe that she should be a certain way because she is a girl. In this stanza Piercy also discusses how after the girl goes through puberty she is made fun of. Due to puberty, her looks begin to become something that is made fun of by classmates and others in society. After a classmate says that her she has a “great big nose” and “fat legs” the girl begins to worry and doubt herself and her looks. 

The second stanza begins with stating the positive things about the girl. It talks about how she is smart, she is healthy, had strong arms and back, and how she seemed normal yet was still picked on for her nose and legs. Piercy talks about how all the girl did was apologize for her looks even though she had so much to be proud of. This stanza is reinforcing that no matter what good qualities exist in someone it can be difficult to think of anything other than what others think of you. The girl had great qualities yet all she could think of and all she could see in herself were the things people were saying to her. Due to the events in this stanza and the statements made about the girl it proves that standards play a large role in everyday life. It has effected the girl by making it the only thing she seems to think about when she thinks of herself. 

Stanza three discusses more of the negativity aimed at the girl and what she does in hopes of ending it. In this stanza, the girl is told to “play coy” and “exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.” She is told to do these things to make herself better, to make herself more of what society accepts. This proves that beauty standards are becoming too much for some people to handle. After the girl is told these things she begins to become shy and quiet. All the things being said to the girl are beginning to wear away herself and change who she is. This is proving that beauty standards today and even in the 1970’s is destroying people’s confidence. Piercy mentions how the girl even cuts “off her nose and legs.” People are changing themselves all because of what others want them to do. 

The last stanza discusses the girl laying in a casket. She is laying in the casket caked with makeup and everyone saying, “Doesn’t she look pretty?” The girl finally gets validation from everyone that she has been longing for only after she has passed away and is caked with makeup. Her longing for acceptance only comes after she has makeup on. Also, acceptance by everyone is confirmed after she passes which could be due to all the negativity given toward her throughout the poem.  Some people take things very far when it comes to beauty standards and trying to fit in. They develop eating disorders and can become very sick. As stated in the third stanza she is told to diet and then it discusses how she cut her nose off and then she cut her legs off. Through this is seems that she may have developed an eating disorder because of what everyone was telling her to do. She may have ended up passing because of this and only then everyone sees her beauty. She gets in confirmation only after she does what they all tell her to even though it ended up killing her and they only see her beauty after they have caused her to go so far with their “advice.” 

Society in the 1970’s and all the way up to today’s society has created the thoughts of a “perfect” look. People have begun to define what people should be, what they should look like, and how they should act in society. The beauty standards that we have been living with are becoming worse and causing more issues with health and wellbeing than ever before. People are taking beauty standards and turning them into bigger issues. Not only are these standards an issue in themselves but they are also causing more issues. They are causing more bullying amongst people and more cause for physical issues and physiological issues. It is effected people of all ages, especially for girls in middle school and high school. It is causing girls to doubt themselves more and more and causing them to attempt things to change themselves that are causing them to hurt themselves. People are beginning to believe they are not good enough causing bigger issues. 
