Looks are everything-Believe me-Cameron Russel

This Review is placed in response to the Talk given by Cameron Russel, titled, “Looks aren’t everything-believe me”. In fact, the Speaker wishes to say the exact opposite that in the world we live in, looks are everything. You may not like it, but that is the way it has always been for the past 6000 years of recorded history and that is the way it is going to be.

You can watch the talk at TED.COM

Clothes makeup half the man, while the other half is made up by the size of his wallet.

An aspiring young man went up to a philosopher and asked him, which is the best country to live in, the philosopher replied, “if you are poor, none”.

This is more true now than it was ever before. If you are contemplating of travelling as a tourist to Canada, you will be appalled to know that depending on the country of your origin, your requirements would vary.

For example, if you are from a developing country, then no matter what, you would have to show a bank balance of at least $10,000, and a return ticket to the country of your origin. This does not guarantee you a visa, but entertains your application.

But you will be even more appalled to know that if you are from a developed country, you only need a passport to enter Canada. Now what would you call this disparity? Are we to understand that all individuals from the developing world are crooks and scoundrels and have contorted looks that they do not deserve the right even to visit and see the beauty that nature, out of her benevolence and partiality had bestowed her grace to a select few countries.

Or should we understand that citizens from the developed world are erudite intellects of scholarly substance, graced by intricate powers of decency, high mindedness and aura, that when they walk, talk and move, it is sheer delight to the eyes of the beholder, unlike the people of the third and developing world, who eat with their mouths and breathe through their nostrils.

The Speaker, mentions a statistics that of the 140,000 teenagers that were stopped and frisked, 86% of them were black and Latino, and most of them were young men. And there are only 177,000 young black and Latino men in New York.

The data just confirms how judgmental people are. The irony is every century produced great reformists in the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Lincoln, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, but yet still, no lasting impact has ever been made. This only goes to reaffirm the age old saying, “unless people change, no change is possible”.

Speaker mentions another fact, as how most 13-year-old girls in the United States, 53%, to be exact, don’t feel comfortable with their bodies, and more so appalling is the fact that the statistics goes up to 78% by the time they’re 17. 

Who has to be blamed for this? You don’t have to look further to see the writing that is on the wall. Every where we turn, teens are bombarded with graphical portrayal of the women that they should aspire to be.

In answering to a question from a journalist, “as to what the Modelling Industry is looking for?”, a Manager from a top Model Agency thus replied, Curvy structures, Long slender legs, Blonde Hair, Sparkling lips, and a Torso that has all the topography fit to be categorized a wonder from the modern world.

Now tell us, if this is the picture that Media and Model agencies put up there for people to enumerate and follow, without even having a slightest regard to the young mind’s thought process and the after impact, then as responsible individuals we ought to question the very ethics that is floating under the name of Liberty and Openness.

This would also mean a greater problem to the society. If 78% of teens despise their looks, it would in turn warrant a very volatile approach as to how they treat themselves.

Research suggests that High Risk Behavior among the Latino and black teens have increased by 70% and the data just goes to agree with the percentage of dislikes that the Speaker revealed.

The Hollywood syndrome

There was a time when movies displayed, Courage, Valor, Bravery, Perseverance, Ambition, Vision, Success. Which is in direct contrast to the movies of today.

Violence is glorified. Prison Break, the small screen movie recorded the maximum rating among all small screen exhibits during its first five weeks of showtime.

The Fast and Furious 7, became the fastest movie to gross, $1 Billion. Look at the story line. Is there a substance for the young and aspiring to take back home, to chew and digest and then work on?

Discrimination-Do they really mean it?

The much important question to ask here would be, do you really mean what you say? Many times when we look around, we see and hear, a lot about Rights, Human Rights, Liberty, Freedom from Discrimination and so much and more.

But what is even more alarming is the fact, the more such talks come up, the more deeper these issues gets rooted. Hence we are forced to ask if what they speak, show and exhibit, comes with a goal to change and reform the world that we live in or is it just lip service made just to pacify those who suffer on a daily bases.

Because, if we are aiming to achieve world which is free from the torments of discrimination, then we should aim at addressing the problem at grassroots. We do not want targeted benefits to individuals of the league of Iihan Omar, who abuse the kindness and plot against the Nation through devious means, but to reach the door ways of those who truly deserve and whose voice often gets blacked out.