Beauty is just a Game

Inspired today by my homework. *grin*

Inspiring Quotation:
"Even if each woman dresses in conformity with her status, a game is still being played: artifice, like art, belongs to the realm of the imaginary. It is not only that girdle, brassiere, hair-dye, make-up disguise body and face; but that the least sophisticated of women, once she is "dressed," does not present herself to observation: she is, like the picture or the statue, or the actor on the stage, an agent through whom is suggested someone not there; that is, the character she represents, but is not. It is this identification with something unreal, fixed, perfect as the hero of a novel, as a portrait or a bust, that gratifies her; she strives to identify herself with this figure and thus to seem to herself to be stabilized, justified in her splendour." - Simone de Beauvoir, cited in Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Each one of us, not just the women, strive to "present" ourselves in our most positive light. I had never before realized just how many 'products' i own and often use. Take stock of your own products. We are truly results of our times and of media.

I wish everyone would read Goffman's work (all of it ideally, but i'll recommend Presentation of Self in Everyday Life first. Even if this quote isn't his, his work is always fresh and always astonishing. More quotes very possible to follow in future blips.

EDIT: For the record, I don't use all of these products. Daily, I use a product for my hair, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, lotion for my face, and chapstick. The rest of this 'stuff' is for those 'just in case' times or if i feel like pampering myself.