Feature Article

A Westernized Standard of Beauty?

By Natida Sribhibhadh

Flooded with commuters, Bangkok's underground train station is bustling. On the walls are giant Sony Cyber-shot advertisements featuring Paula Taylor, a famous Thai-Australian actress. With large eyes, fair skin and a sharp nose, she represents a contemporary Thai standard of beauty. Throughout Asia, the trend of "pretty" meaning large eyes and pale skin is increasing. The "stereotypical" Asian look - small eyes and flat nose - is considered unattractive. Where did the present standard of beauty come from and why is it so prevalent not only in Thailand but in other Asian cultures?

The belief that the Western eye is more beautiful than the Asian eye may be perpetuated by Western media's presence in Asia. Not only are Western advertisements, products and pop culture present, but they are popular and successful as well. Their prevalence has come to define what is "good" and "bad." It can be argued that Western media has effectively set a new standard of beauty in Asia. Economic success is a highly regarded Asian value; Western civilizations are equated with this success.

Is this global homogenization at work? Evidence of this form of Western-based cultural dominance can be witnessed in inflating plastic surgery statistics and the prevalence of Western-looking local celebrities. The reason behind the current boom in plastic surgery in Asia has been widely debated. Most Asian women choosing to undergo surgery deny wanting to look more European. Anthropologist Eugenia Kaw writes that Asian women who have undergone blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) claim they do not want to look Caucasian, but that they simply want to look more beautiful. But who defines beauty? Kaw finds that these women equate beauty with intelligence, social competence and economic success - factors that became values as the global power of the West emerged in Asia. This change in beauty standards raises concern, for some, about global homogenization - or Western-based cultural imperialism - causing local cultures to decay.

In Thailand, for example, physical beauty is tremendously important. Thais believe that beautiful people are kind, smart, honest and successful. Local soap operas are extremely popular among Thais, and characters personify these values. Most Thai celebrities are either mixed-race or have more Western features - there are very few successful "full" Thai celebrities in the film industry, and those who are usually play comedic or evil characters. Advertisements featuring models with Western looks bombard Thais, especially advertisements for skin lightening creams that perpetuate the Asian preference for fair skin.

The increasing popularity of plastic surgery has caused some to denounce these new perceptions of beauty that counter traditional notions. The Filipino movie "The Debut" is an example of media that seeks to encourage cultural pride and stop Filipino self-hate. Numerous blogs have emerged online, discussing celebrities' "before" and "after" surgery pictures and whether natural beauty is now a rarity. But it seems the critics are fighting a losing battle, as the current standard of beauty is a value too highly regarded in Asian cultures. Moreover, governments perpetuate the ideal of this "Western" look by continuing to buy and promote Western media products due to their popularity. In regards to plastic surgery among Asians, it seems what used to be a trend has now become a standard. The absence of the "typical" Asian look in media continues to cultivate a negative image of Asians already ingrained by the high regard of Western media products. The only way these standards can be changed is by way of their new creation; local media needs to outshine Western media if local cultural standards of beauty are to be renewed and sustained.