Reality TV shouldn't be our standard of true beauty

No matter where you look, we are constantly reminded of the common New Year's resolution to lose weight. The reason why this resolution is so common confounds me because in many cases, it is not necessarily to become healthier, but to look better. This is another addition to the list of things people are willing to do to change their appearances, like dying their hair because blondes supposedly have more fun.

America's obsession with physical appearances has no doubt grown to the level that it is consuming the entertainment business -- look at reality shows like "Dr. 90210" and "What Not to Wear."

"True Beauty," a new reality show on ABC, attempts to dig deeper to find a person's "inner beauty."

The contestants were chosen for their good looks, even if only in their own opinion. They are faced with a challenge dealing with their outward appearance, like going to a doctor to scientifically measure their looks and compute them into a beauty statistic. Each show also includes a few hidden challenges that test their character, like whether or not they will respect each other's privacy -- by not stealing a look at someone's medical records -- or whether they will show common courtesy and open the door for someone who has their hands full.

With respect to Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks, I think that trying to prove someone's "inner beauty" in a competition is rather dull and uninteresting.

The contestants are obviously overly confident in themselves, so they want to be on television and in return, if they can show a few instances here and there of mildly good character at the right time to beat out everyone else, they are rewarded with a huge amount of money.

Consequently, the concept of inner beauty is negated and contestants are thrust back into obsessing over their own looks by scoring a photo in People's "World's Most Beautiful People" issue.

Mary Wollstonecraft, a radical enthusiast of the 18th century, once wrote about the concept of society and women. "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" explains that society expects women to be vain and remain in domestic positions, and in return, women act as these "gentle domestic brutes." The only way to break the cycle is to break the expectations of society.

Shows like "True Beauty" and "Dr. 90210" only emphasize this dependence on outward appearances by relying on society's interest in the subject area.

Some believe that shows focused on looks shouldn't make it on television, but as long as it's recognized as just entertainment, there is no real problem. Although I don't categorize "True Beauty" as one of the most eye-opening, life-altering, heart-warming shows, I have to admit that it gave me a few laughs.

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.