[quote=“Lili”][quote=“mjtaiwan”][
I don’t know if you don’t understand what I’m trying to say, but my point is that people should accept themselves and try to enhance their natural beauty, instead of trying to be something they’re not a.k.a. a Taiwanese woman trying to look Caucasian, a Caucasian girl trying to look Middle-Eastern, etc.[/quote]
Your point is exactly the opposite of what most East Asian girls are taught.
I had quite a shock when I based my entire lesson on “beauty and image” for my class of high school girls. Very well-educated, fluent in English.
I completely took for granted that they are taught that beauty is on the inside and the images of people drastically changing themselve is unhealthy.
Had them write me an essay on their perception of beauty and if they think the images portrayed by the media of dyed hair, false eyes, and plastic surgery is a good thing for girls.
Response of one girl: “Um… I don’t know how to answer cause my mother is a plastic surgeon you are talking about.”
Me: :s “Well… ok, but I’m sure she thinks you are perfect without the surgery. It is a job. But my question is do you think its healthy for girls’ self-esteem?”
Girl: “My mother wants to give my little brother the surgery to make his eyes more Western and less slanty.”
Me: poker face[/quote]
I am aware of this.
I have a friend who got the eye surgery to make her eyes look bigger. I met her after the surgery, and she showed me a before picture; in all honesty, I didn’t really see that much of a change (if at all). She was a stunning Taiwanese woman before, and she remains to be one.
I also recall my first semester of uni here when I lived in the dorms. One of my roommate and her friends invited me for dinner and then we rented a Thai horror movie and watched it in our dorm. At one point, I commented how attractive the lead male character was. They all gave me a stare and told me they didn’t like him because they like guys with “big eyes”. The man in question was stunning from head to toe, but just because he didn’t have Caucasian features, he wasn’t hot.
I think women are brainwashed to scrutinize the way they look, and I am no exception. However, I notice that in the west is “look the best you can” and not “pretend you’re from a different race”. I’ve been living here for 4+ years, and I know that women are taught that Caucasian features are the norm for beauty. However, it doesn’t mean that it is correct and that, if possible, it should be changed. I am aware of the concept of beauty forced into Asian women, but I don’t agree with it.
Back to the OP, I think the whole issue with Taiwanese women looking so different with make-up than without it is because they basically are using so many products to change the way they look to look more Caucasian. The thick fake eye lashes, the eyelid glue, the fake contacts, even hair wigs… take all that away, and you do have a woman who looks drastically different. In the case of non-Asian women or Asian women who do not go through the whole “Westernization” issue with make up… a man will wake up the next morning and say “hey! she has spots on her face, scars, etc. but basically she looks the same”