#Helter Skelter
The Insidious Nature of Beauty Standards
CW: sexual assault, abuse, body horror, addiction/drug abuse
Helter Skelter, much like the song, is a frenzied outburst of raw, unbridled emotion. It is an indictment of the pervasive and insidious systems that perpetuate the oppression of women in our world. With unflinching ferocity, it demands that we pay attention to the issues that women face, issues that are all too often overlooked or dismissed.
The beauty standards that society imposes on women are not just a matter of personal preference, but rather a tool of oppression and control. Objectification, the fetishization of youth, and hegemonic masculinity are all part of a patriarchal system that seeks to dominate and exploit women.
The pressure to conform to these standards is immense, and it is enforced through the media, advertising, and the entertainment industry. Women are expected to look a certain way, to fit into a narrow and unrealistic ideal of beauty that is designed to appeal to men. But this ideal is not natural or organic; it is a construct that has been carefully crafted and marketed to women through an insidious web of lies and manipulation.
The patriarchy is hypocritical in its treatment of women, exploiting them for their looks and their bodies while simultaneously shaming them for being sexual beings. Women are told that they must be chaste and pure, yet they are also expected to be sexually available and pleasing to men. This double standard is not only unfair, but it is also dangerous, as it perpetuates a culture of rape and sexual assault.
The fetishization of youth is particularly insidious, as it places a premium on young women's bodies while devaluing the contributions and experiences of older women. This reinforces the idea that women are only valuable for their looks and their ability to please men, rather than for their intelligence, creativity, and talent.
Capitalism fuels this patriarchal system, as it relies on the exploitation of women's labor and the commodification of their bodies. Women are forced to work in low-paying jobs, while men reap the benefits of their labor. The entertainment industry profits off the objectification and sexualization of women, while women themselves are left with little power or agency.
The tragedy of this system is that it is so deeply ingrained in our culture that it is often invisible to us. We are told that this is just the way things are, that it is natural for men to be dominant and for women to be submissive. But this is a lie, a product of centuries of patriarchal conditioning.
Let us listen to Helter Skelter's fierce indictment of beauty standards as a rallying cry to dismantle the systems that perpetuate the oppression of women and create a more just and equitable world.
