Fake Beauty

When I discovered the article "Fish Cheeks" first appeared in Seventeen I was not shocked at all. I have been reading Seventeen for many years, but I am now realizing how much of that magazine is filled with complete trash. If you ever have picked up a copy of Seventeen, you will see either a model, musician, or  an actress on the cover. The entire magazine is crammed with articles on how you can be just like the idolized woman on the cover. This is exactly what you will see when you flip through the pages, " The perfect jeans to make you look skinnier!" "Get pretty Fast!""Ways to achieve your DREAM body!" "Everything you need to look amazing is right here!"What ever happened to natural beauty? I have never once seen the magazine mention  that you should be proud of who you and what you look like. Seventeen is all about recognizing your ugliness and trying to cover it up with 40 different types of makeup in an effort to make you look better. This magazine is very similar to "Fish Cheeks", the women in it are embarrassed of who they truly are. One of Amy's struggles through this piece is her being ashamed and embarrassed by what she looks like. Amy mentions for Christmas how she prays for a "slim new American nose." Amy's mom also gives her a miniskirt, explaining how she must always be Chinese on the inside. Her mom helps her to look different on the outside, but she fails to mention to her daughter that she should also be proud of looking Chinese on the outside. The message I get every time i read Seventeen is don't be satisfied with yourself, always try to look prettier . Girls all over the world need to realize that that is not true. Beauty is all about recognizing that you don't have to be a certain size, look, or dress a certain way. To be beautiful. comes from accepting and being proud of who you are, inside and out.