Vered’s Blog

Paul Newman died at the age of 83. He was still an incredible handsome man. But as I was reading what people were saying about him and what the media were portraying about him and his legacy, I just couldn’t help wondering about the concept of beauty and how different it is being valued for men and women.

Nowhere in all those articles and reportage was there a mention of how amazingly beautiful he was. No where was mentioned the fact that millions of girls and women went to sleep dreaming with his image as the perfect man for them.

His clear blue eyes were mentioned, but not much was said about his classic looks and that no matter how he aged and that cancer took over him, he was still a striking looking man. It’s just brings you back to what Simon Beauvoir used to say: Women grow older, men mature”…

The focus was on what he did. The focus was on the fact that he managed to be a great businessman that donated millions to charities and about his generosity with Hole in the Wall camps for kids with cancer.

But here is a thought, what if it was an incredible beautiful woman that died. Would they focus on her deeds or would they have focused on her looks and how she aged through the years.

I just wonder when Bridgit Bardo will pass away would they focus on her activism supporting animals or would they focus on her looks and her films. I was trying to find articles from 1993 when Audrey Hepburn passed away. How much of the articles were about her looks and how much were about her incredible work with UNICEF. Think about Angelina Joli how much of all the tabloids and articles are about her beauty, looks and romantic affairs and how many are covering her wonderful work with UNICEF.

It seems that when it comes to beauty there is a double standard. Women are supposed to be just beautiful (or not..) while men even when they are extremely handsome people would focus on their deeds. So at the end of the day the value of woman is by her beauty while for men it is their actions.

I think that the day that women started to be valued (and worshiped) according to their looks and beauty was the day that we lost our power. There is no way to win in this game as beauty will fade away with time and time is our enemy in this case. No wonder the following tips were related to Audrey Hepburn:

• For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
• For lovely eyes, Seek out the good in people.
• For a slim figure, Share your food with the hungry.
• For beautiful hair, Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
• For poise, Walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
• People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
• Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
• As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
• The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
• The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.
• And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!