Matthew Wallace
Topic: The effects of “Beauty”
Specific purpose: To Inform my audience of the dangers of obsessing over physical appearance.
Central Idea: The notion of beauty is found in basically every culture and society, but how does the notion of “mainstream beauty” affect us? What does society teach us to feel about ourselves? Should we strive for beauty? And what are effects of striving for beauty?
Introduction: I don’t personally know any of you in this class, but I know that every day each and every one of you wakes up in the morning, heads to your bathroom and looks into the mirror. I’m pretty sure there are those of you who look in the mirror before class just to check yourself out. Now I’m not saying that we are all beauty queens who are obsessed with your image 24/7, but the fact is that we are all somewhat concerned about how we look. Everywhere we look at in mainstream media is a model photo shopped beyond recognition selling us a “dream” of beauty. So the question is should we strive for beauty?
I. The effects of beauty has been evident in the lives of women for ages, but how has changes in society shifted the role of beauty for men?
A. In May 2009, Britain's Channel 4 began airing a show called “Extreme Male Beauty”, a reality series depicting what several men are willing to do to attain physical perfection. B. In the first four episodes, English radio presenter Tim Shaw, who was a cast member of the show, goes to extreme lengths to improve his appearance 1. Ex: following a rigorous fitness routine 2. Having follicles bloodily excised from the back of his head for a hair transplant. 3. Reflecting upon his experiences on “Extreme Male Beauty”, Shaw admits, "Loads of men worry about their appearance, but they don't talk about it because it's not considered masculine. It's all a secret." C. With the arrival metrosexuals—heterosexual men who pay close attention to how they look and what they wear—numerous people agree that male beauty standards are turning the table. 1. Ex: Journalist Byron Rempel says, "Men have suffered through something women have had to endure for centuries: the idealized, air-brushed ideal of the male body, complete with almost rippling abs and a well-endowed groin area."
II. Striving for beauty can affect members of society in negative ways, especially a society where mainstream media is prevalent.
A. The world is becoming smaller and smaller thanks to computers and the internet, and so is the idea and interpretation of beauty. This is affecting teens an adolescence as well as adults. 1. Ex: In 2008, more than 160,000 people eighteen
