Our Culture's Fatal Obsession with Beauty | Explored Through Helter Skelter (2012)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 เม.ย. 2023
- We're all machines for processing desires.
Transcript:
open.substack.com/pub/finalgi...
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Sources:
Dr. Gary Linkov. Buccal Fat Trend Needs To STOP! Plastic Surgeon Reacts
• Buccal Fat Trend Needs...
Susan Sontag. The Double Standard of Aging, (1972)
Susan Sontag. On Photography, (1977)
Tiqqun, Preliminary Materials for a Theory of the Young-Girl (2001)
Will Kenton. What Is Planned Obsolescence? How Strategy Works and Example, (2022)
www.investopedia.com/terms/p/...
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Tiktok media girlhood plastic surgery filler film video essay modelling Susan Sontag john Berger
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I haven't finished the video yet, but right off the bat here: Shojo is manga for young girls. Josei is manga for older women, and Helter Skelter, the manga, is a Josei not a Shojo.
Also the "mother of shojo" title, belongs to Moto Hagio. Kyoko Okazaki is the mother of josei, however.
Thank you for the correction! I was a little confused on the difference between these terms, so I appreciate you clarifying. I pinned your comment so people are not misinformed! 💖☺️
@@FinalGirlStudios Truthfully, the difference in the English-speaking anime fandom isn't all that important, the categorization system is there because traditionally manga are published chapter by chapter in magazines (which is then compiled later into volumes) based on the demographic of the reader-base (eg: Shounen magazines are geared towards young boys, Seinen is geared towards adult men, Shojo is geared towards young girls, Josei is geared towards adult women), which doesn't really have an equivalent anywhere but Japan. Everywhere else we just read volume by volume with age ratings instead of in magazines in short chunks with other chapters of different stories in the same demographic.
@@clinicalobsession616 The thing is that it's only depend of the magazine. Everything that is in shonen jumps is shonen, even if it's looks like a shojo. If it's published on a magazine category, then its part of said category. e.g: Black butler is seen by many as a Josei but it's a shonen. Tomie from Junji Ito looks like a seinen, but it's actually a shojo. Life is really graphic manga that contain r/p, it's not a jousei/seinen but a shojo. It's not about the content, it's about where they want the story to be publish and which people they want to touch. If they want to touch young girl with an horror story, they will go with a shojo magazine and it's will be a shojo and etc.
In France we follow the same Japanese category, Shojo, josei, shonen, etc.
But since we don't follow their magazine system, we are more strict into what goes in each category based on the content. Like if there is a lot of violence like AOT or Tokyo Ghoul, it's will go into the Seinen category instead of shonen like in Japan. But most of the time we follow the same genre (e.g: Life is still a shojo in France) and it's depend of each manga editor (who are more than 15 here)
@@narudayo5053 of course, I'm well aware of that. (I'm a classic shojosei junkie, I'm part of a scanslation team, most would say I know way too much about the topic). Tokyo Ghoul is already a Seinen though, it was published in Weekly Young Jump.
@@clinicalobsession616 have you read Plant Dolls (from 1995)? It's tangentially related. Wikipedia copy paste: "観用少女, Kan Yō Shōjo, lit. Ornamental Girls) is a collection of short manga stories by Yumiko Kawahara".
Some of its chapters have kind of been haunting me since I read it.
“Young women are discarded as rotten before the are ripe” … truer words and all, that one is gonna stay with me
I think the usage of butterflies throughout the movie is a metaphor for women's beauty. Butterflies, an insect generally considered beautiful, used to be caterpillars, which aren't considered as beautiful. They spend their entire lives waiting to transform into a butterfly. However, their beauty is pretty short-lived, as they die within a couple of weeks.
In Japanese culture butterflies actually symbolise death, as butterflies will feed on corpses. I think it's more likely in the film they are symbolic of (both mental and physical) decay and degradation.
butterflies are also used a lot in ed culture
@@JustSiouxMeWhy not both?
Do you know how wild it was for me to turn 20 and look at pictures of myself at age 16-17 and think: “damn it’s all downhill from here.” It’s sickening
When I was 18 and working as a model I was working with a photographer in his 40s who was persistently trying to get me to shoot nude and at one point said “well your body will never look better than it does now, so you might as well”. We are taught these messages, it’s disgusting.
@@FinalGirlStudios I am so so sorry
I have no words, that is heart breaking.
Honestly when I look at pictures of myself at 16 or 17 I think I look much better now that I'm 26. I have curated my personal style that suits me, know my color palette and my skin and haircare game is on top. Plus I just grew into a more ladylike face overall, I still had a bit of a baby face when I was 16 and I'm much more comfortable with my body now. Plus I just matured overall and I love it. And I still think I haven't reached my full potential yet.
Don't you ever believe it'll be downhill from your 20s, it couldn't be further away from the truth. I would never want to go back to my early 20s.
@@FinalGirlStudios That's so gross. Imagine telling girls they're basically starting to loose their value before their prefrontal cortex hasn't even stopped developing yet.
Being a ugly girl with no whatsoever desirable features is an experience. Even for ugly men, there is hope. Stories of conventionally unattractive men who get their beautiful dream girlfriend because she saw his worth on the inside. No one makes these stories, songs, etc.. about ugly woman. There is no ugly actresses that are not ridiculed because appearance is all we see for woman.
it’s women’s fault why do you accept ugly men society is horrible towards women but a lot is caused by our own choices as well you can allow yourself to stop caring about looks you can treat men the same way actually you have to treat them this way because women are the selectors and must have to select for the strongest most handsome looking male in his strength and beauty prime (17-26)
@@user-uh6di8bu5m Settle down settle down, its not just men who are attracted to particular traits that women have afterall... and you're not necessarily any better, as there are definitely particular physical traits that all of us as human beings like seeing on another human beings... Anime is especially nutorious for taking advantage of this fact(probably intentionally at times, sometimes not intentionally and more so due to the effect of someone being inspired by particular elements of character design from a character intentionally designed for taking advantage of the aforementioned "things that get humans attracted to them")... although they don't just take advantage of the physical stuff, they also take advantage of the vocals + personality traits(and again, this might not be 100% intentional as it can vary probably, just like whether or not an anime company is ethical like Kyoto animation or a push their workers to the point of near-death like... Madhouse? There are definitely a lot more, but apparently they're out of business now? I think Gainax was guilty of it too, but I also equally think the artists themselves, since they were so sucked into it and passionate, kinda were neglecting themselves aswell - but its apparently a whole heck of a lot more artistically fulfilling than being in Disney or some other western studio)... BUT it is FAR MORE PREFERABLE cause they aren't actually making people go through tons of surgery to pull it off.
Yes this is the full reality of it... a man's value can be what he makes, and a woman's value is pleasing genetics. Beauty, that's not built to last. A man can create his own worth, and yet even a pretty woman is born with half of the worth of a male. An ugly girl faces no pity, no care, the world tells her and shows her no one values her and no one sees her as lovable. So incredibly real.
@@land3021 tf you’re talking about
@@user-uh6di8bu5m Got a bit derailed, but I think the points still stand. To more directly respond to your comment;
It isn't women's fault(it's the people in power aswell as the motivator for why they use their power the way they do, that motivator being HUGE short term gains in profit via owning more capital), and even if society is more racially and sexually inclusive in terms of whose in government, we still got issues. Those issues being;
Intellectual + work + diverse backgrounds inclusivity, that being the inclusion of more people into government, with different backgrounds, different experiences, different fields of work, and different mindsets. That being said, they'd probably not necessarily want to be taken away from their jobs and forced into the government, but... I dunno. It's a big thought I had there.
Also, I believe I already addressed the stuff about judging people by their looks somewhat, and also find it ironic how you said at the end that women should take the place of men on the hierarchy(and be the ones who choose their partners - which, in reality, it can often go either way, but the stereotype is admittedly pretty prevalent, that one being that men are supposed to be the ones who always take the initiative + pay for everything and that women are timid and weak, subservient to the man, in a marriage that is)... I mean, to humour you, women are the ones with long hair like how male lions have that Maine around their neck/face, meanwhile men are like the female lions, who have gone the extra mile and outright just don't have a Maine... But it would seem that some biologically male individuals also have long maines and the outward appearance of a female...
It really will make you psychotic to be obsessed with beauty. There will ALWAYS be people who let you know they find you as not beautiful, no matter how beautiful you truly are.
Not only that, but unless you ARE a celebrity, high paid model, or high paid exotic dancer, your beauty will not contribute to being financially secure - which is the #1 important thing in society. It will not even secure you a partner or husband.
In addition, being “beautiful” can be a hindrance in many ways. Making people hate or envy you. Or causing people to harshly criticize you, expecting beyond stellar and borderline perfect etiquette from a beautiful woman at all times.
I am just a bartender, but the customers are constantly telling me how because I am “young and beautiful” it should be easy to do the job. I explain to them that everyone is different and there are many things that can limit a person’s ability to be perfectly personable, confident, and sociable. They tell me that is an excuse.
Just because a woman is seen as “beautiful” people rarely will extend an ounce of compassion, empathy, or humanity in her direction. And even so, only a small portion of people will even acknowledge you as “beautiful”.
These days, I cannot tell if I am beautiful, or if I am delusional and those people are simply lying to me to be kind.
Either way, I have come to terms that as a Women of Color, beauty doesn’t do much to improve your life experience. Either way, you are hated and must work hard like a damn donkey.
When people see you as attractive, they are more likely to find and loudly point out your flaws. And your flaws as an attractive woman are more reason to have your self esteem and reputation demolished, and be discarded/disregarded as a potential friend or partner than a woman who is seen as normal or below average.
It actually hurts and is quite confusing. Daily of our entire lifetimes we are told to invest in your beauty. You think it is what you are “supposed” to do. But it does result in people not caring about your feelings, thoughts, or opinions, and not treating you like a human.
Always!
why am i watching this as im about to have botox???
Even though I'm a guy I spend time-consuming women's media such as music, film, and literature. And I noticed that when women's issues such as mental health or just women suffering in general, it always needs to seem beautiful or artistic in some way. It's very rare to see it shown in a genuinely realistic or scary way. It's like they can't express themselves without seeming civil or beautiful.
totally get what you are saying. but society loves to see women suffer emotionally. Amanda bynes, Brittany spears
And it’s def considered scary, embarrassing, made fun of, etc
@@shelbywatson2934riiight when I read that I was like yikes
Its because society likes to "humble" women we arent allowed to fully be ourselves
Yes.
Can we all just sit back and really absorb how pedophilic women's beauty standards are? It's all about looking young enough to be 15, maybe even younger. Which is honestly disgusting. Even women going hairless reflects this because when else is a woman hairless? In her childhood.
EXACLY
Thats a reach 😂😂😂 and your own subjective perception. Some people just want a younger looking version of themselves in their 20s or 30s.
Plus, where Im from men get cosmetic procedures done just as much as women, so it works both ways as not only women are being objectified amd sexualised (regarding the paedo comments you made)
@@greyLeicester women are mostly tho, like even lesbians and bisexual women are sexualized, like everything we do and wear is literally sexualized
@@greyLeicester a man's input everyone!
@@animefood0818a lot of men's clothes are too though ex: tank tops and thigh high shorts
This movie reminds me of perfect blue. Both movies are about the horror of being a famous woman, of being perceived and watched by the public. Helter Skelter is an amazing movie. If you’re looking for a less horrific piece of media with feminist themes, I recommend her tale of shim cheong. It’s a retelling of an old Korean tale about a girl sacrificing herself to the dragon king. It also has a gay couple who are the main characters. It’s a beautiful story, I highly recommend it. It’s only around 80 chapters so it’s not that long of a read
oh my god yes!!!!!!! that manhwa is a GEM!!!!!
Thanks for the recommendation
Wow!!! Yes to Tale of Shim Cheong, it made me cry sm 😭
Is that an anime?
@@maverickbull1909 her tale of shim cheong(if thats what you're asking abt) is a webcomic
"For all women are trained to continue looking like girls.
I remember getting so many comments from old women in their 40's and 50's from my childhood, my moms friends and teachers, saying how they liked my slim shape and wish they looked like me throughout the years I was 10-13 years old...
its true, my estranged mother is almost 50 and is getting weight loss surgery and plastic surgery to look young and hot again. There are women in their 80s that are still buying into this message its like it truly never ends once you're obsessed with looking good...
Did they also encourage you to appeal to the male gaze and date?
Beauty is a privilege that you only recognize you have when you lose it
This is going to be a long comment, but I felt I had to say a few things, as someone who was obsessed with beauty and wanted a rhinoplasty since I was 13, and has had full face plastic surgery by 19, I saw so much of lilico in myself that I found it physically difficult to watch the movie, surgery is not a fairy tale, the constant worrying about your face falling apart, feeling vain or confident when people call you “stunning”, but then a small voice whispers “it’s all fake anyways.” And this deep rooted disgust, not relief, because if you are beautiful, you know people are only there for your looks, and if that goes, what’s left?? Only after I became “pretty” I realized how flat and replaceable I’d become, I took part in my own objectification, 2Dimensioning myself, spending hours on makeup not books. The pursuit of beauty in lilico and my own case was so ugly, full face bandages, full of pain and tears and I was 100% more insecure, surgery can’t fix the root issue, and that real beauty is confidence no matter how you look and knowing value is never based off looks alone, that’s how you actually shine and become irreplaceable. If any girls are reading this, please never get plastic surgery, don’t do what I did, glow and grow on the inside so that people love you for you. I know my comment is probably too long to read but I just relate so deeply to her, and it’s so sad how people were commenting about the actress’s beauty even after she took drugs etc saying how she is such a natural beauty, which literally missed everything the film tried to teach us. I can’t help but foresee so many more lilicos being born in the clinic of gangnam plastic surgery hospitals :(
❤
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, I've always wanted to do a lot of cosmetic procedures on my face because I always hated the way I looked, how my face resembles my parents which I hate and are abusive, and because of every mean or bullying comment I've heard about my every feature, and trust me, i heard a lot of them. But deep down I always had that little hope that small voice in the back of my head that tells me not to do it, it will only make things worse. My insecurities are huge and I'm always comparing myself to others, but what if even with surgery is never enough for me ? To feel good and confident. All I ever wanted since a little girl was to be respected and loved, seen by my ability to sing or draw for example, doing something for society. But my father was extremely misogynistic and abusive towards women. My dream was to be an animator, I gave up cause that's a men's job. And when I reached my teens, I went to a foster home where everyone pointed my every flaw and bullied me to the point of doing self harm and gaining an ED. Now I had forgotten my dreams of singing and drawing and only my beauty mattered, now is the make up and the clothes; show some skin to the boys or they won't have nothing to look at, don't be such a prude, what man will wanna marry you if you don't cook for him, you need to be curvy or they won't have nothing to grab, but also don't eat too much or you'll be fat and no guy wants a fat girl by his side, were just some comments I use to hear on a daily basis. And to clarify that ALL of this was said by women, and many other disgusting things. I was only a child trying to survive, at thirteen I didn't know any of this and anything about sex or boys. I just wanted to live my childhood, the sexual abuse I endured as a little girl was enough for me to not wanting to know anything about sex. But to sum it up I think that getting procedures done will only enhance and perpetuate my traumas and the stigma that I have in my mind about my own objectification and beauty standards, is only the outside that matters, cause it influences how the world sees me and treats me. The internalized male gaze in me will only grow bigger. I just hope that I can get better and get through this. I'm 21 now and I'm healing. I hope you are too !
❤
Thank you❤
rosie, thank you for sharing your story. Beauty comes in more ways than one, just like love. The physical beauty tends to be the most vulnerable to rapid decay and therefore most fascinating. The decay doesn’t have to be caused by aging, but also by boring or - worse - vulgar and unsophisticated personality that kills it fast. I’ve always been attracted to beauty that embodies charm, vivacity and intellect without pretension, although people like that can be quite bewitching and hard to follow. Some people have that inner light that pulls you close till you burn. I want to say that beauty is hard to define and it’s all around us. Stay well!
I just turned 24 last month. I had a damn near mental breakdown the day befor my birthday because I realized that I'm officially in my "mid-twenties." I'm no longer "young." I literally cried in my room and ruminated over my youth disappearing. The day of my birthday, I wasn't even excited. My family took me out for dinner, but I literally couldn't care less for the celebration. It scares me how much that impacted me. I don't know what my mental state will be like next year when I turn 25, or when I turn 28 or 30 or 35, etc. I AM young still but I feel like an old hag already. It's a terrible reality.
This hurt my heart, you’re so young! Honestly, keeping youth for me is keeping the state of mind. I’m going to be 31 in December and I still feel so damn young. I always remind myself in the mirror, “todays the youngest I’ll ever be, so I better make the most of it!” 💖
I could try but would likely fail to put into words just how much I relate to your comment, and it's painful to even stop and reply to this because I'm in the same place just a year older than you, but just know you're not alone.
That's a bit dramatic. That voice in your head that made you sad was the internalized male gaze that's prevalent in society and with which we all grew up. The girl from this channel talked about this in her Malena video. At 30, 35 you would stop caring about what society expects from you and how well your image fits in it. You would just live your life freely without caring about other people's expectations of you.
I feel you dood, I'm turning 27 soon and I feel ancient. Even though I've done a lot of healing and I'm off social media for over a year, the voice is still constant!
Once you pass 25 you stop caring and start feeling old
A scene from Fleabag puts it well, that aging isn't damning, but liberating because you finally learn what's truly important and stop caring for formalities. Kozue's self-awareness has already made her realize the shallowness of the industry, which will allow her to enjoy her career and ultimately struggle less or not at all with the fear of aging, unlike Lillico.
There's solid wisdom in your comment. More should see it!
@@RheaMainz Thank you :)
Liberating also because not everyone gets that privilege. Every wrinkle, every harder step, every ounce of slowed mobility is a sign you're body is still here
@@bunnywavyxx9524lol not all of us want to be here. And for women who only experience success in relation to their looks, they're utterly miserable for the rest of their lives
@@bunnywavyxx9524youre making ignorant assumption that life is always better than death. For people in agony, we want to die.
For women, the standard of beauty is always unattainable. Some may feel closer than others, but it’s always out of reach. When I see unedited photos of women like the Kardashians I am reminded of the cruel fact that the women who are upheld as the standard do not even meet that standard in real life. Despite knowing the truth, we are manipulated into spending billions of dollars on skincare, makeup, procedures, supplements- forever in pursuit of the unattainable. Even self care has been co-opted and commodified. It’s exhausting. We can’t have anything positive without it being warped and used against us.
Being content with one’s appearance is a rebellious act.
@@nc5337 I was going to say the exact same thing, the most confidence you can get is from accepting yourself and focusing on the quality of your life instead of your appearance.
I hate being a woman
This hits home with me so much. I'm a South Korean woman and my mom has pressured me since I was a elementary school kid to lose weight and to get plastic surgery when I was a fully grown adult. My whole life since then I've been struggling with body issues, eating disorders, and how ugly/worthless I found myself as a woman for my entire life. However, I've seen her go through the same issues, my grandma had gifted her double-eyelid surgery when she was a highschooler and eventually one that she told me to get as well. I even remember an instance where she went to a plastic surgery clinic and had me wait in the waiting room while she got her procedure done. I didn't think much of it as a child but seeing how deeply it affected my mom and then what she would tell me as a child, I can't help but feel as if this unrealistic expectation of beauty that women face is one that will traumatize every generation of girls who grow up in every society.
Hugs, I'm so sorry.. it's bad here in the USA too. It's misogynist...
"There's no country for women"
i think after the second rewatch, it actually becomes clear that hada (seen working for her still and suspiciously not in the police interviews anymore) leaking lilico's pre-plastic surgery pictures was actually instructed by lilico herself, as a way of immortalizing her own impact. there were shots of encased butterflies flashing on the screen, on the event that she stabbed her eye. "so i decide how i destroy myself."
i think in that case lilico is given more agency and (finally ceasing) control (of her story) instead of just "beating her wings the way everyone wants." but i also think the commentary gets sidelined that way and becomes more comical. it turns into how lilico is this mastermind that pulled the strings, smiling underground of the club she owns (decor being references to her and large vanity mirrors like the ones in her home could be seen when following hada downstairs) smiling at kozue, serving as a cautionary tale. because when you look at death in the eye, you'd only see your inevitable fate. she becomes like a boogeyman.. maybe it's saying you can't kill greed.
but.. it makes me prefer the first interpretation which was more raw and philosophical. about capitalism creating a feeling of scarcity in women and the fear of how dispensable they are. lilico was just a woman. product of her own environment. doing anything she can to maintain beauty that is equated with success. a woman in a man's world.
I appreciate this analysis of the ending! I was actually going to ask people to comment what they think the ending means, because I was slightly stuck on what I believed the ending symbolized. I love your interpretation☺️
Great analysis!
Just a note: in the bit at 27:35, she actually doesn't say, "Who's the fairest of them all?" She says, "Who's suffering the most of them all?" I think it's a shame that the subtitle is wrong there because it takes that classic fairy tale line and turns it on its head. She may be the fairest of them all, but she is suffering the most because of her need to be the fairest.
So true. So truthful, all of it. It is not the girl that matters, but the desire she represents. That's what makes us so discardable. Many women will value themselves for being the beauty ideal, and that fear of replacement suggests something else--that it is the beauty ideal, that values them. The only thing permanent is the value of beauty, not the woman, we are nothing but objects for it. "Women are taught to fear wilting before they have bloomed" no truer words ever spoken.
Beautifully said💖
I used to love the phrase 'age gracefully' as a young 20 something. But that phrase, most often than not, is made as an insult to women who have done/are doing cosmetic procedures to prevent aging (in a world where aging as a woman is frowned upon). Also that phrase only applies to women who fit into society beauty standards as a young women and maintain that look with aging; so if you're not considered conventionally attractive, you won't be considered 'aging gracefully' because you're not 'pleasing' to look at.
My stand on it now is age however you want as long as you're happy. But try not to go broke chasing for the perfection with money you don't have - you're not the celebrities you look up to, you don't have to look exactly like them.
I think it's hard for us women and young girls to stop worrying about aging and we (as women) shouldn't be shaming other women for being obsessed with looking as young as possible, to try to stop aging.
I'm a skincare fanatic and well it took me a while to deprogrammed myself from the obsession of flawless, poreless, smooth wrinkle free perfect skin. Another realisation that hit me recently was that I adore the eye wrinkles and smile lines on men, but I was so worried about wrinkles appearing on my face - like why? Why am I subjecting myself to such paranoia and double standards? I'm, of course, still worried about aging but it's a slow process to let things that are out of my controls be.
Wow you hit the nail on the head
Shoujo is NOT aimed at adult female audiences. Shoujo is more for 10-18 year old girls. Josei is aimed at adult female audiences 18 and above.
I loved this movie so much, but the sad thing is that people just consume it like any other piece of media. They don't learn from it. I saw a vid about this movie on another asian video platform, and people in the comments were just making comments about Erika Sawajiri's appearance, either she was very beautiful or not beautiful. I was just annoyed, I was like bro, you completely missed the point of the movie. But I wasn't surprised. A part of me feels that people do understand what the movie is trying to say, but they don't care either because they have gone through it themselves and they have lost all hope, or they benefit from thriving off young people's, especially womens' insecurities, or they genuinely just don't care at all. It's quite sad, and sometimes I find myself losing hope that one day we will stop judging based on external appearance. Sometimes I feel like people could have a million movements, or make a million movies about this, or wait for thousands of insecure people to harm or k*ll themselves because of their image, yet nothing will change. Usually I don't talk much about feminism, but the sexism towards women's appearances especially in East Asian countries where this movie is set, is just too big to ignore.
ugh, this! I go to the comments section on a video discussing any sort of media centered around women, and so many are about appearance. They don't often care about the film or its message, because their lives are so centered around looks that they can only comment on that. It's honestly depressing.
@@Jaesdaes Vain people
But is East Asia having less children as a result? Are there less marriages, percent wise, than at any time in the 20th century? Are parents disowning children who look less beautiful than their surgically enhanced parents? If no, then it seems most people ignore perfectionist messaging in favor of a “good enough” reality. Those who are going crazy over perfectionist messaging are possibly the same sort of people who would’ve been excessively religious in the far off past.
@@adrianguzman6563 that's the word, thanks!
@@transcripttranslation8801 its not even a far off past, especially with Christians in America.
One look at me and I'm undeniable a masculine male... but this video brought me to tears in the realization that modern societies around the globe are abandoning women and all their ACTUAL worth just because they age. Just because their bodies start a process virtually every living organism must undergo. I'm not seperate from society, so it makes me sad that somewhere in my history I have perpetuated this cycle either knowingly or without a second thought... thank you for sharing your film, and societal, analysis. It is reminding me that love for women should not be bound to beauty and beauty alone. I always knew this deep in my heart but that doesn't mean i actively practiced the philosophy. I will work harder... 😢
🫂 🥹 So used to being laughed at so this comment is like a nice breeze on a warm day!
You are a gem my guy!! God bless you and your amazing heart!! Your future girl is lucky!!🙏
Many men like you have empathy and true love for women. Sadly there are also many women who perpetuate the devaluation of women and they even play a part in the sexualization of young girls. I am a woman and I also listen to struggles that men young and old go through. We all must open to other’s experiences to understand them.
Although I'm a woman and believe that I do actively try not to practice this mindset, I cannot deny that it must've happened, that I also fall into this thinking. After all I am also part of society, and it does have a significant part in shaping our mind schemes. As you finish your paragraph, I will do the same I too will also work harder
thank you, thats so kind of you! there's a movie that touches the "world abandoning old women" subject. its an old film called sunset blvd but it has beautiful dialogue, amazing cinematography, and a wonderful plot.
i don't know whether you're aware of this but selena gomez was actually going to star in an american remake of this movie around 2017/ 2018. it was meant to be directed by petra collins and produced by drake but it got shelved around the same time as her health complications after the organ transplant. i find it really heartbreaking that she is now suffering the same fate as the character she was going to play, with people ridiculing her for her weight gain and thinning hair whilst she fights an autoimmune illness every day
Oh my god, is this what their movie “Spiral” was going to be? The last I heard anything about this was 2021, but I was hoping it was still potentially going to be made!
One of my favourite movies of all time! Erika Sawajiri is just phenomenal as Lilico. Also love love love Ninagawa`s "Sakuran" movie, her usage of color is astonishing. Such an eye candy of movies (even though Helter Skelter is hella disturbing lol). Thanks for the essay!
She was truly the perfect casting of Lilico! She has a very captivating beauty where she truly looks like a doll. Had a Tomie film been made around this time I definitely could have seen her playing a perfect Tomie as well!
@@FinalGirlStudios hi she was on drugs when filming this movie, if u follow japanese media, u know what happened.
also in japan awhile ago there was a man who exposed the whole actors and actresses industry in japan, and he confirms it
Have you read the Josei manga "In Clothes Called Fat" by Moyocco Anno? It's the same author who wrote the story of Sakuran. I highly recommend it if you are a fan!
“The torment in growing older as a woman” …that hit so hard. It’s sad because we are all beautiful and unique in our own ways. Aging should be a happy process but instead we are brainwashed to always look younger. Kind of needed this video. Been feeling really down lately. Thank you for posting this.
It's not just capitalism and consumerism. It's also about patriarchy. The female body is sexualized from the moment the Young Girl crosses over from childhood into adolescence. (Sometimes even before that). Society has always had an obsession... but just with beauty - but also with purity and virginity. And it doesn't escape my notice that many socially accepted "beauty standards" for women hyper focus on attributes women only have when they are either a child or an adolescent.
Beauty Standards has never accounted for the way a woman's body changes with time - not even small, imperceptible ways. We always struggling to look like we did when we were experiencing our first moments of sexual discovery - a time when the most women are generally inexperienced and psychologically vulnerable. There is an unacknowledged, *_predatory_* component to female beauty standards that is worth looking into.
The comodification of women's bodies is something so terrifying, the movie depicts the experience of living under a system with such practices very well, it's a disorienting, lonely, dreadful and violent expirience.
This was beautiful yet haunting to watch. Thank you for creating this video essay. It finally gave me the push to confront insecurities that were growing from the very same concepts that were discussed and also to delete TikTok.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I fr had to delete all my social media last year for the same reason.
This makes me cry, I just wanna be loved for the person I am and not the person I have to pretend to be. I don't wanna wear make up, I don't wanna dress pretty, I don't wanna starve myself to be skinny, I don't wanna get plastic surgery to fix my nose but I feel worthless when I don't fit these molds. I always feel like my boyfriend wouldn't love me if I'm not pretty or girly girl because why should he? I always feel like I have to compete with other girls my age because beauty is all a women is valued for, I miss being a kid where I could be a nerdy tomboy and no one would judge me. I don't always wanna feel insecure and less than of a girl cus I'm not competing with other women, I just wanna be happy. I wish we would judge people more on their content of character than their appearance.
Live your truth.
Do you think that you have a very good character? Do you have achievements that are not related to appearance for which you could be appreciated? Actually I doubt it. Because people who can be valued for their achievements and character usually do not face the fact that they are valued only for their appearance.
@@topmorphy4737 achievements do not induce physical attraction, which is an important aspect for a healthy relationship
Honestly when I watched that movie I really felt bad for Lilico, to me she's such a tragic character.
Nobody in her life considers her a person, she's just seen as an investment, or as gratification for sexual desire, or she's put on a pedestal which leads to people always discarding her feelings (I genuinely felt bad at the scene where she's crying on the rooftop).
Nobody loved her and she knew that once she lost her beauty, she would lose everyone, because nobody saw anything past that anyway.
This movie really resonates with me.
When I turned 18, I had this feeling that I was a bit afraid to stop looking like a “girl.” I was scared to look like an adult, a real woman. Even my co worker had told me to wear red lipstick and a dress because that was more appropriate for my age.
I was terrified afterwards. Like my face was going to slip away at any moment. I am certainly not pretty, in fact I’m rather homely, but over the past year at 19, I’ve been trying to work on myself. I’ve always wanted plastic surgery since I was young. The only reason I haven’t gotten any is simply because I don’t have the money, or the time.
But I have begun to tell myself, what is wrong with looking like a woman, and not a girl? I don’t want to fear getting older. I don’t want to be like Lilico.
I'm turning 30 in a year, I also always wanted plastic surgery, I remember thinking about it when I was 8 years old already. I still haven't gotten anything done and the older I get the more glad I am that I didn't. Being in your 20s is hard, dealing with not being a teenager anymore and growing into a woman. For me it helped to stop following beauty influencers or just pretty girls on the internet, we compare ourselves if we want it or not. Beauty filters are damaging as well. Stopping all that made me more comfortable with how I look in the mirror, I can now appreciate the face I have. It's what was handed down to you by your ancestors and is making you unique. I hope you can also learn to love yourself how you are worth to be loved. We are all beautiful in our own unique way. Hang in there
I rarely comment on youtube videos but this is everything. Helter Skelter is a huge hyper fixation of mine. It's so disheartening to see women's attitudes toward aging. I can't fathom enough how much I love how much this manga, it's so realistic. The bitter-sweet reality of aging as a woman while feeling like a commodity and the fear of being replaced by a younger woman. Lilico was once that fresh and youthful image and that's how she messed around Hada's boyfriend to assert that fear onto her just so she can face that later herself. I wish I could word my happiness better but Thank you for making this video!
I’m glad you enjoyed the video!! I need to give the manga a read, it seems as though the source material is phenomenal!
@@FinalGirlStudios Please do! That book is literally praxis!
My sister used to be a model but she was struggling with gigs because she advocates for strength, health, and fitness. She is tall and has more muscle than what is to be expected for a model on the runway so she is never going to be booked for something that expects thin and lithe people to be the perfect coats hangers of the clothes. She has grown to move into film and martial arts. I constantly sees her struggles but also shake my head that the beauty industry and fashion industry perpetuates and encourages toxic ideals for money.
Your sister is a champ. It’s a shame fashion industry is so pigeonholed. I hope she can find roles that fully welcome her, I want to be more fit too.
I remember, back in school, we were discussing plastic surgery in ethics class. There was a lot of different takes, mostly against it.
One girl then raised her hand and came out about having her ears operated on as a child, it was so she wouldn't get bullied for having large ears. Noone knew before that.
Even then I thought it was very brave of her to tell us that.. and I believe the responses of the other students were a lot kinder after that.
So that's something that I'm glad happened
Amazing video essay, I will be haunted for the next few days with the idea that men get to "celebrate" being boys and later men, contrary to what happens when we go from young girls to women. Definitely subscribing and can't wait to watch more of your videos!
Love this video, I just have one thing to add:
In Japan the need and desire to be young is even more intense and toxic than in western culture. You can see this from anime or any j-dramas. In Sailor Moon, Usagi is only 14 years old when the show starts, in Card Captor Sakura the protagonist (Sakura) is only 9.
In Japan being 30 is considered very old, too late to change, too late to start anything new. And of course, if you are not married you will be looked down upon. 30 is a deadline.
To add on, the idol industry only debuts girls from 12 to 20, before they even reach mental maturity whereas guys can debut from 17 and above. And male idols have the option to keep going and there are many older adult male idols whereas most woman are expected to graduated by
I will say for Sailor Moon and CCS, those are meant to be targeted towards kids of the age group. That being said, the waifness of the main characters in the manga and Crystal for Sailor Moon was incredibly uncomfortable.
I agree about the desire being even more intense, but I don't think Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura are great examples of it, because they're literally magical stories for young girls to feel powerful in their uncertain and maybe somehow strange teenage years, written by women too. Although it's quite interesting how all this "magical girl" concept eventually attracted attention of a lot of male fans for... different reasons, resulting in appearance of stories where magical girls aren't the symbol of a teenager who is on her adventure of discovering herself, but more of an image of just "a young cute girl".
This is one of my favourite films (obviously from my username), and the manga is very disturbing too but Mika Ninagawa has a knack for adapting mangas that have great potential although you'd never figure out how to adapt into a film and turn them entirely into her own. Correction: you referred to shojo as targeted towards adult female audiences, shojo is actually targeted towards young female audiences, particularly teens, pre-teens, children and young adult women. Classic shojo titles include Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Boys over Flowers etc. and often deal with young love, magical girls etc. Kyoko's work and themes dealing with urban women and their inner lives actually puts her in the genre josei, which is targeted towards adult women.
Nice to see this film covered. When I watched The Neon Demon, I thought that Helter Skelter was a much more successful version exploring the same themes and same horror surrealist tone. I'm not sure how people will see it, but Mika Ninagawa is a very celebrated fashion photographer so it could be considered ironic she made such a chilling film of the industry she truly loves. Perhaps it's because she truly loves fashion and photography and the beautiful women she photographs that she understands it more than anyone. She has said before she is fascinated by her own love of contradictions, and of artificially created things, especially due to her family's connection to theatre (recurring themes in her work include goldfish (as goldfish were created and bred for captivity), artificial flowers, and intensely saturated, surrealist fashion photography and environments).
The sad thing is the actress that plays Liliko (Erika Sawajiri) herself has had a turbulent career as an idol, model, actress and singer and i wonder if the movie is a dark mirror on her own experiences in the industry.
Apologies for the random little silent section at 16:35! The clip contained copyrighted music and so it was muted. Luckily the clip had subtitles, so you can still understand the context of what is being said.
I'm a guy and as strange as it sounds i really identify with this pursuit of beauty, maybe because my gender identity, sexuality and perception is different from most men, but i have always modeled myself and my looks after women's beauty standards. Its bad enough as it is, having full breakdowns over my looks and how other people perceive me and how i perceive myself, so I can't imagine having been born a girl and having these beauty standards pushed on me even more by the people around me. I really feel for you guys, your all so strong
I don’t think it’s strange at all! The book I quote multiple times in this video titled “Theory of the Young-Girl” by Tiqqun actually begins by stating that the “Young-Girl” is a genderless concept. It’s one of my all time favourite books, I would definitely recommend it, especially if this video resonated with u ☺️
@@FinalGirlStudios thank you!
i see erika sawajiri everywhere on pinterest, and this movie caught my eye for the immaculate aesthetics. After watching the trailer, and not finding the movie anywhere, I decided to just watch deep dives on youtube about it - so your timing is on point xx thank you!
Synchronicity! That’s how I found the movie too was seeing stills on Pinterest lol. (Also I watched the movie in TH-cam 👀)
@@FinalGirlStudios thank you xxx
The scariest part is that we view beauty as something that testify health, also we shame women whatever they chose to do when they can't control our perception of them. We never like women for them by for the way we perceive them. We objectify them. I think the reason we have through centuries failed to acknowledge mental health is because as a society we are the ones that perpetuate abuse, creating a hierarchy and a fear of being less liked because someone else is also liked. Basically we believe that our value ( what even is that?) is lessened when someone else's value increases. Thus leading us not to feel empathy and having trust issues/ paranoid tendencies. And that is cruelty... I'm not excusing anyone wether you didn't have bad intentions or you have excuses (ex: mental disorders) if you kill someone there's no way back, it's all the same. There's a saying that goes "treat others the way you want to be treated" I believe people interpret it wrong, If you treat some people well other people are not going to treat you the way you want to be treated. Believing that is self sabotage, the way you treat people tells about the way you treat yourself. Other people are not responsible for your trust issues, mental illnesses or paranoid tendencies, in fact even if they wanted they couldn't help you. If you want help seek for support from professionals because we all need at one point some help to get through it. Self sabotage is never good, and hurting people even if you think they deserve it is none of your concern. Don't give up, it's frightening to know that wether people like you or not it doesn't define you, it's confusing because it means that even if there are some people who like you it doesn't mean you are a good person and vice-versa, it's then complicated to define yourself the one you knew through others. But believe in yourself
i love your videos! the normalization of plastic surgery is truly horrifying. i just recently had a daughter and the amount of fear i have as she grows up and sees how hard it is to be a woman keeps me up at night. its important we tell our little girls in society affirmations that are not just centered around beauty. had a guy come up to my babies dad and say shes gonna be a real looker when shes older. made my stomach turn. an 8 month old baby already judged on how beautiful shes going to 'turn out'. im only 21 so im still trying to work on my own reprogamming of beauty standards and ecspecially now so i can set an example. its important all us women set good examples and not put beauty on such a high pedestals for the future of young girls. as best we can
I recently read an article by Elise Hu about Korea's cosmetic procedure industry that added a whole other layer to this video for me. Korea has lots of advanced cosmetic treatments/procedures that aren't found anywhere else, and are also intentionally made to be more affordable than similar procedures in other locations. Lots of people travel to Korea specifically for these procedures and the cosmetics industry there is a big part of their economy and is very well funded by the government. Which is so dark and frightening when you stop to think about it, at least to me. I rly recommend this article btw, it's called "How Selling a Nation Means Selling Fixes to Your Body", it's a fairly quick read but such an important topic
I’m gonna look the article up now, thank you for the recommendation!
I never have watched the film but I read the manga online when I was 15 when I was addicted to the Josei genre(The work is Josei not Shoujo). It was reading the manga at that time that I realized that media hates women aging. I never noticed that because the older women I was surrounded with throughout my life celebrated their aging and the men in my life accepted and honoured it. The women in my life told me that I shouldn't fear growing old and I appreciate it and told me there is beauty in growing old, your wrinkles, and your gray hair. They told me that I should focus on being kind person and just taking good care of myself. These women told me that an old face and a good personality holds a beautiful warmth that lives eternally in the hearts of their loved ones and others. I guesss that's why growing up as a Woman I was never bothered by aging it's because the men and women I was surrounded with taught me that it's beautiful to grow old just as how beautiful it is to live life. I'm also raised in a Catholic household and a family-oriented setting so I think that could be one of the contributing factors.
Im tired of trying to be beautiful and perfect. It’s just impossible, yet I have been trying to achieve it ever since I can remember. It makes me hate myself
New subscriber thank you for this video essay!
This got me thinking back to my teenage years when I was deeply enveloped in the law of attraction (manifestation) & subliminal communities. I was one of many teenage girls (some even younger) who were absolutely obsessed with manifesting more and more beauty with varying degrees of aesthetic sometimes based off real people, entirely fictitious people, or even more impossible standards based off CGI.
Looking back I would dissociate and self-abandon frequently due to poor coping mechanisms. Speaking among other skeptics I realized a lot of them we’re experiencing a lot of depersonalization/ derealization as well.
It’s almost as if they were encouraging it since we were expected to perform daily obsessive mental rituals (thought & emotion stopping techniques) to make sure we didn’t have any thought, emotion or behavior that would accidentally affirm the reality of our past, undesirable selves but were then blamed for remaining “undesirable” when doing as instructed ultimately failed in turn triggering more episodes of dissociation and self-abandonment. It was a known, unspoken secret that a lot of members of the community considered it to be their last resort to stop them from committing su*c*de. We were a community who had a self-pleasing, gluttonous, and voyeuristic obsession that rendered all beautiful things as aesthetic objects to collect not realizing we were doing to others exactly what they’d done to us. There is no amount of high vibrating spiritual wooo to cover that BS glad I left and have deconstructed from that belief system.
Even though I have insecurities about how I look now, I hold no desire to look young when I’m older. All of the older women in my life taught me that aging gracefully comes from taking care of yourself and not chasing youth. Tomorrow will always come.
Love this!😊
It's very interesting how the universe works. I have been obsessing over my appearance for the past 5 months. I kept telling myself that if I changed X or Y, Z thing on my body, that I'll finally feel good about myself. I told myself that maybe if my hair looked better, it would change my entire face shape and thus I would finally be pretty, so as a consequence, people would treat me better.
I've been letting my physical appearance define my worth as a person. I've been caring so much about what other people of me. I thought I got out of my people pleasing phase, but apparently it has came back and it only has gotten worst. And seing that video was a very good reminder that beauty is not eternal, so I should not waste my young years obsessing over what I look like and what people think of me. Because really, like the character in that movie said "we're all disposable". In conclusion, I rather die knowing that I did everything that I could to be happy, then dying and realizing that I've waisted so much time over things that didn't really matter in the end.
My heart is so sore for so many women and girls that have to go through society discovering that our beauty is actually our biggest commodity. Will there ever be a day when we stop talking about it and actually do something to change society? I pray for that day.
This was a nice video essay & now I need to check out Helter Skelter. Although I’m not a fan of the KarJenners there’s a valid point being made about Kylie’s surgery versus that of her sisters. However I think some of the added vitriol stems from Kylie’s appropriation on her rise to her current status. Maybe this analysis can be extended to Latin & Non Hispanic Black women because beauty standards are especially taxing for the latter
Agreed 100%! I’m not a fan of Kardashians or the Jenner sisters either and the very valid criticisms on the KarJenner’s appropriation of Black features are not what I was referring to, but rather the blanket statements of calling her before photos ugly. I think there is a lot of room for criticisms surrounding plastic surgery especially when Black (and BIPOC in general) features are being fetishized and made into “trends”.
when I was 11 or 12, I heard an ad on the radio for "the gummy bear procedure". it was described as a breast augmentation surgery that would make your breasts bigger and you could go to work the same day from the noninvasive procedure. I went all of middle school and high school convinced that when I turned 18 I would get this surgery. I'm happy to be 21 now and realize just how much garbage was being shoved down my throat every day rom the media telling me exactly how I had to look and exactly how to become that. I wish I could've seen this movie when I was younger to realize just how inescapable women's beauty standards are/were and put my energy into loving myself instead of that crap. Thank you for an amazing video!
Finally someone explores Helter Skelter! It reminds me of so many kpop scenarios, especially the ‘there will always be someone younger or prettier’ line.
I'm not sure if someone has commented this, but if you are a fan of this movie/manga, I highly recommend the Josei manga "In Clothes Called Fat" by Moyocco Anno (also note, she is Hideki Anno's wife, the creator of Evangelion). Without giving too much away, it touches on a lot of themes of being a woman in society being constantly scrutinized for their appearance and the obsession of ones appearance. In this instance however, it's from the perspective of a woman who is in the opposite position where she is being ridiculed. It's another dark one if you're into that, but @Final Girl Studios, I would love to hear your thoughts!
i don’t know how but this particular video essay almost wiped out all my insecurities about my body and face. you just organized the information in such progressive and responsive way that it touched my heart. thank you for your amazing work
"if i stop being popular ,they will leave me"this kindof break my heart...because i myself feels like that.....i had suffered with severe acne...and my gosh once i went away people will approach me ,befriend me💔everyday is a struggle because am scared if it will come bac...even one single affects me so much...watching this video made me realise that its not worth it..i should accept myself..if i want to change i do it for myself ❤
I'm glad someone is talking about Helter Skelter this recently, as I love the movie a lot yet its underrated. Thank you for the video.
This channel has become one of my favourites, you cover the best movies and most interesting people in such a great way. Thank you for doing what you do!
I’m so happy this video was made. This movie deserved so much more recognition
i began this movie a year ago but never finished it through because i wasnt really aware enough to understand the meaning, thank you for bringing this back to me!
this is such a great video !! glad to see helter skelter being recognised
Brilliant video essay. ❤ I agree with what you've said about beauty standards, and a lot of this resonated with me so much. I remember having breakfast with a girl friend of mine at a waffle house in my early 20s after a night of drinking. She was very beautiful and her parents were introducing her to potential partners for an arranged marriage. She so bluntly told me how no one will want you after 25. I couldn't help but agree, and we both just sat in silence for a moment. I still think of that all these years later. Another thing I wanted to point out is female characters who wear glasses. I wanted to point it out given how to the assistant is treated in the film. Due to my eye issues, contact lenses are no longer an option for me like they used to. It's frustrating to be viewed as "less than" over something we literally need to actually see in the world.
I’m glad you’re getting more eyes on this movie, and your research it’s excellent
I’ve been saying this for years and often get told otherwise to the point I was starting to question my own opinion(these few year or two) Your video REALLY MEANS A LOT to me and the comment section. You guys seriously made me tear up with joy. I’m not as lonely as I feared. Thank you, truly.
THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFULLY DONE VIDEO ESSAY I LOVE THE TOPICS YOU COVERRR
You are definitely one of my favorite TH-camrs at this point. Love how deep you go with the information and how beautiful you explain everything. We are so blessed with your content girl
Thank you so much, that means so much to me! You are so sweet 😭💖
@@FinalGirlStudios 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I feel like because I never was conventionally beautiful I was able to bypass this obsession. It brought me a lot of grief while I was younger but I think it also kept me sane.
I absolutely ADORE this movie. However the similar parallels between Lilico and Erika make me feel melancholic whenever I watch it. A cruel industry that chews you up and spits you out if you make one mistake or are no longer considered "profitable".
Your video essay was profound. I could never describe the visceral horror of girlhood and the ever looming doom of just existing in girlhood and womanhood. I love the movie helter skelter and your essay explained so much that went over my head in my first viewing.
Is it normal that I got too emotional and disturbed that I cried a little by the end of the video? Excellent video essay. I have watched the movie before but had completely forgotten about it
Edit: subbed 💚
absolutely LOVE your videos!! you always know how to eloquently speak my exact thoughts and feelings and introduce me to something new at the same time
Ah thank you so much 💖
This hurts a lot, it hurts so much that sometimes it is kinda hard to breathe or see through the pain. I'm free of that nowadays, but I remember to look at myself and the mirror and it was natural to think "why do you look disgusting like this?", and it hurts to know that I treat myself like that.
Sometimes when I'm in a social environment with other women I hear things like "I need to do this procedure and that one and this one" as natural as saying that you're gonna put butter in a piece of bread. "I need to stop eating" as natural as the Sun goes up and down. But it's no end, they’re not gonna point at themselves, they're gonna point at you too, like it's normal to talk about the body of others as their own…
I think the quote used in the video was very concise: “they don't love themselves, they love their “self image”. Thank you for this video! s2
Thank you for this video! Amazing movie + commentary through the vid!
As a 24 year old woman, I don't care about the future fading of my attractiveness since I believe I was designed by God himself for a purpose. Not only women but also men are just flesh. We came from dust and to dust we shall return!! And there's beauty in that.. knowing that life is but a vapor.
CORRECTIONS:
I have read the manga. She's a Josei (female young adult) author, not for young girls. The manga has sex (not explicit) and mental illness.
The pinned comment literally says this lmao
@@FinalGirlStudios anyway, thanks to this video I got to see the movie. I loved the visuals.
I have read the manga but didn't know there was a movie. Absolutely great video, deserves way more views.
Oh wow that’s awesome! Did you enjoy the manga? It seems as though Mika Ninagawa remained pretty loyal to the source material, and her background as a photographer made the film sooo visually beautiful. If you enjoyed the manga I’m sure you’ll enjoy the film! And thank you for your kind words ☺️
SUCH a wonderful video!!!!!! soso nicely done!!! subscribed!!
This was my favorite movie growing up. I'm glad you talked about it. It was always so much to process. This film by itself made the tiger lily my fav flower.
My body and face dysmorphia started when I was 11. I started going through puberty and my skin and body changed and everyone noticed me and judged how bad my acne was. That’s when I realized everybody is judging me at all times. Everyone can see my flaws. People don’t see me they see everything wrong with me. I can’t imagine someone loving me without including looks. I feel disgusting inside and out. I feel rotten at 19. If I can’t be pretty what can I be? What even am I ? I took down and covered my mirrors the other day. I can’t stand to look at myself because all I see is flaws and I feel less of a woman.
this has to be the best video I’ve ever watched
Being in my 30s has been so difficult accepting my new reality. I needed this reminder of this movie that it doesn’t matter
Brilliant analysis! Clear and thorough. You helped me to clarify my own perception of this problem. Thank you
Thank you for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed!☺️
DYSTOPIAN is absolutely the correct descriptor...of human society. The Screams at 19:00 accurately express how I feel about this sickness of these paradigms.
Brilliant Analysis and a Movie/Manga that I should watch/read. Thanks!
im so glad u analyzed this movie it's amazing
Firstly, thank you for introducing me to Susan Sontag. Secondly, thank you making the video. It’s been educational to say the least and the use of example through the movie is fitting. I’m left to process the points made that can help me makes certain shits into different, healthier and intelligent choices about my female image.
This was a fantastic video. Thank you.
this is literally one of my favorite movies im glad someone is talking about it
This is such a great video ❤ Loved it every bit
I’m a huge josei nerd I can’t believe I’ve never heard of the mangaka who wrote the manga. Can’t wait to dive into her work.
I really love her art style! I haven’t read any of Okazaki’s work but she seems like a brilliant mind.
its insane that erika sawajiri is naturally beautiful enough to play someone whose beauty is 100% manufactured🤨 i've noticed her and other japanese idols and actors that are popular for their beauty go through a phase where they make themselves conventionally unattractive and go through a phase of rebellion in order to protect themselves (especially if they're thrown into the spotlight at a young age)
Almost all famous actresses and even actors across the globe have at least a few procedures done😔. The easiest-to-overlook cases get it done before the height of their career. The procedures that are harder to miss happen later to keep themselves in the spotlight. Ex kim’s first BBL and nose job, kpop idols’ eyelid surgerys and nose jobs. Few noses are safe in the entertainment industry.
I love your videos. Keep it up!
whenever this kind of topics come up i am so relieved that growing up i was never really pushed into any of these views or interested in them, and while i do want to lose some weight it's more to be on the healthier side and more comfortable with myself than to fall into the standards of beauty. i really hope we'll be able to move on from this as a society and let women just be comfortable in their own bodies
I've only read the manga, but yeah, Helter Skelter hits hard.
I remember being a young teenager and I was absolutely terrified of birthdays, every year close to turning 18 was another year close to "getting old". Only thing that helped me was realizing how many lies and false constructs society is built upon, and that none of it will matter when I'm a skeleton in a casket.
I LOVE that movie so much - thanks for adressing it in a video ❤
I’ve been a fan of this manga for years now and this video essay was a fantastic discussion of it ❤
I loved this movie since I saw it in highschool and I didn’t even know why. I just related to her anguish, self hate and obsession with looks deeply. I also think it’s interesting that Kiko Mizuhara is in this movie, as she has basically been the Liliko of Japan, at least from an international perspective, in the sense that she’s been the number one model in the country since I was in highschool. I wonder what her views are on the topic.
I watched the movie just so I could watch this video, and I was not disappointed. Thank you for recommendation and for video essay.
Could watch your video essays all day ~
THANK YOU someone talking about this movie it’s in my top 5 favs
You’re gonna open a lot of eyes with this analysis!