Final Essay 3

Nicolette Van Duysen

November 4, 2014

English 1100

Essay 3 Final

Benefits of Being Beautiful

            Everyone desires beauty. Meaning, there is not a single person in the world that does not want to be beautiful. Beauty is a complex subject that follows people around everywhere they go. It is enviable to avoid the concept of beauty, because beauty is everywhere we look. Lust for perfections is in movies, magazines, and all around us. You could see beautiful figures in any movie, any television show, and in every picture in a book or magazine; it’s all around us. It is a constant reminder of how powerful image is, and the effects it has on everyone. Even just by seeing someone who is beautiful you would notice that they are receiving better treatment than everyone else because of the way they look. Looking at the way someone is treated when they are beautiful creates an instant jealousy and passion for it. You want to be that person that everyone likes and wants to be with; you want to get your way all of the time just based on how you look. In the Ted Talk, “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” by Cameron Russell, she is a first hand inside source, admitting to everyone the benefits she receives from being beautiful. Furthermore, it is unfair that being beautiful has benefits that are not given to everyone.

            Evidently, by being beautiful you could get out of stuff. For instance, it is no competition if two people did something wrong and one of them is beautiful, who has a better chance of getting out of whatever they have done. In the Ted Talk, Russell explains benefits that she has received just by being beautiful. For instance, she explains a story about when her and her friend were teenagers; her friend was not the best driver and ran a red light. When a cop pulled them over she stated that it only took a, “Sorry officer,” and she was off the hook. She explained how it is not only the free materialistic things she gets but also the free things like escaping a payment from a ticket that is barely talked about. She stated, “ I got these free things because of how I look and not who I am, and there are people paying a cost for how they look and not who they are” (Russell 6:50).  This shows us that society is mainly focused on people’s physical image. If someone thinks a person is good looking, they will receive more benefits that most people would be paying for, which is not morally right. In addition, she then informed us that she was from New York and showed a study that claimed in 2011 over 140,000 between the ages of 14 and 18 were stopped, and 86% of that number were Black and Latino men. There is only between 120,000 and 177,000 Black and Latino men in New York. Russell then went on saying, “For them it isn’t a question of will I get stopped? But how many times will I get stopped? When will I get stopped”(Russell 7:15).  Russell admitted that she gets out of things like that based on the way she looks. That being said, it is not fair for people like Cameron Russell, just based on looks she can get extra benefits like escaping a ticket, that a majority of the people cannot just on how they look.

            In addition, it is easier for people who are beautiful to get more jobs. In other words, people will most likely listen to someone who is attractive, and that it is why more “pretty” people get hired apposed to someone not as pretty. If you are attractive you can just use sex appeal to get what you want. It is a “no brainer” that if two people are going for the same job, and one is beautiful while the other clearly is not, it is evident who will be getting the job. In modeling beauty plays a huge role, which is why Cameron Russell got the job she has. She became a model because; she had more “beautiful” qualities than someone else running for it. She stated herself that she won the “genetic lottery.” This was significant in the talk, because a lot of points she made went around the fact that she is a pretty, skinny, tall, white women. She states, “ We have defined beauty not just as health, youth, and symmetry that we are all biologically programmed to admire. But also as tall, slender figures and femininity, and white skin. And this is a legacy that was built for me…” (Russell 2:50). These are traits that are are considered “beautiful” and could have been stacked in anyone’s favor. Instead, she received those characteristics that evidently most models have, that everyone looks at as beautiful figures; therefore, she won the “genetic lottery”. Even though it was not in her control she was lucky and gets benefits by the way she looks. It is not fair that you can persuade someone that you are a better fit for something, just on how you look.

            Furthermore, it is clear that people who are beautiful get treated better. If you have the gift of being beautiful, people will like you more and give you better treatment. Cameron Russell obviously she gets free stuff from being a model, but she explained a story that is completely unfair for everyone else. She states, “ But the free stuff that I get is the free stuff that I get in real life, and that’s what we don’t like to talk about. I grew up in Cambridge, and one time I went into a store and forgot my money and they gave me the dress for free” (Russell 6:31). Anyone else, a store owner would just give them one look and hold the door open for them watching them leave, but for Cameron Russell they let her take the dress for free just because she was beautiful. It is obvious, that store owners would not just give a dress for free to just anyone that forgot their money; however, because she is beautiful she gets special treatment. The treatment is not fair to everyone else that just because someone is beautiful does not mean that they should just get benefits over everyone else.

            People that are beautiful get benefits over everyone else. It is not fair that people are treated better just because, they were born more fortunate than everyone else. Cameron Russell gave some honest insight to what goes on with society treating people better just because they are beautiful. It should open everybody’s eyes to the fact that society treats people based on physical appearance. She wrapped up with her talk with, “… I found it very difficult to strike an honest balance because on the one hand, I felt very uncomfortable to come out here and say, ‘Look I received all these benefits from a deck stacked in my favor’…” (Russell 8:35). She is admitting to us that beautiful people are awarded with more benefits. This is unfair because, it is all based on luck of being beautiful and over things you cannot control.

People should open societies eyes into seeing this kind of behavior and what to do to stop it. You cannot stop someone from being beautiful, nor would you want to, but you could make it aware to the public of the unfair treatment. People could take a stand like Cameron Russell did in sharing this information on video. As long as people are aware it should not happen as often. It could be as simple as writing a complaint if you were charged for something and someone else was not, or just making it noticed when it is happening. Just because someone is beautiful, does not mean they should get special treatment because of it.

Work Cited

Russell, Cameron. “Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m A Model.” Ted Talk,

Mid Atlantic. Oct. 2012. Lecture.

Essay 3 FINAL

Nicolette Van Duysen

November 4, 2014

English 1100

Essay 3

Benefits of Being Beautiful

            Everyone desires beauty. Meaning, there is not a single person in the world that does not want to be beautiful. Beauty is a complex subject that follows people around everywhere they go. It is enviable to avoid the concept of beauty, because beauty is everywhere we look. Lust for perfections is in movies, magazines, and all around us. You could see beautiful figures in any movie, any television show, and in every picture in a book or magazine; it’s all around us. It is a constant reminder of how powerful image is, and the effects it has on everyone. Even just by seeing someone who is beautiful you would notice that they are receiving better treatment than everyone else because of the way they look. Looking at the way someone is treated when they are beautiful creates an instant jealousy and passion for it. You want to be that person that everyone likes and wants to be with; you want to get your way all of the time just based on how you look. In the Ted Talk, “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.”, by Cameron Russell, she is a first hand inside source, admitting to everyone the benefits she receives from being beautiful. Furthermore, it is unfair that being beautiful has various benefits that are not given to everyone.

            Evidently, by being beautiful you could get out of stuff. For instance, it is no competition if two people did something wrong and one of them is beautiful, who has a better chance of getting out of whatever they have done. In the Ted Talk, she explains benefits that she has received just by being beautiful. For instance, she explains a story about when her and her friend were teenagers; her friend was not the best driver and ran a red light. When a cop pulled them over she stated that it only took a, “Sorry officer,” and she was off the hook. She explained how it is not only the free materialistic things she gets but also the free things like escaping a payment from a ticket that is barely talked about. She stated, “ I got these free things because how I look not who I am, and there are people paying a cost for how they look and not who they are” (qtd . in Russell).  This shows us that society is mainly focused on people’s physical image. If someone thinks a person is good looking, they will receive more benefits that most people would be paying for, which is not morally right. In addition, she then informed us that she was from New York and showed a study that claimed in 2011 over 140,000 between the ages of 14 and 18 were stopped, and 86% of that number were Black and Latino men. There is only between 120,000 and 177,000 Black and Latino men in New York. Russell then went on saying, “For them it isn’t a question of will I get stopped? But how many times will I get stopped? When will I get stopped”(qtd . in Russell).  Russell admitted that she gets out of things like that based on the way she looks. That being said, it is not fair for people like Cameron Russell, just based on looks she can get extra benefits like escaping a ticket, that a majority of the people cannot just on how they look.

            In addition, it is easier for people who are beautiful to get more jobs. In other words, people will most likely listen to someone that is attractive, and that it is why more “pretty” people get hired apposed to someone not as pretty. If you are attractive you can just use sexual appeal to get what you want. It is a “no brainer” that if two people are going for the same job, and one is beautiful while the other clearly is not, it is evident who will be getting the job. In modeling that plays a huge role, which is why Cameron Russell got the job she has. She became a model because; she had more “beautiful” qualities than someone else running for it. She stated herself that she won the “genetic lottery”, and even though it was not in her control she was lucky and gets benefits by the way she looks. It is not fair that you can persuade someone that you are a better fit for something, just on how you look.

            Furthermore, it is clear that people who are beautiful get treated better. If you have the gift of being beautiful, people will like you more and give you better treatment. Cameron Russell obviously she gets free stuff from being a model, but she explained a story that is completely unfair for everyone else. She walked into a store and wanted this dress, but she forgot her money. Anyone else, a store owner would just give them one look and hold the door open for them watching them leave, but for Cameron Russell they let her take the dress for free just because she was beautiful. The treatment is not fair to everyone else that just because someone is beautiful does not mean that they should just get benefits over everyone else.

            People that are beautiful get benefits over everyone else. It is not fair that people are treated better just because, they were born more fortunate than everyone else. Cameron Russell gave some honest insight to what goes on with society treating people better just because they are beautiful. It should open everybody’s eyes to the fact that society treats people based on physical appearance. She wrapped up with her talk with, “… I found it very difficult to strike an honest balance because on the one hand, I felt very uncomfortable to come out here and say, ‘Look I received all these benefits from a deck stacked in my favor’…” (qtd . in Russell). She is admitting to us that beautiful people are awarded with more benefits. This is unfair because, it is all based on luck of being beautiful and over things you cannot control. People should open societies eyes into seeing this kind of behavior and what to do to stop it. You cannot stop someone from being beautiful, nor would you want to, but you could make it aware to the public of the unfair treatment. People could take a stand like Cameron Russell did in sharing this information on video. As long as people are aware it should not happen as often. It could be as simple as writing a complaint if you were charged for something and someone else was not, or just making it noticed when it is happening. Just because someone is beautiful, does not mean they should get special treatment because of it.

Work Cited

Russell, Cameron. “Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m A Model.” Ted Talk,

Mid Atlantic. Oct. 2012. Lecture.

Final Revision of Essay 1

Nicolette Van Duysen

September 2, 2014

English 1100

Response to “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”

What Makes You, You

            Did you ever wonder what really makes you who you are? In the passage “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” by Gloria Anzaldua, she explains how your language is what makes up your identity. In her work she gives the reader insight to her language and how it is significant to her in describing who she is. As a reader to her work I would agree that your language makes up a piece of who you are. It’s how you speak, read, understand things and shows a little bit of your culture; however, it is only part of who you are. Even though language gives you a form of self, it is just a smaller portion of the list of things that identifies you. However, my town creates my identity because, it taught me everything growing up shaping my personality and who I am today; in my opinion, where you are from ties everything together about your identity and makes up the largest part of what makes you, you.

Evidently, for Anzaldua in her piece, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” she used language as a form of identity and how to express herself; however, for me it is my town. That is, identity is supposed to be the thing that expresses who you are inside and out. Identity is something that describes you the best. It does not have to be through a sentence or an item, it can be a place as well. If you are able to look at something and say, “Everything right here describes who I am,” that is your identity. My town made me the person I am today  and creates my identity. I grew up in Freehold nearly my whole life, and know it inside and out. For instance, I had various memories there that I will have with me for the rest of my life and along with them comes with life lessons. I cherish countless amounts of memories I’ve had in Freehold: the good, which make me show my love and appreciation for what I have, and the bad that has stemmed where my morals lie today and how guarded I am as a person.  Each place, which is similar to certain landmarks in Freehold, always makes me have my town in the back of my mind. Whether each person’s experience was good or bad, the town that you grew up in made every individual into the person they are today.

            Furthermore, relating to Anzaldua’s multiple languages, in my town we say words that other towns outside of our area may have never heard of before. For example, we say words like “shive”, which means if you say you are going to do something and then do not do it you are a “shive” or “just shived”. There are various words other than this one that if you were to say anywhere else people would just look at you funny; since it has become a part of my personality and everyday language I still say these words. This is similar to when she used the word “Pachuco.” Pachuco is the language that she only spoke with her friends and used slang that most people did not understand. Anzaldua was able to understand this slang because she grew up saying these words with her friends, while other people not from her area would not understand her slang. This is the slang that she was talking about that she had only used with her friends. My town says words that you will not be able to find in the dictionary or by searching them on Google, because they do not exist in the English language; however, if anyone in Freehold uses these words, we would understand what the other person meant on instinct.

            In addition, as Anzaldua continues to use language describing her identity, I believe your town forms your identity as well. In other words, where you grew up shapes you into everything you have become as you get older. For instance, even the language that you speak that Anzaldua is so passionate about, comes from where you were raised and how you have been taught by the people around you. Anzaldua states in the text, “… I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.” I feel the same way about where you grew up. If you cannot take  pride in that, and realize where you were raised built you in your years, then you need to do a reevaluation on who you think you are. My town is my rock because that is where I grew up, and everything I learned and will continue learning in my years is stemmed off of it. It is every childhood memory, every first anything, every food place that sticks with you through your life and cannot compare to anything else. For example, personally I do not like pizza, but for me the only pizza I will eat is from a place in my town called Feds. I love the gelato place next to it called Café 360, where there would be couches everywhere that I can just hangout with my friends with. By doing that for so long it became one of my favorite things to do, and a relaxation to me. Just to sit down on some benches with friends, listening to cars go by  and having small conversation became one of my favorite things by being accustomed to doing it so much growing up. Nothing would ever replace the aroma that filled the air of various scents of different foods such as pizza, and cheesesteaks from all the diners being right next to each other, with that distinct musty scent in the air from all the traffic crowding the area. It was not the best smell, but I knew it was home. The reason why places in your town cannot compare to anything else, is because that is part of your identity and what made you, you. Your town has done the significant job of making you who you are, as life goes on you will always go through changes, but you will never change the person you are inside and have become. That is, where you grew up makes you into the person you are today.

            That being said, my town is one of the most essential things that create my identity. However, going by Anzaldua’s perspective she claims that her language is her identity. The town you are from creates your character. On the other hand, language is a big part of your identity, but it is just an example of the things that come with where you grew up (the greater picture).  In other words, you could speak a different language and be the exact same person at heart, but if I had grew up somewhere else, I would not be the same person that I am today. In my opinion, the statement in the previous sentence holds true for everyone as well. All that you have become is from right in that couple mile distance that you knew every square inch of your whole life.

                        

Essay 3 Benefits of Being Beautiful

Nicolette Van Duysen

November 4, 2014

English 1100

Essay 3

Benefits of Being Beautiful

            No matter who you are, everyone desires beauty. Beauty is a complex subject that follows people around everywhere they go. Beauty is everywhere we look. It is in movies, magazines, and all around us. It is a constant reminder of how powerful image is and the effects it has on everyone. Just looking at the way someone is treated when they are beautiful, creates an instant jealousy and passion for it. You want to be that person that everyone likes and wants to be with, you want to get your way all of the time just based on how you look. For example, all of Disney Princesses are this tall, skinny, and shiny beautiful image that are envied by their one enemy, but are given everything they want. They are liked by everyone just simply because they are beautiful. After being a little girl watching these figures, that’s all you desire to become because, you want to be that beautiful figure receiving all of these benefits that they have gotten. Therefore, it is unfair that being beautiful has various benefits that are not given to everyone.

            Evidently, by being beautiful you could get out of stuff. For instance, it is no competition if two people did something wrong and one of them is beautiful, who has a better chance of getting out of whatever they have done. In a well-known Ted Talk, “ Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” by Cameron Russell, she explains as an inside source benefits she has received just by being beautiful. For instance, she explains a story about when her and her friend were teenagers; her friend was not the best driver and ran a red light. When a cop pulled them over she stated that it only took a, “Sorry officer,” and she was off the hook. She was let off free just based on the way she looked, while someone else who is not as fortunate looking as she is, is paying the price of a ticket for how they look. She then informed us that she was from New York and showed a study that claimed in 2011 over 140,000 between the ages of 14 and 18 were stopped, and 86% of that number were Black and Latino men. There is only between 120,000 and 177,000 Black and Latino men in New York. Russell then went on saying, “For them it isn’t a question of will I get stopped? But how many times will I get stopped? When will I get stopped”(Russell).  Russell admitted that she gets out of things like that based on the way she looks. That being said, it is not fair for people like Cameron Russell, just based on looks she can get extra benefits like escaping a ticket, that a majority of the people cannot just on how they look.

            In addition, people who are beautiful are more persuasive. In other words, people will most likely listen to someone that is attractive. If you are attractive you can just use sexual appeal to get what you want. It is a “no brainer” that if two people are going for the same job, and one is beautiful while the other clearly is not, it is evident who will be getting the job. In modeling that plays a huge role, which is why Cameron Russell got the job she has. She became a model because; she had more “beautiful” qualities than someone else running for it. She stated herself that she won the “genetic lottery”, and even though it was not in her control she was lucky and gets benefits by the way she looks. It is not fair that you can persuade someone that you are a better fit for something, just on how you look.

            Furthermore, it is clear that people who are beautiful get treated better. If you have the gift of being beautiful, people will like you more. That holds true even in a high school setting. Normally the “popular” kids are not the most unfortunate looking people in the school. They are beautiful figures that people look up to and want to be more like. Therefore, they automatically have better social treatment. On the other hand, you could just get better treatment with the outside word for being beautiful as well. For instance, Cameron Russell obviously she gets free stuff from being a model, but she explained a story that is completely unfair for everyone else. She walked into a store and wanted this dress, but she forgot her money. Anyone else, a store owner would just give them one look and hold the door open for them watching them leave, but for Cameron Russell they let her take the dress for free just because she was beautiful. The treatment is not fair to everyone else that just because someone is beautiful does not mean that they should just get benefits over everyone else.

            In conclusion, people that are beautiful get benefits over everyone else such as, getting off the hook for things that everyone else does not, persuade people easier, and get treated better. It is not fair that people are treated better just because, they were born more fortunate than everyone else. People could not control how they look over other people no matter how much they construct it. It is an issue that should be brought up and made awareness, even though it is such a complex subject. The concept of beauty is difficult because, it is something everyone desires and to tell everyone to ignore how much it means is like telling a fish not to swim. However, as a community something should be done to make sure everyone gets fair treatment and earns the things they get in life the same. Moreover, everyone goes through life the same way, nobody should get benefits over someone else on things we all cannot control.

Work Cited

Russell, Cameron. “Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m A Model.” Ted Talk,

Mid Atlantic. Oct. 2012. Lecture.

http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everything_believe_me_i_m_a_model?language=en