Be Weird, Be Beautiful
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If you’ve ever looked back on a video of yourself dancing around playfully, singing karaoke, rolling down a hill, or laughing uproariously, you probably know that these moments look very un-put-together. They’re wild and messy. It’s easy to associate messiness with a lack of beauty; after all, when we dress up to look nice, we’re putting ourselves “together.” We style our hair, wear ironed clothes, do our makeup, cover up blemishes, and make ourselves presentable. While I enjoy getting ready like this, I also think our society has made us believe that this “put togetherness” is the only form of beauty that can exist. When we laugh loudly, sing while jumping up and down, or dance freely, we sometimes feel embarrassed because we’ve let our guard down. But I think there’s a true form of beauty that exists in these wild moments, too.
One great example of messy beauty is Christine in the film Lady Bird. She never appears very composed. Her fiery personality is all over the place, and this trait is represented by her physical appearance. She has dyed red hair in a simple haircut, wears minimal makeup, and even shows off a neon pink arm cast with her school uniform. Watching this movie on my phone at age 18, I thought the filmmakers did an exceptional job setting Christine up as a relatable character. Most high schoolers (and even college kids) look like Christine rather than Instagram models with perfect skincare routines and immaculate features.
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Christine’s life is equally as messy and beautiful as she is. Her adventures are iconic and inspiring, from stargazing to playing pranks to dancing at prom with her best friend. I love that each of these moments displays how authentic Christine is: a flawed human simply trying to find her way and make memories while she can. She messes up, falls for the wrong people, learns from her mistakes, and discovers herself along the way. In some of my favorite scenes from Lady Bird, Christine is laughing loudly with her head back, crying with her mascara running, or jumping around in an excited frenzy.
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Christine’s beauty – and the movie’s beauty as a whole – stems from experiences and moments, not beauty products or societal validation. In fact, the “cool” kids in the movie often reject Christine as too weird or different from the norm. She eventually learns to embrace her authenticity and celebrate those great moments, like dancing with her best friend at prom. In accepting her unique, weird beauty, Christine finds the best version of herself – the version that viewers can admire and learn from.
Another movie that displays the messy beauty of the protagonist is Poor Things. Bella Baxter is very unconventionally pretty; her charm comes from her wild nature and confidence in herself. She never appears put together or confirms society’s standards of beauty. Her hair is long and unstyled; she wears minimal or no makeup; she dresses in outlandish clothes with huge puffy sleeves. Her face and body are very expressive, often making others like Duncan uneasy with how much she defies society. In the iconic dancing scene (which has been stuck in my brain since I saw the film), Bella dances in the most expressive way she can. She feels the music in her body and doesn’t care that she looks “weird” or strange.
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The dancing scene is iconic because Bella dares to be free from societal norms. If she backed down and danced the “normal” way that Duncan wanted her to, then the scene wouldn’t retain its charm and memorability. We can learn from Bella’s mannerisms by letting ourselves open up to how we feel, such as showing happiness in loud laughter and dancing around. We shouldn’t confine ourselves to being “put-together” all the time, worried about how society will judge us if we let loose. Bella constantly goes against the grain of society’s definition of beauty, but she is never less beautiful for her defiance. If anything, she becomes the iconic character of Bella Baxter by embodying that very wild freedom.
Even though Bella and Christine don’t wear makeup or do their hair in a fancy style, I think their lessons can still apply to everyone. You can have a skincare routine, do your makeup, fix your hair, wear nice clothes, and still be authentic and wild. These beauty steps can enhance your sense of self rather than take away from it. For instance, Bella certainly loves to dress up in fancy clothes, but the dresses reflect her personality. Makeup, hair, and clothing can add to your authenticity if you have the right mindset; rather than fixing yourself up to please society, do it to please yourself! Have fun with beauty! Wear purple eyeshadow and put glitter on your skin! Try fun outfits and hairdos! Find whatever makes you feel free. Dance around, laugh with your stomach, tell people you love them, cry when you’re sad, and don’t care what the world thinks in the meantime.
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Strike Out,
Writer: Ellie Amos
Editor: Blake N. Fiadino
Tallahassee