Superhuman or SubHuman?
Jorden Demerritte
Early this year in March, I strolled through the MET in New York City–lagging behind my Museum Studies classmates, I came across some intriguing figures made in ancient Egypt–as far back as 4300 BCE.
Taken within the Egyptian section at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Jorden Demerritte
Miakeya, my classmate, googled them, with a curious smirk that was waiting to be peeled back. Her observations matched my own–that these figures of women with their thin waists and wide hips reflect standards of beauty that women could not escape, even in ancient Egypt.
Recently, In a break between class assignments, I started to browse the internet, surfing the web and following trains of sporadic thoughts until I came across Anya Taylor Joy. Her pictures in 2024 filled me with confusion and concern–her face was different, the plump cheeks deflated to a sculpted jaw. She looked thinner and unlively, as if a syringe sucked up her youthfulness.
Two pictures of Anya Taylor-Joy. On the left is an image from The Queen’s Gambit and the one on the right was taken in 2024.
Confirming my suspicions was a side-by-side photograph of her-- one from the days of the Queen’s Gambit and the other of her today. As ozempic permeates online wellness shops and I drive past a plastic surgery office along South Dixie Highway, it’s hard to ignore how women are increasingly drawn into unsustainable beauty standards. It pains me to think people who struggle with body imagery, will admire features and gaunt jawlines made out of plastic.
Have we been planted square into the desert, chasing after a mirage of perfection, only to find ourselves further parched and less human? . We run ourselves ragged, chasing rainbows and bending towards the horizon, distorting ourselves in pursuit of fleeting admiration-- until we become too old or out-of-style. This perpetual grab at recognition for the forever rotting husk our humanity lies within.
Artists like Yeule and Olivia Rodrigo delve into this conundrum of the beauty standard that entraps feminine presenting persons(whether from themselves, community bias, or social media).
Within the first 5 lines of “Pretty Isn’t Pretty Enough” by Olivia Rodrigo the imagery of a girl’s chase to fit in aesthetically is developed:
Lyrics of “Pretty Isn’t Pretty Enough” by Olivia Rodrigo.
The lines above: “You can win the battle, but you’ll never will the war. You can fix the things you hated, and you’d still feel so insecure,” illustrates the fickleness of the perfect beauty we seek from ourselves, and the fixation to alleviate the burden self-perceived imperfections have over our heads.
One of my favorite songs, now 2 years old, by Yeule titled “Don’t Be So Hard on Your Own Beauty,” explores this idea explicitly. The song travels through an existential breakdown caused by her tarnished view of self and her perception that beyond not being enough, she creates casualties out of the people around her, due to all she lacks.
A pivotal figure in the song reiterates the point to not be so hard on her own beauty, and attempts to expand the viewfinder of her self-perception. Rather than beauty existing solely in the confines of the exterior –it also exists inside.
Screenshot of Yuele’s Spotify lyrics “Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty”
These songs are a reminder that humanity is not wholly encompassed on the outside. It notifies listeners that it is no superhuman feat to gain beauty via money, lighting, or popularity. These songs are a reminder that the everlasting beauty to strive for, is the one which exists in the heart. What do you believe about yourself? How do you treat yourself? Are you happy with the life you have made for yourself?
Strike Out,
Jorden Demerritte
Editor: Carla Mendez
Jorden Demerritte is a second-year at Miami Dade College pursuing an Associate of Arts in Architecture. Her experience of writing includes being Cartoonist and Staff Writer of The Beacon, a high school newspaper. She has experience interviewing individuals across the world, including Emily Damstra, an American-Canadian coin designer, and Stephen Heard, a Canadian author and biology professor. Her interest in writing lies in connecting with people and learning about the world around her. In fleeting flits of free time, Jorden enjoys online thrifting, tending to her backyard vegetable and flower garden, and reading.
