Naomi Wolf

The Beauty Myth

1. IDEA 1

   Beauty standards hold women back

   Wolf argues that as women gained legal and economic rights, pressure to meet impossible standards of beauty increased. She calls this pressure the beauty myth and sees it as a way of controlling women.

2. IDEA 2

   The myth is a backlash

   Wolf argues that the beauty myth grew stronger as feminism advanced. It replaced older restrictions with new ones. In her view, as women gained more rights and freedom, demands about their looks grew louder.

3. IDEA 3

   Looks affect women's careers

   Wolf argues that women at work are judged on appearance in ways men are not. This creates unfair pressure. In her account, this affects hiring, pay and promotion, even when the work itself is the same.

All 8 ideas from The Beauty Myth →