Analysis Of Lakshmi Chaudry´s What I Think About The Fashion World
Humans are the only living beings on Earth who do not just strive to survive, but strive to reach a certain level of satisfaction termed “happiness.” No other animal, insect, or bacteria separates contentedness from survival; the two are one and the same for every living being but humans. In “What I Think About the Fashion World,” Liz Jones discusses the extreme lengths many women leap toward in order to change their physical appearances, because they think they will be happier once their looks are transformed. Lakshmi Chaudry’s “Mirror, Mirror, on the Web” discusses how many teens live in the pursuit of fame in order to become more satisfied, ultimately wasting their time on meaningless matters. Hermann Hesse describes one man’s journey to
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Chaudry introduces her essay with statistics from “a 2000 Interprise poll” that found that “50 percent of kids under 12 believe that becoming famous is part of the American Dream” (Goshgarian 266). The fact that “50 percent” of children consider fame to be an important, desirable goal means that most kids believe fame will give them happiness (Goshgarian 266). Nearly half of American teens will go on to pursue fame in some way, and hundreds of thousands will seriously change their lifestyles in an attempt to become famous. However, as dozens of celebrity suicides and downfalls have come to prove, fame does not lead to happiness, and often creates even more problems. Marilyn Monroe was a very famous woman who seemed to have it all: Money, attention, and a beautiful body. Nevertheless, even Monroe said, “Fame doesn’t fulfill you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary” (“Marilyn Monroe Quote”). Teenagers obsessed with fame need to read and listen to actual celebrities who have dealt with fame to truly understand that it is not as glamorous as the media makes it seem. Another person who dealt with fame and did not find satisfaction in its depths was Siddhartha, as shown in Little Buddha. In the movie, Siddhartha, the son of a king, leaves his sheltered life to see poverty for the first time. Now a young man, Siddhartha recognizes that he “[has] everything, and everything is perfect” (Little Buddha). Still, he longs for something more than his material possessions, and he asks himself, “So, what is this feeling I have?” (Little Buddha). While this man is given fame and fortune since birth, he feels empty inside because he is not satisfied with his image. After many failed attempts, the only way Siddhartha is able to find satisfaction is through helping others, living a simple life, and understanding the beauty of
Chaudry introduces her essay with statistics from “a 2000 Interprise poll” that found that “50 percent of kids under 12 believe that becoming famous is part of the American Dream” (Goshgarian 266). The fact that “50 percent” of children consider fame to be an important, desirable goal means that most kids believe fame will give them happiness (Goshgarian 266). Nearly half of American teens will go on to pursue fame in some way, and hundreds of thousands will seriously change their lifestyles in an attempt to become famous. However, as dozens of celebrity suicides and downfalls have come to prove, fame does not lead to happiness, and often creates even more problems. Marilyn Monroe was a very famous woman who seemed to have it all: Money, attention, and a beautiful body. Nevertheless, even Monroe said, “Fame doesn’t fulfill you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary” (“Marilyn Monroe Quote”). Teenagers obsessed with fame need to read and listen to actual celebrities who have dealt with fame to truly understand that it is not as glamorous as the media makes it seem. Another person who dealt with fame and did not find satisfaction in its depths was Siddhartha, as shown in Little Buddha. In the movie, Siddhartha, the son of a king, leaves his sheltered life to see poverty for the first time. Now a young man, Siddhartha recognizes that he “[has] everything, and everything is perfect” (Little Buddha). Still, he longs for something more than his material possessions, and he asks himself, “So, what is this feeling I have?” (Little Buddha). While this man is given fame and fortune since birth, he feels empty inside because he is not satisfied with his image. After many failed attempts, the only way Siddhartha is able to find satisfaction is through helping others, living a simple life, and understanding the beauty of