What is Beautiful?

As one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, South Korea has adopted a strict set of standards to define beauty.  This demanding list includes milky white skin, big doe eyes, a painfully slim figure, a perfectly angled nose, endlessly long legs, etc.  It is common knowledge that most Korean pop stars have gone under the knife at least once: a startling fact that is simply accepted, rather than questioned.  But this obsession is present not only in the entertainment industry, but also in mainstream culture.  South Korea boasts the highest rate of cosmetic plastic surgery in the world, with 17% of Korean women having undergone some cosmetic procedure, and nearly 53% considering plastic surgery.

It is likely that this obsession stems from the Confucius tenet that humans ought to strive for what is thought to be better.  In this arduous quest for good looks, women are often convinced that sacrificing is necessary and worthy in order to bear the fruits of beauty.  And this suffering is not for nothing. With good looks, Korean society believes that one can attract a better-looking partner, which leads to a better lifestyle and better-looking children. More importantly, good looks improve chances for competitive jobs, which is especially critical in today's competitive market.  Essentially, they believe that physical beauty equals happiness. 

This sentiment is unquestionably shared and accepted by my students - young, wistful 16-year olds with hearts full of hope and desire.  Not a day goes by that I don't hear a student say that her face is ugly, or see a student running laps between classes because she "needs to exercise" and "lose weight."  It breaks my heart every time I see another student with scars on her eyelids, having succumbed to pressure to Westernize her appearance.  For this reason, I decided to teach a lesson that presented different ideas of beauty from around the world, provided insight into how the media dictates these standards, and gave students a platform to think critically about the difference between inner beauty and outer beauty. 

One of the primary objectives for this lesson was to have students make a "What is Beautiful" poster.  The poster template featured a silhouette of a (intentionally full-figured) woman.  On the inside of the woman, students were asked to write things that they think are beautiful on the inside; i.e., beautiful personality traits.  And on the outside of woman, students were asked to write things that they think define outer beauty; i.e., beautiful appearance traits.  Overall, this was an excellent way to reinforce the lesson, review personality/body part vocabulary, and keep students engaged.  Here are some of the things that my students wrote that illustrate why this lesson was absolutely necessary.

Ideal Size = Nearly 5'8" but only 105 lbs

:(((

22-Inch Waist?! That is both unhealthy and unrealistic!

Although it is highly influenced by Western media, Korea's standard of beauty is certainly idiosyncratic.  In terms of appearance, the eyes are the key to the mystical realm of beauty.  The majority of women going in for surgery want a second eyelid fold: a feature that seems so insignificant but holds much weight in terms of Korean beauty.  In addition, students tell me that having "smiley eyes" is very desirable. They think it is especially cute if a small fold appears under the eye when one smiles. Strangeeee...  Also, I've learned that Koreans love to compare things to eggs.  For example, having an egg-shaped (oval, as opposed to round face) is beautiful.  But one would never want to have "leg egg."  Now what is leg egg, you ask?!  Well, this fancy term refers to any kind of protruding muscle in the calf or thigh area.  According to my students, this would only make the leg look fatter.  >.<

In addition, Korans love to describe the body in terms of "lines."  For example, the V-line refers to an angular jaw or the sharp tapering of one's face.  This, of course, is very beautiful.  As is the S-line, or curvaceous hour-glass figure, which is very rare for slim Korean women, but highly coveted.  An X-line is a non-existantly skinny waist.  The W-line is a voluptuous bust and the U-line is a concave lower back.  Haha, got all that?!  Perhaps the most unusual thing that Korean teenagers think is beautiful is a prominent straight collarbone.  According to one student, it should pop out so much that you can pour water into it.  Naturally, this would require one to be on the cusp of emaciation.  But I kept my mouth shut.



My students also wrote plenty of hysterical things on their beauty posters.  I feel like this is going to be Round 2 of "Students Say the Darnest Things."  Please enjoy!  I take full responsibility for teaching the words "pooch" and "muffin top" to one of my advanced classes.  Hey, they asked me what the appropriate slang words were.  And I, as the knowledgeable native English speaker, had a duty to respond with the most accurate answer.  Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for bust cliff or cherry mouse.

In addition, I learned that it's important to be fashionable, but not have obesity.  Cellulite (which I taught one class) is a universally undesirable trait, as are leg muscles.  Having good scent and smooth skin is a surefire way to win a mate.  But you must remember to trim your fur and schedule a dentist appointment to ensure that your teeth are well-arranged!  HAHAHA!  XD

That being said, my students also had some incredibly encouraging things to say about beauty.  Despite the overbearing emphasis that Korean society places on appearance, many students acknowledged that having a natural body and natural face is beautiful to them.  It's comforting to know that amidst the barrage of advertisements and societal pressures to be "perfect," they can still find the beauty within.  After the students finished making their beauty posters, I had several students present their ideas to the class.  Then, I had the students speak candidly about what is more important: outer beauty or inner beauty.  Every class reached the same conclusion - inner beauty is more important because it won't change, even as our appearances fade.  This made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Lastly, I had students turn their poster over and write a few sentences about what they learned in class that day.  I really feel like I got through to my students and challenged their ideas about what they consider to be beautiful.  Several my classes even ended in resounding applause from the students.  I don't remember the last time I ever felt this proud.  Here are some excerpts from my students' reflections. 

Below are some of the more memorable reflections.  As you can see, I have some serious jokesters and philosophers in my classes.  But the last two reflections really spoke to me and nearly left me in tears.  "When I have a daughter, I should teach her that good personality is more important than good appearance." and  "I just think that I am ugly, but today I think maybe I am beautyful." 

I can easily say that this lesson was the most successful lesson that I've taught (and probably will ever teach).  This is the first time, in which I felt like a real teacher - not just one who reviews mindless information, but one who can have lasting impressions on students' lives.  Down the road, students may forget obscure English grammar rules but I truly hope lesson will stick with them for years to come.  ♥♥♥