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by Reena Daruwalla, guest writer for Nancy Hayssen.com

The next must-see film on my agenda is this documentary called America the Beautiful by Darryl Roberts. It reportedly deals with the issue of America’s obsession with beauty. It mainly tells the story of a 12 year old model who obviously does not really remain a child in the cutthroat world of the fashion industry. When you talk about America’s obsession with beauty you obviously have to touch upon America’s obsession with being thin and the attendant insecurities it breeds among people. It then follows, that mention must be made of plastic surgery, which is a huge industry in the US. The documentary also talks about a website called beautifulpeople.net, a dating service which accepts members based on their aesthetic appeal.

Model deaths from anorexia complications and other eating disorders among people are a distressingly common reality in the United States. Many organizations are now raising their voice against the modeling industry standard of the painfully thin model in favor of a more varied, more real, curvier definition of beauty. Perhaps perceptions are changing, but there is a lot more that needs to be done.

The legal age requirement for becoming a runway model is 14 in the US, but the subject matter of the documentary, Gerren Taylor is just 12 when she starts her stint as a model. The film documents her dramatic success and subsequent insecurity in a fickle and uncertain industry when she was deemed too big at size 4 and with 96-centimeter (37.8 inches) hips (hips evidently have to measure 90 centimeters (35.4 inches) or less). The Los Angeles Times said about Garren Taylor, “Even Gerren’s mountains of supermodel media coverage — including appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Extra” — couldn’t get her past the power of the tape measure.“ This is a tragic statement and a painful comment on society.

Chicago filmmaker Darryl Roberts, the maker of this film is quoted as having said, “America is on a quest for physical perfection, fueled by the greed of a few companies that get proportionally richer as our self esteem tanks,” Roberts said. “The film shows where this stems from and how it is probably not in our best interest to buy into it.”

Well, I certainly could not have put it better myself! I wonder when we will get to watch it in India.