Rated R for profanity and some sexual references.
Film Review by
Kam Williams Did you know that Americans spend more money on cosmetics annually, $45 billion, than all of the developing countries combined do on healthcare? What's up with that? Are we really that ugly and in need of makeovers, or is something sinister afoot? According to Darryl Roberts, women have been duped by Madison Avenue into setting unrealistic expectations for themselves.
Darryl is the director of America the Beautiful, a scathing indictment of the beauty industry which systematically dissects the issue from both inside and out. This shocking expose’ not only offers insights from the
perspective of impressionable teenage girls, some of whom freely
admit to hating their own appearance, but also from the
point-of-view of actresses, academics, talent scouts,
photographers, fashion designers, TV personalities and runway
models, all of whom, it seems, have long since capitulated to
the narrowly-defined appreciation of only one idealized body
type. Like a black version of Michael Moore, Mr. Roberts appears on camera, annoying everyone he meets by posing some variation of the probing question of the day, namely, ’Does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty?’ Most of the responses he elicits from celebrities, unfortunately, are vapid remarks which reflect a superficial shallowness or simply shrugs which might best be interpreted as, "This is the way things are. Get used to it."
But what would you expect from the likes of a Paris Hilton or a Jessica Simpson? Ditto CosmoGirl! Editor-in-Chief Susan Schulz and the E! Channel's Ted Casablance, each of whom has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Other interviewees include Aisha Tyler, Martin Short, Mena Suvari, Julianne Moore and Tisha Campbell.
However, the contributions of all of the above are easily
overshadowed by those of Gerren Taylor, a statuesque former
supermodel who skyrocketed to fame a half-dozen years ago at the
tender age of 12. Although the 5’11’ tall, African-American
teenager has continued to blossom into quite an attractive young
woman, she no longer is hired to strut her stuff up catwalks in
New York, L.A. and all over the world, but now sends her days in
a classroom as a high school senior. __________________________________ Trailer of America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments
[2011] |