Even though the name of the article is a little bit banal, the author covers it up with an engaging plot and peppers the whole journal entry with a lot of jokes. As Dave Barry puts it - there is no right answer to the question ‘How do I look?’ as it is easier to ‘collapse on the floor with some kind of fatal seizure' (Barry, 109). I agree with the opinion that there is more pressure on women from the society and that they are always comparing themselves. There is constantly a competition and, unfortunately, nobody ever wins. Women feel that they are ‘never good enough’ (Barry, 109). These three words explain why women put themselves down. It does not matter how many compliments you get every day, somebody is going to be more attractive and beautiful than you think you are. The fantastic sense of humor does not offend and it does not suggest that the author does not respect women in any way. It shows the ignorance of the society and the behavioral processes in which ‘women grow up thinking they need to look like Barbie' (Barry, 110).
WHAT ISN'T FOR SALE
Having read the article, you understand why it is considered to be one of the best reasons for a lively and fascinating discussion. Author not only mentions reasons for worrying about a society where everything can be bought, ‘one is about inequality, the other about corruption’ (Standel), but develops an idea that it is a must to pay attention to the markets as they have their impact on our lives. To support his idea about depreciation of the values, author creates a list of the things that you can buy. Some of them seem quite ordinary for the modern culture, but others - you can not even wrap you head around them. I enjoyed reading about a mother who desperately needed money and sold space on her forehead to earn $10,000. Showing how determined some people are to survive, Michael Standel jokingly states: ‘temporary tattoo ads earn less’, undermining and humiliating this kind of business.
Works Cited
Barry, Dave. "The Ugly Truth about Beauty." Mirror on America: Short Essays and Images from popular Culture. 2nd ed. Eds. Joan T. Mims and Elizabeth M. Nollen. NY: Bedford, (2003): 109-12. Print.
Sandel, Michael. 'What Isn't for Sale?'. The Atlantic.com April 2012. Web. July 2015
