The definition of normal is conforming to a type standard or regular pattern and the definition of aesthetic is concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty, still society has deemed that the definition of normal be all about aesthetic.

 

The world has decided what normality is but confused it with aesthetic.  Rather than following a standard or pattern - we follow what is beautiful and what type of beauty should be admired and valued in addition to which should be overlooked and judged.

 

Perceptions surrounding beauty and body types not only vary by culture for example in the Maasai tribe elongated earlobes are considered to be beautiful and a form of higher status.  This is achieved by heavy jewels made by rocks or elephant tusks being lodged into their earlobes or in Maratea women with curves who are larger are accepted as more beautiful than someone who was noticeably thin.  These beauty standards and body types have evolved significantly throughout history, they have been made by societies of people who we wish to be or be with.  They didn’t just appear, though believe it or not they were here since 1292 BC.  They - being the icons and role models of those centuries have been the face of all popular beauty standards considered normal but what’s even more interesting is that they all have one thing in common these body types especially a women’s body type, were commercialised and advertised to be what everyone thinks is ordinary

 

The perception of normal is quite unusual how normality is seen as good, but abnormality is seen as bad, how can one person influence the worlds view on beauty and another show how ugly we can be, but I still question what exactly a normal body is or at least considered normal is,

 

In the roaring 20s the ideal woman had a flat chest a downplayed waist and somewhat resembling a boyish figure in the swinging 60s the adored female was willowy and slim with an adolescent physique and finally in the 1990s to early 2000s the heroin chic era was popularized having to appear with a waifish type body, extremely thin and androgynous,

 

One thing you can see here is throughout the centuries woman just kept getting thinner and thinner and things that you couldn’t possibly imagine being a trend were promoted.  Is this really normal?  Why is it that in current times if you aren’t noticeably thin you are not considered to have any beauty because it’s not normal but why is being skinny normal who said being plus size was abnormal why is it that the icons who rose in these eras had their bodies get a say in what should and should not be allowed,

 

Normal and normality is a difficult topic because no one should really get to decide what can be normal and what can’t but yet we still do and it’s not our own words that are causing the unanswered question of why is normal an aesthetic.  It is the bodies of the people we admire and the views of the people we love that we automatically agree with.  As much as we want to promote being ourselves how much more do we judge what is acceptable or not, the power of beauty has been so strong it has even been known to start a war:  Helen of Troy was the face that launched a 1000 ships it was her beauty that caused the Trojan war, beauty is not in the eye of the beholder beauty is forced onto us by what society deems as normal or should I rather say aesthetic.