this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
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This rubs me the wrong way given that very many people need orthodontia for medical reasons, because their bite would otherwise be so wonky it leads to pain, or to extreme wear on the teeth that can lead to losing them. When orthodontists correct a medical bite issue like this, they straighten out the teeth, too - maybe more than is necessary, sure, but it's generally better to overshoot and be sure the pain or cause of damage is fixed rather than not doing enough.
Nobody should be ashamed of crooked teeth: this is true. But equally, nobody who has hollywood straight teeth because they needed a medical issue fixed should be shamed and told they look "creepy" for it.
Imo, there's no shame in getting orthodontia just because you prefer that aesthetic or really don't like the way your teeth currently are, either. None whatsoever.
The solution to the existence of an arbitrary beauty standard is not "well, everybody who does fit that standard actually looks creepy/[insert insult here]".
I think this is akin to saying something like: women should never have to wear make-up or suffer judgement for choosing not to wear it, therefore women who do like and wear make-up are bad and it's okay to insult and make fun of them and their choices about their own personal appearance. Or that because women shouldn't be required to wear pink or dresses, we should shame those who do wear pink and dresses. Or that because people should not be insulted for being fat, it's therefore okay to insult people for being skinny. It's a ridiculous way of thinking and doesn't solve the original problem at all.
And it just makes a situation where people can't win no matter what they do - crooked teeth, or no make-up? You get insulted. Straight teeth and make-up? You get insulted in a different way. And as always, everyone who isn't cis, white and male will have their appearances nitpicked this way the most.
Even though I agree with what you say, I think the article was not an attempt to shame people who get their teeth fixed for whatever reason, cosmetic or functional. I perceived it more like an attempt to explore the extend of the unrealistic standards propagated through media, cinematic or web based.
I mean, what about body dysmorphia? It's not the people who fall into this trap that are the issue. They are not vain, and they probably actually suffer in more ways than one. They are actually the victims of unrealistic standards propagated by media. I believe that attacking those standards is not the same as attacking the people that identify themselves in them.
And it doesn't really stop at the teeth. It's everywhere. Bodybuilders struggling for years to achieve physiques that are not only impossible to achieve without PED's but actually also harmful to their health (especially if they start using drugs). Men injuring their bodies in countless ways to match false standards of what strength is supposed to look like. Women performing dangerous and sometimes clearly unhealthy plastic surgeries to match false standards of what attractive female figures are supposed to look like. Young people getting their faces changed permanently before they actually get a chance to experience the world fully.
This is not a new thing either. If you start looking into our past, there have been countless types of clothes that fit like a fingerless glove which people used to wear in order to conform to whatever social standards were at the time.
What is new though, is the extend to which these standards spread through modern media.. Comparing the current situation to the one before the web, like for example the extend to which magazines or tv shows could influence people's standards, looks scary to me. Oppressive to say the least.