基本上，“熟女”、“丑女”在熒屏上從嶄露頭角到大放異彩，不過短短兩三年時間。2005年，當(dāng)一半以上的韓國人坐到電視機前看那個胖乎乎的金三順的故事時，“丑女”還僅僅是個茶余飯后的談資罷了；2006年，“丑女貝蒂”席卷美國和世界，連時尚界都吹起了不可思議的“貝蒂風(fēng)”。當(dāng)“丑”成為一種潮流，我們心中對“美”的概念，是否也在進(jìn)行一場革命？
—Tiffany
From her Groucho Marx eyebrows to her protruding braces, her vintage “Guadalajara” poncho to her clashing sweater vests, the curvy Betty Suarez certainly sticks out from the stick figures she works with at the fictional New York fashion magazine Mode.
Much fun is made of the notion that Betty Suarez is not the magazine's most comely employee. But as the central character of the hit TV series Ugly Betty, Betty, played by Latina actor America Ferrera, is a rare beauty, inside and out. And despite the mean-girl taunts of her co-workers, Betty's the cool one.
Betty Mania
The show's stylists were wise not to dress her too badly. Betty has a clear sense of style, though the overall look is sometimes muddled. Thankfully she resists the temptation to make herself over. Only at the recent Golden Globe awards, where the show won Best Comedy and Ferrera won for Best Actress, did most viewers catch a glimpse of Betty's potential.
It's the powerful impact of her hair, brows, glasses, braces and wardrobe that complete Betty's dorky persona. By deconstructing her look, however, it's clear that Betty is a cunning creation. Patricia Field who famously created the looks for Sex and the City, also envisioned the template for the pilot of Ugly Betty.
Betty's costume designer Eduardo Castro walks a fine line, portraying the sweet girl from Queens as a junior employee on a budget but with a subversive nod to fashion nonetheless.
From her tartan kilts to her boisterous tie-front blouses and knit sweater vests, Betty's wardrobe can be found in many of Toronto's trendy stores. In London, hip stores like Topshop and H&M can't keep the elements of her look in stock.
It may be surprising to some, but Betty is being touted as the new Carrie Bradshaw, prompting one reviewer to comment, “No TV character had exercised such a direct influence on women's sartorial choices—until now. And it's the most unlikely style icon you'd ever imagine, the absolute anti-Carrie Bradshaw: It's Ugly Betty.”
Some popular culture watchers are wondering if we are experiencing a sort of Betty Mania. Does she represent a shift in public opinion? Is ugly the new beautiful?
To Be Ugly '07
Ugly Betty turns the word “ugly” upside-down and has launched a campaign to challenge conventional perceptions and stereotypes of real beauty.
ABC, teaming up with Girls Inc., a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold, announced a new public service campaign—Be Ugly '07—to hit the web and the streets on December 30th, 2006. The campaign's aim—aside from scoring more viewers for ABC's hit dramedy—is to debunk conventional notions of beauty, asking young women to “be real, be smart, be passionate, be true to yourself and be ugly, like Ugly Betty in 2007.”
The campaign is the latest entry in a backlash to the images of rail-thin models that bombard young women daily.
Dove's talked-about Campaign for Real Beauty has become a popular global ad effort based on debunking conventional beauty stereotypes. Alex Kuczynski's best seller Beauty Junkies examines the obsession with plastic surgery. In interviews, she has talked about how “stupid” it was for her to wear acrylic nails and spend money on Botox and painful liposuction.
Redefining beauty “is in the cultural zeitgeist,” says ABC Entertainment marketing executive Michael Benson. “Be Ugly '07” will encompass appearances, a website （BeUgly07.com） and events.
Girls Inc. president Joyce Roche says the campaign “allows us to counter the messages girls get that they've got to be perfect, be a certain size, look a certain way.”
But is encouraging them to be ugly the way to reach them? “We hope that people go beyond the headline of ugly,” Roche says, “I wish there would have been another way of saying it, but at least it will get the dialogue going.”
If the Bettys of the world have their way, a new generation of leading ladies will be judged more by the content of their character than the content of their closets. The pendulum has swung.
—Tiffany
From her Groucho Marx eyebrows to her protruding braces, her vintage “Guadalajara” poncho to her clashing sweater vests, the curvy Betty Suarez certainly sticks out from the stick figures she works with at the fictional New York fashion magazine Mode.
Much fun is made of the notion that Betty Suarez is not the magazine's most comely employee. But as the central character of the hit TV series Ugly Betty, Betty, played by Latina actor America Ferrera, is a rare beauty, inside and out. And despite the mean-girl taunts of her co-workers, Betty's the cool one.
Betty Mania
The show's stylists were wise not to dress her too badly. Betty has a clear sense of style, though the overall look is sometimes muddled. Thankfully she resists the temptation to make herself over. Only at the recent Golden Globe awards, where the show won Best Comedy and Ferrera won for Best Actress, did most viewers catch a glimpse of Betty's potential.
It's the powerful impact of her hair, brows, glasses, braces and wardrobe that complete Betty's dorky persona. By deconstructing her look, however, it's clear that Betty is a cunning creation. Patricia Field who famously created the looks for Sex and the City, also envisioned the template for the pilot of Ugly Betty.
Betty's costume designer Eduardo Castro walks a fine line, portraying the sweet girl from Queens as a junior employee on a budget but with a subversive nod to fashion nonetheless.
From her tartan kilts to her boisterous tie-front blouses and knit sweater vests, Betty's wardrobe can be found in many of Toronto's trendy stores. In London, hip stores like Topshop and H&M can't keep the elements of her look in stock.
It may be surprising to some, but Betty is being touted as the new Carrie Bradshaw, prompting one reviewer to comment, “No TV character had exercised such a direct influence on women's sartorial choices—until now. And it's the most unlikely style icon you'd ever imagine, the absolute anti-Carrie Bradshaw: It's Ugly Betty.”
Some popular culture watchers are wondering if we are experiencing a sort of Betty Mania. Does she represent a shift in public opinion? Is ugly the new beautiful?
To Be Ugly '07
Ugly Betty turns the word “ugly” upside-down and has launched a campaign to challenge conventional perceptions and stereotypes of real beauty.
ABC, teaming up with Girls Inc., a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold, announced a new public service campaign—Be Ugly '07—to hit the web and the streets on December 30th, 2006. The campaign's aim—aside from scoring more viewers for ABC's hit dramedy—is to debunk conventional notions of beauty, asking young women to “be real, be smart, be passionate, be true to yourself and be ugly, like Ugly Betty in 2007.”
The campaign is the latest entry in a backlash to the images of rail-thin models that bombard young women daily.
Dove's talked-about Campaign for Real Beauty has become a popular global ad effort based on debunking conventional beauty stereotypes. Alex Kuczynski's best seller Beauty Junkies examines the obsession with plastic surgery. In interviews, she has talked about how “stupid” it was for her to wear acrylic nails and spend money on Botox and painful liposuction.
Redefining beauty “is in the cultural zeitgeist,” says ABC Entertainment marketing executive Michael Benson. “Be Ugly '07” will encompass appearances, a website （BeUgly07.com） and events.
Girls Inc. president Joyce Roche says the campaign “allows us to counter the messages girls get that they've got to be perfect, be a certain size, look a certain way.”
But is encouraging them to be ugly the way to reach them? “We hope that people go beyond the headline of ugly,” Roche says, “I wish there would have been another way of saying it, but at least it will get the dialogue going.”
If the Bettys of the world have their way, a new generation of leading ladies will be judged more by the content of their character than the content of their closets. The pendulum has swung.