News anchors' reactions to the 'most desirable face' are pure magic
Once again, society's beauty standards have reared its ugly head. Luckily, these two news anchors are not buying it.
On Good Day DC on FOX 5 in Washington, D.C., anchors Maureen Umeh and Wisdom Martin were part of a segment that discussed so-called "studies" that delved into the "most desirable face."
During the segment, another co-anchor claimed that "studies" suggest that nose tips that tilted upward between 104 and 108 degrees were the most desirable, citing Duchess Kate Middleton's nose as the prime example.
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Umeh and Martin's reactions are clear as day and perfectly full of shade, pointing to a deep problem about racist beauty standards within the segment (and society) in general.
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The alleged "study" that inspired the segment came from the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery article from two years ago which only surveys the facial attributes of "normal-appearing white women aged 18 to 25 years." The survey only samples 300 female volunteers, which is a very small sample, especially considering the severe limited age and racial demographic.
To break that down:
No women of color were included.
No older women were included.
The term "normal" meant "without any overt craniofacial abnormalities." Any one else's definition of normal is not taken into account.
There were only 300 women involved. Think about how many people in your high school graduating class or in your office and compare that to this survey.
Not only is this survey limited in general, the fact that it completely refused to represent any other racial group than white people should make it irrelevant (or laughable) from a scientific standpoint.
The fact that it exists and is given some credit highlights how mainstream society's bias toward white features is still prevalent in 2016.
In short:
H/T: Buzzfeed
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Andrea Romano -- comedy writer, craft enthusiast, lady -- was a Watercooler Reporter. She worked as an intern at Mashable beginning in January 2014. Andrea recently completed her Masters degree in Media Studies and Film from The New School and writes sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade and The People's Improv Theatre. She once watched three Paul Rudd movies in a row on a bicoastal flight and didn't realize it until she landed. She does things like that a lot. Twitter: @theandrearomano
