Beauty In The Time Of Covid

What do people do when their most significant asset is their looks, and no one’s looking?

Many of us have been disoriented for the last six months or so. But it seems beautiful people have taken the biggest hit.

As we Regular Joes have our mini breakdowns facing instant Karma and our demons, the people who seem to be suffering most are those who shine most brightly in a crowd.

If pretty people get their validation from the rest of us, what happens when they’re alone?

What do people do when their most significant asset is their looks, and no one’s looking?

The answer as always seems to be social media.

Unlikely-suspects are making videos. We all know somebody who surfaced on social media with cringe-worthy lockdown posts.

Covid-19 has laid bare our individual and collective neediness for sure, but there have been some surprises.

Celebrities seem especially vulnerable. Is it because they’re regularly surrounded by sycophants for flattery and bootlicking? With the right number of people praising you, you can believe your own press. But what do they see when they’re alone?

I suppose we’re finding out.

Are they able to recognize themselves without recognition?

Is the superstar nobody if nobody is watching. If attention-seeking is your life, so you die a little when you don’t get enough?

It seems a whole host of pretty people aren’t thriving right now.

Who knew beautiful people could be so needy.

We assume they’re confident. After all, when you command every room you walk into, why wouldn’t you be?

But if you’re a real head-turner, what happens when there aren’t any heads to turn?

So here’s the question: If a pretty face isn’t seen, is it still useful? Can beautiful people survive without being looked at?

In these turbulent times, are they being denied what they need to remember who they are? Does attention keep them alive? Is life only worth living for an audience?

For the rest of us, mere mortals, we’re hunkering down, working from home, waiting it out. Trying to juggle kids, work, boredom, and confinement in endless combinations.

For some, not having to face the world is a relief. A reprieve for people who don’t feel beautiful, people who are a little different or awkward.

For the rest of us ugly, dull, everyday people, there’s no difference between today or any other day.

We’re still being judged on our merit, work, kindness, and generosity. We’re still noticed for our personalities, our contributions to society.

Some of us are actually thriving.

Without the distractions, we’re getting down to the business of mining our internal worlds.

But what if you haven’t got a rich internal world to mine?

For superficial people, isolation must be torture, and social media the antidote.

It’s the last stop for attention seekers — somewhere they can offer nothing of value and still be rewarded.

Are beautiful people used to giving so little because it’s understood that merely being in their presence is their gift? Is this why they seem so empty, hollow, out of touch, and selfish, believing a self-serving song or look-at-me videos will do anyone good?

Just sad empty ploys for public attention smacking of tone-deaf desperation. Taking, poorly disguised as giving.

This social media outpour is a crisis of character.

So while the beautiful people post videos, the rest of us get on with it. They shine their light on us, thinking they’re doing us a favor. Giving us one more chance to look at them before we lose everything.

Allowing us, mere mortals, one more opportunity to worship at the altar of meaninglessness.

Thanks for reading!

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