American actor Ashton Kutcher—starring in The Beauty—recently said that Hollywood is not pushing unreasonably high beauty standards.1 Is he right? Well, yes and no. He is right that entertainment is a reflection of society and its values. To explore just how far we’ll go for a perfect face and body, The Beauty, like The Substance and Uglies, examines society’s preoccupation with beauty. As we move into a more visual and virtual culture, beauty is becoming more valuable. For many, beauty is what we want most, and we'll do almost anything for it. The value we place on our looks is everywhere; it is what we spend our time, money, and effort on. We have a better day when the number on the scale goes down, we feel good when we think we look good, and we all know what a "bad hair day" is.

Our valuation of beauty is not just evident in our daily practices, but in the way we treat our bodies as ourselves. Self-improvement is reduced to physical improvement. The top New Year's Resolutions for 2026 are, yet again, about improving the body.2 Twenty-three percent of us resolve to "exercise more," 17 percent to "lose weight," 11 percent to "eat more healthily," and 10 percent to "have better health." That totals 61 percent who focused on the body. Maybe a few people think "health" means improving "functioning and longevity," but most use the term "health" as code for getting a slimmer, firmer, smoother, younger body. If it really was about health, then more of........

© Psychology Today