No sooner is it quoted that “beauty is only skin deep” than it is just as quickly forgotten. Of contemporary cultural cliches this particular one has got to be one of the more poignant by the very virtue of its ubiquity, because in the hierarchy of statements grounded in reality, it ranks immediately below “Santa Claus is coming to town”. Why? Because much as it is oft repeated, it is never really reflected on, and what’s more it is immediately forgotten.
By virtue of observation alone it is abundantly clear that we fondly believe that of all the adjectives to describe us, superficial is not one of them. We fondly believe that our judgements are based solely on sound reasoning and objectivity. We refuse to entertain for one second that we do not live by these words that so readily pour from our lips.
A very effective mirror of society is the media. Long before economists got it down on paper the dynamics of supply and demand had long been apparent to Adam and his immediate descendants. If people want to watch dogs biting man newspapers, magazines, television, Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood will oblige. If they do not the media fraternity will without a doubt withdraw that particular fare.
The unfortunate truth is that we are a reflection of what we watch and what we read.