Our society has conditioned women to believe that they need to colour their hair, wax regularly, and get their eyebrows threaded in order to appear attractive. However, none of these grooming routines are mandatory to live one’s life to the fullest. In a recent tweet, actor Tillotama Shome made a pertinent point about not normalising “stringent beauty norms” for every woman.
Tillotama Shome on personal grooming standards for women
I have grey hair and I let them be, I don't get pedicure/ manicure and I wax occasionally... UNLESS a character requires these and more.
— Tillotama Shome (@TillotamaShome) February 15, 2022
Not all women have subscribed to these stringent beauty norms, so don't make them a part of 'normal personal grooming'. Thank you! #newnormal
SourceTwitter/TillotamaShome
In her tweet, Shome wrote, “I have grey hair and I let them be, I don't get pedicure/ manicure and I wax occasionally... UNLESS a character requires these and more. Not all women have subscribed to these stringent beauty norms, so don't make them a part of 'normal personal grooming'. Thank you! (sic)”
Several women agreed with her tweet. One of them wrote, “For someone who has spotted more than a few strands of grey hair herself recently, I have decided to not hide them. Taking it all in my stride and so happy to see someone I admire do that too. Brings hope that one day people will aspire to be real.”
Tillotama Shome on beauty standards for women
A hater on social media called me a "flop actress who looks likes a maid". Now how is that even mildly insulting, given my situation!? ?#dignityoflabour
— Tillotama Shome (@TillotamaShome) September 14, 2021
SourceTwitter/TillotamaShome
In the past too, Shome has spoken about instances where someone commented that she “looked like a maid”. Speaking to a publication, she said, “I felt this person gave me an opportunity to [start a] dialogue about our deep-rooted biases around beauty, class and caste and its ugly intersections that give birth to such casual utterances of hate and frankly stupidity.”
View this post on Instagram
Source: Instagram/tillotamashome
On another occasion, Shome discussed how a Hollywood director asked her to darken her skin tone. “I am grateful that the ‘Fair & Lovely’ obsession never entered our household. My parents were truly progressive, without even knowing it. After my debut in Monsoon Wedding, I became resentful of every offer that wanted me to play a maid. I did an American film in which the director tried to darken our skin further as we were looking ‘too beautiful to be poor,’”she said.
Shome makes an important point about normalising personal grooming routines for women, especially at a time when we are trying to get rid of existing patriarchal beauty standards.
What did you think about Shome’s tweet? Let us know in the comments.
Social and lead image credit: Instagram/tillotamashome
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