TED Talks Daily How to Be a Better Human: How to embrace – and challenge – the idea of "beauty" (w / Elise Hu)
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Jul 4, 2023 
Elise Hu, a journalist and author of "Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry," dives into the captivating world of beauty standards. She discusses the unrealistic ideals society imposes and their negative effects on self-worth and mental health. Elise shares her personal journey as an Asian girl in a predominantly white environment and contrasts it with her transformative experience in Korea. The conversation also touches on the intersection of beauty standards and economic class, advocating for a more inclusive perspective on beauty.
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Technology's Influence
- Elise Hu discusses the influence of technology on beauty standards and expectations.
- Her book, Flawless, explores the experience of viewing oneself through a “technological gaze.”
Early Beauty Standards
- As a child, Elise Hu was told she resembled a Chinese soap opera star, Liu Shuehua.
- This ingrained the idea that double eyelids were the desired beauty standard, even before she understood who the star was.
Shifting Beauty Ideals
- Growing up, Elise Hu felt ashamed of her differences as an Asian American in a predominantly white Midwest.
- The rise of K-beauty has shifted the dynamic, making some Asian aesthetics desirable.
