“We have met the enemy of equality, and the enemy is us.”
Anne Murphy Paul


You have probably already judged this paper by the way that it looks.

Maybe you've flipped through the pages, examining its length as if you can judge the quality of the words or the effort I’ve put into writing them simply by its size. Maybe you’ve judged my paper by the font I have chosen.

And maybe you are right to have done that.

The first thing you notice about something, whether it be a person or an object, like this essay, is how it looks on the outside. We judge based on what we see, not what we know, simply because we know nothing at all. What else, if completely unfamiliar with something, do we have to judge it by other than how it looks?

Judgments are inevitable. I would be lying if I said I was not guilty of it. As a society, we are trained to look at someone and immediately know what kind of person they are. The media and pop culture present us with an image of what a specific type of person should look like. The nerd, wearing suspenders and thick-framed glasses. The pretty girl, with long blonde hair, bronzed skin and and shiny white teeth. The bad boy, riding a motorcycle, with a leather jacket and tattoos. What we look like is thought to be a representation of who we are. So why, then, do we look down upon those who try to change themselves?

Comic Sans, the font in which you are reading right now, was initially made for comic books and used in speech bubbles. Because of its “child-like appeal”, it is not traditionally used for lengthy written works, rather it is mainly used for things of less significance. It is described as a “fun, childish, informal font.” But here I am, writing a mature, formal, very-much-not-fun essay.

You can find online a pledge that states, “I,_____, understand that my choice of font has the power to subconsciously and incorrectly set the tone for a piece of written material, and as a result promise to seriously consider whether Comic Sans is an appropriate font choice before using it in any printed work in the future.”

I made a choice by using this font. I am choosing to mask my essay under something that doesn’t accurately represent it, based on the views of society.

But is society right?

This essay may be better suited with a more “serious” font. It is not a far-fetched idea to say that all fonts have a message, a personality, a purpose. There are certain fonts that should be used in certain instances, and some that should not be. I can assure you that this is the first essay I have ever written, and most likely will ever write, that is written in Comic Sans. Maybe it would have been a good choice to set the font back to Times New Roman, a font know for being powerful and important, used in newspaper articles and other major written works.

This essay, as it appears now, does not looks externally how I intend for it to be perceived. I trust that its intended audience will understand my choice ultimately, if not I would consider the possible shortcoming. Changing its appearance, however, would be as easy as a few simple clicks. For people, it is not nearly as easy.

Those who believe that their appearance does not accurately represent who they want to be often chose to modify the way that they look. Some people get highlights in their hair, maybe get a spray tan, some get contacts, while those who desire a more extensive change even chose to modify themselves surgically.

Michael Jackson is quite possibly the most vivid example of someone who upon external change, was mocked by society Michael was in the public eye for over forty years. Throughout his life, he was adorned by many, beloved by his fans and praised for his music ability, but he was also judged, and scrutinized. His every action was examined by the media, who were desperate to uncover any mistake he might have made, any false statement, wrong move or offensive action.

It was quite clear to the public eye when Michael Jackson began to look different. His skin was lighter, his nose became increasingly smaller, and his face was altogether transformed. The press went wild.

As Michael’s physical changes gained widespread media coverage, more and more people began to question his intentions. The public questioned if Michael was trying to appear caucasian, and he was accused of being “a lousy role model to black youth.” As the media continued to analyze Michael’s transformation, many theories were presented as to why an African American pop-star now appeared to be white. The headlines read, “So young, so plastic,” “Michael Jackson’s face: Before and After,” and even “How Jackson’s surgery was a desperate bid not to look like the father he hated.”

Michael responded with an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he denied any shame for being an African American, and swore that his changing appearance was a result of nothing more than an unfortunate skin condition and third-degree burns. It wasn’t until after his death that some truth was brought to light.

It turns out, Michael had many surgeries, including multiple nose-jobs, cheek and cleft implants, eyelid surgery and many others. He had 12 surgeries over the course of a two year period, and those are just the ones that we know of. When this information was released, many felt disturbed by his constant self modification, claiming he was addicted to plastic surgery. Renowned psychologists cited body dysmorphic disorder, a mental illness that causes a preoccupation with body image, as a possible reason as to why he would go to such great lengths to change himself. But in reality, does it real matter?

For reasons unknown, Michael Jackson chose to have plastic surgery. He chose to change the way that he looked, and his decision to do so was so heavily criticized that he ultimately withdrew himself from society altogether.

What is most baffling about this is not Michael’s actions, but rather society’s response to those actions. When the media accused Michael of being ashamed of his race, people were outraged. When thought to be ashamed, people shamed him further. He was disparaged and cruelly judged, for what? For wanting to look different?

In today’s society, how someone looks says a lot about them. No matter how we try to rationalize, external appearances are a large factor in how someone is viewed by others. Before we read any written material, we first judge it based on how it looks, what font is used and how long it is. Before we get to know a new person, we judge them by their appearance, the color of their skin and the way that they dress. Yet when someone decides to change the way they look, they are viewed as “fake.” If to change the way you look is to change the way you are perceived, why is it frowned upon to want to modify yourself?

If society continues to have such high standards, such outright stereotypes of what everyone is supposed to look like, than it is then the fault of society that people feel the need to change the way that they look. To bring shame upon someone for not looking a certain way, but also shame those who try to change, is unfair and really just despicable.

Everyone should have the chance to be who they want to be.
Works Cited:

Dempsey, Matt. "Comic Sans Criminal - Helping People like You Learn to Use Comic Sans

Appropriately." Comic Sans Criminal. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.

"Michael Jackson's Health and Appearance." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May

2014.
Web. 01 June 2014.

Triggs, Charlotte. "INSIDE STORY: Michael Jackson's Plastic Surgery." PEOPLE.com

People, 10 July 2009. Web. 31 May 2014.