Unit 1: Look at me Now! (2nde_gr1)

 Pretty Hurts, Beyoncé – 2014

The document under study is a music video for Beyoncé’s songs entitled “Pretty Hurts”, released in 2014. In this video Beyoncé is taking part in a beauty pageant ceremony.

There are many women in this competition. All of them are trying to be the most beautiful, the prettiest. However, they are taking risks over their health as they are not eating properly and also have eating disorders in order to stay fit, thin/slim.

However, we can also see images of Beyoncé when she is not trying to be beautiful which represent the real life of someone who wants to be perfect every time.

Beyoncé is hurt because she seems to never be pretty enough for the judges. Moreover, all these women are in competition and eventually they all feel lonely.

To conclude, she denounces the pain to try to be perfect and beautiful. She is attacking the beauty industry and is denouncing the bad aspects of beauty pageants led by beauty standards. In fact, these competitions and standards are actually mentally destroying young girls.

Homework: learn the lesson.

Read the lyrics again and comment on the following quotes:

-“perfection is the disease of a nation”

- “It’s the soul that needs surgery.”

 Be ready for the Oral Comprehension Evaluation on the Theme of the Chapter on November 9th.