Since inception, human beings have always had an inclination towards keeping up appearances. At no one time in history has a culture been so obsessed about how we look as it is right now and the recent change in style and fashion trends concurs as much. Everybody is in a perpetual quest to attain a certain level of perfection that appeals to the rest of the world for various reasons. In marriage, for instance, spouses strive to achieve a harmonious existence, or at least appear to, in an attempt to conform to the societal accepted standards and prevailing norms.

In fashion, there is a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize the industry. Celebrity influence on fashion is sometimes overwhelming and it makes a certain look so mainstream that it never goes away for a long time. Keeping up with the latest trends in fashion therefore becomes the fundamental goal of every individual so much so that it, at times, becomes a misguided priority. It so happens that children especially in the adolescent age want to assimilate television culture and hence become inclined to do what they see on the C.W. causing difficulties in knowing what is appropriate and what is not. Due to the above reason, leading television networks device parental control features on television. They require as well, that before airing specific programs, viewer discretion is advised.

Still on image, you’ll seldom find high profile celebrities pose for a photo or give an interview without first undergoing an extreme makeover; they must get their hair, nails and God knows what else, done before any public appearance. I understand that the movie industry has to perform a screen test before qualifying any personnel-God bless them; who’d rather watch ugly people on TV- It has become evident that the society obsesses so much about publicity. And with the prevalent notion that no publicity is bad publicity, artists often make the headlines with their drug addictions, jail sentences and crooked relationships. I recently learnt that Akon’s musical career premised on the false notion that he was an ex-convict. Similarly, Kanye West’s recent immature interruption of Taylor Swift’s speech after she won the Best Music Video at the MTV Music Awards was yet another case of artists behaving badly for publicity. After all, who cares what people say as long it’s about you.  

In an attempt to impress an interviewer, one tries numerous looks before leaving the house. This is directed at a range of concerns from creating a good first impression to trying to present oneself as dignified even if you’re not. More often than not, judgment is made with due regard to the way we present ourselves which of course may seem realistic in its face value. It is not necessarily prudent, nonetheless, to base judgement entirely on appearance as some people have perfected the art of false appearance. 

The saying goes that things are not always as they appear to be. This is no consolation as false appearance continues to provide a stealthy getaway for people who’ve perfected the art and just won’t quit.