Attack of the Clowns

I'm not one to care about looks. I'm a personality kind of guy. If someone is nice, chances are good that I like them. Fat, thin, tall, short, limping, skipping, casual, natural, spiffy, melting... It doesn't matter to me what someone looks like.

Also, keep in mind that the following is just my opinion. I'm pretty sure I'll probably inspire some resentment among a few people who read this, but this is not meant to be degrading towards these folks, nor am I saying that they're a bad person. In fact, I don't pre-judge anyone. What I think of someone is based purely on their personality. Besides, when have I ever said that I know what I'm talking about?

With that said, why do females feel the need to reconstruct their face everytime they leave the house? I swear that girls are artists from the moment they hit puberty. It takes pure talent to create such an illusion. There's makeup to reduce glare, accent the eyes, exaggerate bone structure, lengthen eyelashes, deepen cheek color, and hide imperfections. It's insane. What happened to "natural beauty"? Is this not an option anymore?

I remember a few years ago, I was waiting to go see a movie with a female friend of mine. No, we were not involved. She was just a friend. Anyone who knows me, understands that I haven't had a single girlfriend in the 24 years I've been alive. Anyway, the point is that it took her 15 minutes to "put on her face" as she called it. Fifteen minutes. What a waste of time.

And don't even get me going on perfume and cologne. Why do people (this goes for guys too, actually) feel the need to cover up their natural scent? Maybe back in the 13th century, such things were necessary to tone down the pungent smell of B.O. in the streets of Europe. But, considering that daily hygiene has become a staple of modern society, is this crap really necessary? Is the neutral smell of bar soap so offensive that we need to cover it up further? These days you can walk through the local mall and are assaulted from every angle by sixteen different synthetic scents: Brut, Aqua Velva, Lilac Fields, Chicken Anus, Linen Delight, Fresh Oak, Essence, Grunge, Crash, Inspiration, yadda, yadda, yadda. I actually find myself holding my breath when someone passes me in a retail store because I simply don't want to smell some funky new radical scent that Calvin Klein just released in a five-milliliter bottle that cost $50.

Every so often, I'll be standing in Barnes & Noble and some girl will walk by. She'll be wearing a pair of plain jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of Converse All-Stars. No makeup, no perfume. Aesthetically, she may be of average looks. But, I find that quite refreshing. She is someone that has confidence in her own personality and realizes she doesn't need to put on a mask. She knows that she will be accepted for who she is and anyone that disregards her based purely on physical looks is too shallow and superficial to be worth her time. To her, I say, "Bravo."