In the first few episodes of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” we noticed that the women, especially Lisa Wu Hartwell, always greeted each other by addressing each others beauty. They say, “Hey beautiful!” or “You’re so gorgeous.” At first we thought this was a fluke, that they’re just not used to cameras following them and are pulling for dialogue, but these exclamations have lasted through the season finale. We think it’s kind of sad that mothers who purport to be elite society with their own clothing/jewelry lines, charitable foundations or singing careers have to base their worth on physical attributes. We’re not saying these women aren’t beautiful, we just think they’re (supposed to be) much more than that. I have a girlfriend who has an adorable daughter. I mean, she’s so cute it hurts to look at her. But whenever I see her, I always say, “Hello, beautiful, intelligent girl.” I don’t want her to grow up thinking she’s valued just because she’s pretty. I know another six year old who bats her eyelashes to get what she wants. This girl is also highly intelligent, but she’s already learned to use her beauty, not her mind, to satisfy her wants. The real housewives are too old to change, but we’re comforted by the fact that we can stop this cycle with the little girls in our lives.
