The Perfection Trap: Why Looking "Normal" Is Still Controversial

When The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood faced criticism over her teeth, it exposed an unsettling truth: Have we become so used to filtered, “perfected” faces that we’ve forgotten what real people actually look like?
Despite the rise of body positivity and self-acceptance, Hollywood and social media still push impossible beauty standards—while pretending to celebrate “normal.” So, are we truly embracing authenticity, or is perfectionism just wearing a different mask?
In this video, we unpack the confusing state of beauty trends today—where “flaws” are both shamed and fetishized—and ask: Is normal really back, or are we stuck in a new kind of perfection trap? Once again, pop culture’s obsession with appearances is telling us more than we realize. Here’s our take.


CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:34 When features become trends...
04:48 What it really means to embrace "normal"
08:25 Accepting ourselves... or just hiding the changes better?
11:35 What really matters


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The Take was created by Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough