it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Leo & Yasmin
(here)

I watched Channel 4's Beauty and the Beast: the ugly side of prejudice last night. It's about two people who live together for a week who are often defined by the way they look. I was a little iffy about watching this show because I got the impression it was going to be quite bad because I hadn't realised that both the people were often defined by their looks. That doesn't really get across why I was iffy too well, the words aren't coming, but I was just iffy about it. But I was wrong, it wasn't what I expected at all. 

Leo, who suffered third degree burns as a teenager (i think, can't remember the exact age but it was young) and has since then under gone 120 operations because of them, went to live in a house with Yasmin for a week. Yasmin has size J breasts and feels she is often defined by them. In the show you see her on a night out with her boyfriend, brother, some friends and Leo and she gets so many comments. She deals with them incredibly well, much better than I would. Yasmin's beauty routine could last for up to two hours and is described several times throughout the show as a mask. 

The show was lovely. It saw Yasmin take Leo to her cosmetic surgery consult in which she came out of with different thoughts about it. That, in fact, she might not want it as much as she thought she did or that she didn't need surgery to get the body she wanted. Also, Leo took Yasmin to a photo shoot where he was photographed for an exhibition of people with facial disfigurements. He had said he hated having his picture taken and that this was the first time he'd sat down for a portrait since his accident but that he actually felt comfortable while having it done, which was heart warming.

Over all, the programme was really interesting and just a genuinely nice watch because although the show is focussed on the looks it doesn't make you feel that too obviously as your watching it (if that makes sense). I was worried the show might be a little mean, but this episode deffinitely wasn't. It was inspiring and lovely. They really cared about each other  and their stories/opinions and it was so sweet. Although from the preview of next weeks episode it doesn't seem to go as smoothly. I can't decide if I'll watch it. 

here.

The one thing that does annoy me so so much about this show, is the name. Why 'Beauty and the beast'? Beast is such a horrible word and I feel encourages the issues they are trying to address in the show. Maybe they're trying to be ironic or something or maybe i'm just not getting it? Either way, I, personally, don't like it. I don't like a lot of the titles I see for these kinds of shows, not just on channel 4 however, but I suppose the title is there to draw people in. 


Did you see it? What did you think?
Love Victoria xo