'Who's beautiful - this year it's a big issue" 7/4
Apr 7, 2007 16:59:28 GMT 10
Post by dededom on Apr 7, 2007 16:59:28 GMT 10
Who's beautiful - this year it's a big issue
Dan Silkstone
April 7, 2007
www.smh.com.au/news/national/whos-beautiful--this-year-its-a-big-issue/2007/04/06/1175366473993.html
You beaut...child-health nurse Kath Kehoe, 71, with Felix, 3.
Photo: The Big Issue
SOME say it's all in the eye of the beholder, but others need a little guidance. These days, the idea of beauty you subscribe to may well be determined by which magazine you subscribe to as well.
This week Who magazine releases its yearly parade of the taut and terrific, The Most Beautiful People list.
But this year there is competition. Homeless support magazine The Big Issue has responded with a list of its own, dubbed The Really Beautiful People. "Looks don't matter; nor does age," says the tagline. "Beauty is about what you do, and who you are."
Pythagoras saw beauty in mathematics and the golden rule. Magazines also have golden rules. One of them is to never put an ugly person on the cover.
Who says its issue is a "celebration of beauty, both physical and straight from the soul" and features both "classic lovelies and unconventional charmers". Of course, there are rather more lovelies than charmers. Beyoncé makes the grade, as do Penelope, Halle and Scarlett. Our Hugh makes it but Rusty is out.
According to Wikipedia, the Chinese word for beauty is formed by combining the characters for "big" and "sheep". Perhaps this explains why the Who list also includes two people who are famous for being called ugly.
They are America Ferrera, the star of Seven's Ugly Betty, and Australian Idol crooner Damien Leith (labelled ugly on television by judge Mark Holden).
Big Issue editor Alan Attwood, a one-time staffer at Who and The Age, says he was bored of seeing the same bunch of actors and models put forward each year as exemplars of beauty.
"This is an attempt to throw open to debate the whole question of what beauty is," he said. "The conventional picture, as it is portrayed in the media, is terribly superficial, relates mostly to appearance and is a stereotype of youth and flawlessness."
Instead, Attwood wanted to find a list of people who were "beautiful for what they do".
Among them are volunteer carers, a veteran nurse, foster parents who care for six Aboriginal children and an assortment of charity workers. There's not a pair of hotpants to be seen.
"Most of the people were very reluctant to take part, because that is the nature of who they are," Attwood said. "They don't do these things for recognition or reward."
"Really Beautiful" person Alex Fabiani cares full-time for his 40-year-old brother Frank, who has been quadriplegic since a heroin overdose nine years ago.
Fabiani changes more than 1000 nappies a year and bathes, feeds and shaves his brother and constant companion. It's a 24-hour job.
"I couldn't put him in a home," says the 49-year-old. "It's not easy, but we have a life together. He wouldn't have that in a nursing home.
"I'm not beautiful," he stresses. "I'm a caring person. The world has lost its compassion; it's all superficial. Celebrities are just a waste of space."
As it happens, this year Who lists three "Everyday beauties" - a woman who helps "disadvantaged young girls", another who has set up a child protection agency and a teacher working in Africa . You'll find them at the back, after all the non-everyday beauties.
Dan Silkstone
April 7, 2007
www.smh.com.au/news/national/whos-beautiful--this-year-its-a-big-issue/2007/04/06/1175366473993.html
You beaut...child-health nurse Kath Kehoe, 71, with Felix, 3.
Photo: The Big Issue
SOME say it's all in the eye of the beholder, but others need a little guidance. These days, the idea of beauty you subscribe to may well be determined by which magazine you subscribe to as well.
This week Who magazine releases its yearly parade of the taut and terrific, The Most Beautiful People list.
But this year there is competition. Homeless support magazine The Big Issue has responded with a list of its own, dubbed The Really Beautiful People. "Looks don't matter; nor does age," says the tagline. "Beauty is about what you do, and who you are."
Pythagoras saw beauty in mathematics and the golden rule. Magazines also have golden rules. One of them is to never put an ugly person on the cover.
Who says its issue is a "celebration of beauty, both physical and straight from the soul" and features both "classic lovelies and unconventional charmers". Of course, there are rather more lovelies than charmers. Beyoncé makes the grade, as do Penelope, Halle and Scarlett. Our Hugh makes it but Rusty is out.
According to Wikipedia, the Chinese word for beauty is formed by combining the characters for "big" and "sheep". Perhaps this explains why the Who list also includes two people who are famous for being called ugly.
They are America Ferrera, the star of Seven's Ugly Betty, and Australian Idol crooner Damien Leith (labelled ugly on television by judge Mark Holden).
Big Issue editor Alan Attwood, a one-time staffer at Who and The Age, says he was bored of seeing the same bunch of actors and models put forward each year as exemplars of beauty.
"This is an attempt to throw open to debate the whole question of what beauty is," he said. "The conventional picture, as it is portrayed in the media, is terribly superficial, relates mostly to appearance and is a stereotype of youth and flawlessness."
Instead, Attwood wanted to find a list of people who were "beautiful for what they do".
Among them are volunteer carers, a veteran nurse, foster parents who care for six Aboriginal children and an assortment of charity workers. There's not a pair of hotpants to be seen.
"Most of the people were very reluctant to take part, because that is the nature of who they are," Attwood said. "They don't do these things for recognition or reward."
"Really Beautiful" person Alex Fabiani cares full-time for his 40-year-old brother Frank, who has been quadriplegic since a heroin overdose nine years ago.
Fabiani changes more than 1000 nappies a year and bathes, feeds and shaves his brother and constant companion. It's a 24-hour job.
"I couldn't put him in a home," says the 49-year-old. "It's not easy, but we have a life together. He wouldn't have that in a nursing home.
"I'm not beautiful," he stresses. "I'm a caring person. The world has lost its compassion; it's all superficial. Celebrities are just a waste of space."
As it happens, this year Who lists three "Everyday beauties" - a woman who helps "disadvantaged young girls", another who has set up a child protection agency and a teacher working in Africa . You'll find them at the back, after all the non-everyday beauties.
). But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we all saw the true beauty of the Australian Idol-Damien in those wonderful eyes.......the windows to the soul 
Thankd dede 
