The Waves: Gender, Relationships, Feminism · Slate Podcasts

The Hustle of Being Beautiful

·37 min·3 clips

Elyse Hugh reveals that women pay to do aesthetic labor, fueling burnout in a relentless beauty hustle.

This episode of The Waves features host Julia Craven interviewing journalist and author Elyse Hugh about her book "Flawless," which examines beauty culture in South Korea and its global implications. Hugh's work connects the pursuit of beauty to capitalism, labor, and systemic inequality. A central topic is "lookism," defined as discrimination based on appearance, which is a well-known societal norm in South Korea where passport photos are Photoshopped by default and headshots are required on resumes. The discussion details the immense "aesthetic labor" involved in beauty maintenance, which is time-consuming, costly, and often sold as empowerment. Hugh links the rise of Korea's beauty ideals to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when the government promoted K-culture exports, including beauty standards and procedures, as an economic engine. The conversation covers the "Molka" epidemic of hidden spy cameras in South Korea, which creates a culture of surveillance and violates women's bodily autonomy. Personal stories from the book include "Choi," who was bullied for her darker skin tone, and "Lee," a trans woman criticized for adhering to beauty standards for safety. A key insight is that beauty standards narrow what is considered acceptable, widening the "ocean of what's considered unacceptable or ugly" and marginalizing those who cannot afford the time or money to participate. The hosts argue that in lookist societies, working on one's looks becomes a matter of personal responsibility, conflating appearance with morality and hard work. Hugh observes that even those who meet beauty ideals, like the women on "Selling Sunset," exist in a state of constant maintenance and anxiety. The episode explores the duality of beauty as both a source of joy and ritual, as described in Craven's family memories, and a oppressive system tied to "pretty privilege." Hugh suggests a personal test to determine if a beauty practice is "ego-driven" for others or "soul-driven" for self-connection. Both hosts share childhood memories of internalizing appearance-based shame, highlighting how early these lessons begin. The tone is conversational, analytical, and personal, blending journalistic investigation with relatable anecdotes. The style is educational, exploring systemic critiques while acknowledging the hosts' own participation in beauty culture. Listeners interested in the intersections of gender, capitalism, and beauty culture, or those who enjoy cultural analysis with a feminist lens, would appreciate this episode. Individuals seeking light entertainment or those opposed to critiques of beauty and consumerism might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A sharp look at beauty as labor, safety, and social pressure.

The episode treats beauty less as vanity than as work, status, and a way to get by. Julia Craven and Elyse Hugh talk through perfection culture, pretty privilege, and capitalism's grip on how people are seen and how they present themselves.

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Why you'd press play

If beauty talk usually feels shallow, this one has the pressure underneath it.

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