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Episode 126

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Published on:

10th Sep 2026

EP -126- Who Taught Us to Hate Our Bodies?

Welcome, friends!

Just a quick message before I tell you what this episode is all about. It arrived a little later than planned. Life got unexpectedly busy behind the scenes, so I gave myself a little extra breathing room. Thank you for your patience, and thank you, as always, for listening.

Why do women so often become the enforcers of the very beauty standards that have hurt them?

In this brand new episode of Beauty Unlocked, we're looking at where our earliest ideas about beauty come from, how seemingly harmless comments can follow us for decades, and why beauty standards can become intertwined with identity, belonging, survival, and worth.

We also explore the influence of family, Eurocentric beauty ideals, and the uncomfortable ways inherited beliefs can become lessons we pass on to others.

Because the fact that we inherited an idea doesn't mean we have to keep it.

ARE. YOU. READY?

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Sources & Further Reading:

Deek, Melanie Rebecca, Ivanka Prichard, and Eva Kemps. "The Mother-Daughter-Sister Triad: The Role of Female Family Members in Predicting Body Image and Eating Behaviour in Young Women." Body Image 46 (2023): 336-346.

Engeln, Renee. Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women. New York: Harper, 2017.

Festinger, Leon. "A Theory of Social Comparison Processes." Human Relations 7, no. 2 (1954): 117-140.

Kluck, Annette S. "Family Influence on Disordered Eating: The Role of Body Image Dissatisfaction." Body Image 7, no. 1 (2010): 8-14.

Strings, Sabrina. Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. New York: New York University Press, 2019.

Vouloumanos, Victoria. "POC Are Sharing The Eurocentric Beauty Standards They Grew Up With And How It Impacted Them." BuzzFeed, February 25, 2023.

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Apple Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282

Spotify Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA

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YouTube:

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Intro/Outro Music:

“Fame Inc” by Savvier — https://icons8.com/music

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About the Podcast

Beauty Unlocked the podcast
Buckle up and get ready as I delve into a variety of topics regarding physical beauty.

We'll take a look at our society's obsession with physical beauty and the consequences these impossible beauty standards have had on us.
Let's face it; this fascination regarding physical beauty and body image isn't a recent phenomenon; it has been around for centuries, crossing borders, and has affected men and women alike.
The realization of this podcast has come about by my own experiences having to deal with society's perverse notion of physical "perfection" and researching an array of topics that have intrigued me over the years.
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About your host

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Carissa Vikis

Hey there!
I'm Carissa, host, content creator, and producer of the indie podcast Beauty Unlocked.
Growing up, I was frequently compared and criticized for my looks and weight. This started the vicious cycle of being self-critical and loathing my body. I knew I wasn't the only one suffering from society's ridiculous notion of what "we should look like." I started digging deeper and researching various topics, and the rest is h(er)story!
Beauty Unlocked The Podcast aims to educate and bring awareness of our society's obsession with physical beauty and the emotional consequences these impossible beauty standards have. Beauty Unlocked's social media platform showcases not only my work but that of other artists, illustrators, and fellow podcasters that I admire and that share a similar message of inspiration, empowerment, positivity, and raising awareness on a variety of social issues.