{"id":1834576,"date":"2026-03-19T11:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T08:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1834576"},"modified":"2026-03-19T11:58:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T08:58:00","slug":"bring-back-normal-people-why-tv-needs-to-adjust-its-beauty-settings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1834576","title":{"rendered":"Bring back \u2018normal\u2019 people: Why TV needs to adjust its beauty settings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/240-55-1371-914\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441753.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/beauty\/article\/69917\/1\/we-need-more-normal-looking-people-on-tv-botox-tweakments\" data-article-id=\"69917\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.45\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Top of the Pops\" class=\"img\" height=\"1309\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441753.jpeg\" width=\"1894\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Top of <span class=\"nowrap\">the Pops<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T11:58:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - beauty\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Bring back \u2018normal\u2019 people: Why TV needs to adjust its <span class=\"nowrap\">beauty settings<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>What happened to textured skin, misaligned teeth, receding hairlines and <span class=\"nowrap\">sweaty complexions?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T11:58:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T11:58:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/FelicityMartin\">Felicity Martin<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>A 70s special of <\/span><em><span>Top of the Pops <\/span><\/em><span>recently re-aired on the <\/span><em><span>BBC<\/span><\/em><span>, with music fans dancing unselfconsciously to artists like Donny Osmond and Alice Cooper. Aside from the unique 70s fashion and retro tunes, what stands out the most is how <\/span><em><span>normal<\/span><\/em><span> everyone looks \u2013 both those in the audience and on stage. The textured skin, misaligned teeth, receding hairlines and make-up free complexions with the occasional sheen of sweat sit in stark contrast to what we see on our screens today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Beauty standards in TV and film have never felt more extreme. Consider the casting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jacob-elordi\">Jacob Elordi<\/a> in Guillermo del Toro\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Frankenstein<\/span><\/em><span>. In Mary Shelley\u2019s 1818 novel, the titular creature is so repellent that \u201cno mortal could support the horror of that countenance\u201d. Elordi is tall, yes, but he couldn\u2019t be further away aesthetically from a monster \u2013 something that didn\u2019t go unnoticed by audiences or the press. \u201cSo you\u2019re attracted to Frankenstein\u2019s monster. Now what?\u201d a headline by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamourmagazine.co.uk\/article\/frankenstein-jacob-elordi\"><em><span>Glamour UK<\/span><\/em><\/a><span> asked, while the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/culture\/article\/20250830-giving-him-a-makeover-is-like-having-a-vegetarian-count-dracula-why-jacob-elordis-frankensteins-monster-is-wrong\"><em><span>BBC<\/span><\/em><span>\u2019s reviewer<\/span><\/a><span> complained that the monster was too handsome: \u201cGiving him a makeover is like having a vegetarian Count Dracula.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Emily Bront\u00eb wrote Cathy in <\/span><em><span>Wuthering Heights<\/span><\/em><span> as a strong, striking teen with brown hair \u2013 rather than a conventional beauty \u2013 but in Emerald Fennell\u2019s adaptation, she\u2019s played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/margot-robbie\">Margot Robbie<\/a> (an actress many audiences were first introduced to as the \u201chottest blonde ever\u201d in <\/span><em><span>The Wolf of Wall Street)<\/span><\/em><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Shakyra Dowling, a casting director for independent British film and TV, says there has \u201calways been an element\u201d of prioritising beauty in casting. \u201cThis isn\u2019t necessarily coming from casting directors \u2013 we\u2019re actually looking for individuality and authenticity \u2013 but from a wider culture that\u2019s become very image-driven,\u201d she tells Dazed Beauty, while conceding that there are always conversations about \u201cmarketability\u201d from financiers and broadcasters. \u201cYounger actors are growing up in the same ecosystem as their peers: Instagram, TikTok, very filtered ideas of beauty. Sometimes actors come to the industry having altered themselves to fit a perceived standard, even before they\u2019ve had the chance to develop as performers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7610912952283155725\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But it\u2019s not just the professional actors and celebrities who are being yassified \u2013 members of the public who appear on our screens are becoming just as shiny. While romance reality shows like <\/span><em><span>Love Island<\/span><\/em><span> have always attracted contestants who put effort into their appearance, the 2025 UK cast <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/2025\/07\/15\/all-the-love-island-2025-cast-who-spent-thousands-on-cosmetic-surgery-before-the-villa\"><span>reportedly spent thousands<\/span><\/a><span> on procedures before entering the villa, including hair transplants, veneers and filler in the lips, chin, cheeks and tear troughs. One contestant of 2023\u2019s <\/span><em><span>The Golden Bachelor,<\/span><\/em><span> meanwhile, had the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/the-golden-bachelor-beauty-skin-care-tips\"><span>veins in the back of her hand minimised<\/span><\/a><span> to prepare for the show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even programmes like <\/span><em><span>Survivor<\/span><\/em><span>, where people are stranded on an island with no personal grooming items, aren\u2019t safe from soaring beauty standards. One 2025 contestant told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/survivor-contestants-cosmetic-procedures-interviews\"><span>Allure<\/span><\/a><span> she\u2019d had Botox, laser hair removal, a gel manicure and a hair appointment to appear camera-ready, while fans speculated that other contestants had a host of treatments including microblading, lash lifts and even cosmetic tattoos. \u201cWhy does this cast seem so well-groomed and polished?\u201d asked <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/survivor\/comments\/1p319be\/why_does_this_cast_seem_so_well_groomed_and\/\"><span>one Redditor in r\/survivor<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s not surprising that actors feel pressured to adhere to certain beauty standards. Bella Ramsey received death threats and was forced to delete their social media for playing the lead in <\/span><em><span>The Last of Us<\/span><\/em><span> after members of the male gaming community <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/3am\/celebrity-news\/bella-ramsey-deletes-social-media-35111458\"><span>deemed<\/span><\/a><span> them not attractive enough for the role. Over the years, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/hannahmarder\/actors-who-were-rejected-for-roles-for-being-ugly\"><span>numerous actors have spoken<\/span><\/a><span> of how they were told they would never make it in Hollywood because they weren\u2019t attractive enough. And once celebrities start normalising cosmetic surgery and procedures it has a knock-on effect on beauty standards, trickling down through reality TV and then to the general public. In 2024, a cosmetic aesthetics doctor told <\/span><em><span>Sky News <\/span><\/em><span>that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/the-love-island-effect-driving-up-demand-for-cosmetic-surgery-13206066\"><span>requests for filler went up 12-fold<\/span><\/a><span> after the latest season of <\/span><em><span>Love Island<\/span><\/em><span> aired. When Kylie Jenner first admitted to having lip fillers in 2015, there was famously a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/head\/article\/42623\/1\/history-lip-augmentation\"><span>70 per cent rise in enquiries for the procedure<\/span><\/a><span> within 24 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOur research with body perception suggests we can have our ideas about what\u2019s a desirable weight or muscularity level dialled up or down even just by showing lots of images that aren\u2019t necessarily appealing but are extreme in some way,\u201d says Professor Lynda Boothroyd, a body image researcher at the University of Durham, on the impact of seeing so many stars shrinking to increasingly tiny sizes. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But people are increasingly pushing back against the glossy, plastic faces filling our screens. \u201cI was watching <\/span><em><span>The Rings of Power<\/span><\/em><span> and I don\u2019t want to see a hobbit with fake tits and perfect teeth,\u201d British comedian Al Nash recently stated on a viral <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSfQjMUDigN\/?hl=en\"><span>Subway Take<\/span><\/a><span> where he argued that \u201cwe need to stop beautiful people from dominating the entertainment industry\u201d. \u00a0And w<\/span><span>hile she\u2019s never confirmed having had any cosmetic tweakments, Millie Bobby Brown drew criticism for her \u201cstiff\u201d facial expressions in the fifth series of <\/span><em><span>Stranger Things<\/span><\/em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The extreme reaction to Aimee Lou Wood\u2019s teeth in <\/span><em><span>White Lotus<\/span><\/em><span> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-natural-teeth?srsltid=AfmBOora4fxkAxhKPVnh4lB0vjiADXN_TvaQbpZBoJIsf4q34t5DEXwp\"><span>Vanity Fair<\/span><\/a><span> called them \u201cinspiring\u201d and \u201ca revelation\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/graziadaily.co.uk\/celebrity\/news\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-real-teeth\/\"><span>Grazia<\/span><\/a><span> called them \u201cradical\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/beauty\/health\/a64390819\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-natural-teeth\/\"><span>Harper\u2019s Bazaar<\/span><\/a><span> \u201cthe real star of the show\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/21\/style\/aimee-lou-wood-teeth-white-lotus.html\"><span>the New York Times<\/span><\/a><span> \u201ca novelty\u201d) suggests viewers were hungry to see \u2018imperfections\u2019 on screen. One of the top-rated Letterboxd comments for 2023\u2019s <\/span><em><span>The Holdovers<\/span><\/em><span>, starring Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa, is \u201cperfect casting, no remnants of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/culture\/decade-in-review\/the-age-of-instagram-face\"><span>Instagram face<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d. In a discussion praising the Safdie brothers\u2019 casting \u2013 the nine-time Oscar-nominated <\/span><em><span>Marty Supreme <\/span><\/em><span>featured 140 non-actors \u2013 one Reddit user <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Letterboxd\/comments\/1pxe92b\/i_love_how_many_nonactors_the_safdie_bros_cast_in\/\"><span>argued<\/span><\/a><span> that normal faces are refreshing. \u201cI wanna see [a] regular person. I want the store clerk to look weird&#8230; I wanna see [a] homely-looking, 57-year-old woman be the hero and defeat the monster with a shotgun in her suburban neighbourhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One reason why viewers might have a negative reaction to watching people with cosmetic tweakments is that, as we explored in \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/65946\/1\/is-botox-ruining-cinema-nicole-kidman-the-substance-babygirl\"><span>Is Botox ruining cinema?<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019, by freezing your facial muscles, you hinder your ability to emote \u2013 a vital element of acting. Dowling says this issue has \u201ccome up recently\u201d in her line of work. \u201cActing is such a subtle, emotional craft, and the camera picks up the smallest movement in someone\u2019s face. If those muscles can\u2019t move naturally, it can limit what the actor can communicate on screen,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you watch a brilliant performance, so much of it is happening in tiny shifts of emotion.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is also impacting reality shows: <\/span><em><span>Survivor<\/span><\/em><span> contestant Sage Ahren-Nichols <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/survivor-contestants-cosmetic-procedures-interviews\"><span>spoke<\/span><\/a><span> about feeling misjudged by her fellow contestants, in part because her Botox made her appear unempathetic \u2013 and accusations of shows like <\/span><em><span>Real Housewives <\/span><\/em><span>being staged become more potent when its stars can barely move their faces.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If we continue to hold aesthetic standards for entertainers at impossible heights, there\u2019s no question we\u2019ll miss out on some of the finest talent of our generation. We\u2019ll likely also see more performers freezing and fine-tuning their faces \u2013 a trend that, unless it serves the story, can instantly shatter the fourth wall. And what about working-class actors who can\u2019t afford to pay their way into beauty? If we truly value great, meritocratic entertainment, we need to move beyond this fixation with on-screen perfection. \u201cWhat I hope we protect in casting is individuality,\u201d says Dowling. \u201cFilm and television are at their most powerful when they reflect the world back to us in all its variety. That includes faces that are unusual, lived-in, and characterful. When I\u2019m casting, the most exciting moment is when someone walks in and they are totally individual and authentic. They bring something unexpected. That\u2019s often where the magic is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-417-920-612\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441524.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">A brief history of how Friday 13th became the tattoo world\u2019s Black Friday<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69893\/1\/best-beauty-looks-aw26-fashion-week-paris-milan\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-2264079032\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/289-438-2421-1610\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441504.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The best beauty of AW26: botched facelifts, crying and rat hair<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69801\/1\/we-asked-audrey-hobert-beauty-favourites-recommendations-ilia-water-lip-gloss\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ILIA_AUDREY-4\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2399-1596\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441319.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Audrey Hobert\u2019s beauty secrets? Water, lip gloss and gum<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69869\/1\/photos-floor-rio-brazil-transmasc-ballroom-scene-roma-joana\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Transmaromba ball\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-796-2000-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441154.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Photos from the floor of Rio\u2019s transmasc ballroom scene<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69854\/1\/yulia-grigorjeva-yaduga-nail-artist-glasgow-insect-manicures\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMG_4373\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-595-2250-1496\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441050.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Could these insect manicures help you face you fears?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69862\/1\/simi-haze-palestinian-makeup-brand-beauty-affirmations-recommendations-2026\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Simi and haze Simihaze Beauty\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1440-958\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441133.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018Be a good person\u2019: Simi and Haze share their 2026 beauty affirmations<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69822\/1\/nine-to-five-beauty-routine-facial-company-rituals-overwork-culture-productivity\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"HBO\u2019s I Love LA\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1919-1277\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440282.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The rise of the 9-to-5 beauty routine<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69773\/1\/face-raters-men-judging-hotness-looksmaxxing-forums-incels-chatrooms-selfies\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"placeholder_mirror\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439997.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Meet the Face-Raters, the men judging hotness in looksmaxxing forums<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>A 70s special of <\/span><em><span>Top of the Pops <\/span><\/em><span>recently re-aired on the <\/span><em><span>BBC<\/span><\/em><span>, with music fans dancing unselfconsciously to artists like Donny Osmond and Alice Cooper. Aside from the unique 70s fashion and retro tunes, what stands out the most is how <\/span><em><span>normal<\/span><\/em><span> everyone looks \u2013 both those in the audience and on stage. The textured skin, misaligned teeth, receding hairlines and make-up free complexions with the occasional sheen of sweat sit in stark contrast to what we see on our screens today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Beauty standards in TV and film have never felt more extreme. Consider the casting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jacob-elordi\">Jacob Elordi<\/a> in Guillermo del Toro\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Frankenstein<\/span><\/em><span>. In Mary Shelley\u2019s 1818 novel, the titular creature is so repellent that \u201cno mortal could support the horror of that countenance\u201d. Elordi is tall, yes, but he couldn\u2019t be further away aesthetically from a monster \u2013 something that didn\u2019t go unnoticed by audiences or the press. \u201cSo you\u2019re attracted to Frankenstein\u2019s monster. Now what?\u201d a headline by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamourmagazine.co.uk\/article\/frankenstein-jacob-elordi\"><em><span>Glamour UK<\/span><\/em><\/a><span> asked, while the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/culture\/article\/20250830-giving-him-a-makeover-is-like-having-a-vegetarian-count-dracula-why-jacob-elordis-frankensteins-monster-is-wrong\"><em><span>BBC<\/span><\/em><span>\u2019s reviewer<\/span><\/a><span> complained that the monster was too handsome: \u201cGiving him a makeover is like having a vegetarian Count Dracula.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Emily Bront\u00eb wrote Cathy in <\/span><em><span>Wuthering Heights<\/span><\/em><span> as a strong, striking teen with brown hair \u2013 rather than a conventional beauty \u2013 but in Emerald Fennell\u2019s adaptation, she\u2019s played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/margot-robbie\">Margot Robbie<\/a> (an actress many audiences were first introduced to as the \u201chottest blonde ever\u201d in <\/span><em><span>The Wolf of Wall Street)<\/span><\/em><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Shakyra Dowling, a casting director for independent British film and TV, says there has \u201calways been an element\u201d of prioritising beauty in casting. \u201cThis isn\u2019t necessarily coming from casting directors \u2013 we\u2019re actually looking for individuality and authenticity \u2013 but from a wider culture that\u2019s become very image-driven,\u201d she tells Dazed Beauty, while conceding that there are always conversations about \u201cmarketability\u201d from financiers and broadcasters. \u201cYounger actors are growing up in the same ecosystem as their peers: Instagram, TikTok, very filtered ideas of beauty. Sometimes actors come to the industry having altered themselves to fit a perceived standard, even before they\u2019ve had the chance to develop as performers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7610912952283155725\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But it\u2019s not just the professional actors and celebrities who are being yassified \u2013 members of the public who appear on our screens are becoming just as shiny. While romance reality shows like <\/span><em><span>Love Island<\/span><\/em><span> have always attracted contestants who put effort into their appearance, the 2025 UK cast <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/2025\/07\/15\/all-the-love-island-2025-cast-who-spent-thousands-on-cosmetic-surgery-before-the-villa\"><span>reportedly spent thousands<\/span><\/a><span> on procedures before entering the villa, including hair transplants, veneers and filler in the lips, chin, cheeks and tear troughs. One contestant of 2023\u2019s <\/span><em><span>The Golden Bachelor,<\/span><\/em><span> meanwhile, had the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/the-golden-bachelor-beauty-skin-care-tips\"><span>veins in the back of her hand minimised<\/span><\/a><span> to prepare for the show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even programmes like <\/span><em><span>Survivor<\/span><\/em><span>, where people are stranded on an island with no personal grooming items, aren\u2019t safe from soaring beauty standards. One 2025 contestant told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/survivor-contestants-cosmetic-procedures-interviews\"><span>Allure<\/span><\/a><span> she\u2019d had Botox, laser hair removal, a gel manicure and a hair appointment to appear camera-ready, while fans speculated that other contestants had a host of treatments including microblading, lash lifts and even cosmetic tattoos. \u201cWhy does this cast seem so well-groomed and polished?\u201d asked <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/survivor\/comments\/1p319be\/why_does_this_cast_seem_so_well_groomed_and\/\"><span>one Redditor in r\/survivor<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s not surprising that actors feel pressured to adhere to certain beauty standards. Bella Ramsey received death threats and was forced to delete their social media for playing the lead in <\/span><em><span>The Last of Us<\/span><\/em><span> after members of the male gaming community <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/3am\/celebrity-news\/bella-ramsey-deletes-social-media-35111458\"><span>deemed<\/span><\/a><span> them not attractive enough for the role. Over the years, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/hannahmarder\/actors-who-were-rejected-for-roles-for-being-ugly\"><span>numerous actors have spoken<\/span><\/a><span> of how they were told they would never make it in Hollywood because they weren\u2019t attractive enough. And once celebrities start normalising cosmetic surgery and procedures it has a knock-on effect on beauty standards, trickling down through reality TV and then to the general public. In 2024, a cosmetic aesthetics doctor told <\/span><em><span>Sky News <\/span><\/em><span>that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/the-love-island-effect-driving-up-demand-for-cosmetic-surgery-13206066\"><span>requests for filler went up 12-fold<\/span><\/a><span> after the latest season of <\/span><em><span>Love Island<\/span><\/em><span> aired. When Kylie Jenner first admitted to having lip fillers in 2015, there was famously a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/head\/article\/42623\/1\/history-lip-augmentation\"><span>70 per cent rise in enquiries for the procedure<\/span><\/a><span> within 24 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOur research with body perception suggests we can have our ideas about what\u2019s a desirable weight or muscularity level dialled up or down even just by showing lots of images that aren\u2019t necessarily appealing but are extreme in some way,\u201d says Professor Lynda Boothroyd, a body image researcher at the University of Durham, on the impact of seeing so many stars shrinking to increasingly tiny sizes. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But people are increasingly pushing back against the glossy, plastic faces filling our screens. \u201cI was watching <\/span><em><span>The Rings of Power<\/span><\/em><span> and I don\u2019t want to see a hobbit with fake tits and perfect teeth,\u201d British comedian Al Nash recently stated on a viral <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSfQjMUDigN\/?hl=en\"><span>Subway Take<\/span><\/a><span> where he argued that \u201cwe need to stop beautiful people from dominating the entertainment industry\u201d. \u00a0And w<\/span><span>hile she\u2019s never confirmed having had any cosmetic tweakments, Millie Bobby Brown drew criticism for her \u201cstiff\u201d facial expressions in the fifth series of <\/span><em><span>Stranger Things<\/span><\/em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The extreme reaction to Aimee Lou Wood\u2019s teeth in <\/span><em><span>White Lotus<\/span><\/em><span> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-natural-teeth?srsltid=AfmBOora4fxkAxhKPVnh4lB0vjiADXN_TvaQbpZBoJIsf4q34t5DEXwp\"><span>Vanity Fair<\/span><\/a><span> called them \u201cinspiring\u201d and \u201ca revelation\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/graziadaily.co.uk\/celebrity\/news\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-real-teeth\/\"><span>Grazia<\/span><\/a><span> called them \u201cradical\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/beauty\/health\/a64390819\/white-lotus-aimee-lou-wood-natural-teeth\/\"><span>Harper\u2019s Bazaar<\/span><\/a><span> \u201cthe real star of the show\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/21\/style\/aimee-lou-wood-teeth-white-lotus.html\"><span>the New York Times<\/span><\/a><span> \u201ca novelty\u201d) suggests viewers were hungry to see \u2018imperfections\u2019 on screen. One of the top-rated Letterboxd comments for 2023\u2019s <\/span><em><span>The Holdovers<\/span><\/em><span>, starring Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa, is \u201cperfect casting, no remnants of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/culture\/decade-in-review\/the-age-of-instagram-face\"><span>Instagram face<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d. In a discussion praising the Safdie brothers\u2019 casting \u2013 the nine-time Oscar-nominated <\/span><em><span>Marty Supreme <\/span><\/em><span>featured 140 non-actors \u2013 one Reddit user <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Letterboxd\/comments\/1pxe92b\/i_love_how_many_nonactors_the_safdie_bros_cast_in\/\"><span>argued<\/span><\/a><span> that normal faces are refreshing. \u201cI wanna see [a] regular person. I want the store clerk to look weird&#8230; I wanna see [a] homely-looking, 57-year-old woman be the hero and defeat the monster with a shotgun in her suburban neighbourhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One reason why viewers might have a negative reaction to watching people with cosmetic tweakments is that, as we explored in \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/65946\/1\/is-botox-ruining-cinema-nicole-kidman-the-substance-babygirl\"><span>Is Botox ruining cinema?<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019, by freezing your facial muscles, you hinder your ability to emote \u2013 a vital element of acting. Dowling says this issue has \u201ccome up recently\u201d in her line of work. \u201cActing is such a subtle, emotional craft, and the camera picks up the smallest movement in someone\u2019s face. If those muscles can\u2019t move naturally, it can limit what the actor can communicate on screen,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you watch a brilliant performance, so much of it is happening in tiny shifts of emotion.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is also impacting reality shows: <\/span><em><span>Survivor<\/span><\/em><span> contestant Sage Ahren-Nichols <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/survivor-contestants-cosmetic-procedures-interviews\"><span>spoke<\/span><\/a><span> about feeling misjudged by her fellow contestants, in part because her Botox made her appear unempathetic \u2013 and accusations of shows like <\/span><em><span>Real Housewives <\/span><\/em><span>being staged become more potent when its stars can barely move their faces.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If we continue to hold aesthetic standards for entertainers at impossible heights, there\u2019s no question we\u2019ll miss out on some of the finest talent of our generation. We\u2019ll likely also see more performers freezing and fine-tuning their faces \u2013 a trend that, unless it serves the story, can instantly shatter the fourth wall. And what about working-class actors who can\u2019t afford to pay their way into beauty? If we truly value great, meritocratic entertainment, we need to move beyond this fixation with on-screen perfection. \u201cWhat I hope we protect in casting is individuality,\u201d says Dowling. \u201cFilm and television are at their most powerful when they reflect the world back to us in all its variety. That includes faces that are unusual, lived-in, and characterful. When I\u2019m casting, the most exciting moment is when someone walks in and they are totally individual and authentic. They bring something unexpected. That\u2019s often where the magic is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69917\/1\/we-need-more-normal-looking-people-on-tv-botox-tweakments&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/240-55-1371-914\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441753.jpeg&#8221;] Top of the Pops March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Bring back \u2018normal\u2019 people: Why TV needs to adjust its beauty settings What happened to textured skin, misaligned teeth, receding hairlines and sweaty complexions? March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 TextFelicity Martin A 70s special of Top [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1834576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1834576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834576\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1834576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1834576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1834576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}