I finally watched Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty and I must say that I actually enjoyed it. Jessica is trying to educate America on the different ways of life that exist throughout the world. And in the meantime she gets to travel to some fabulous destinations!

This week, Jessica traveled to one of the fashion capitals of the world – Paris. Here, she focused on models and the runway. Throughout the show there are various facts popping up on the screen that give you statistics and little bits of information that the audience has probably never realized before. One such fact included: fashion models are thinner than 98% of women. That is completely crazy. We always knew models were stereotypically thin and tall, but that is quite a statistic.

During the episode, Jessica spoke with a fashion model who faced the horrors of anorexia. She was so thin and sickly that it was sad to see. And the point of this was certainly to educate viewers on the realities of the dangers of the life of a fashion model. It’s intense and sometimes very dangerous.

It was great to see Jessica feeling rather comfortable (and at times vulnerable) in her own skin. It was interesting to have her walk the runway, yet be so nervous. You’d think that a pop singer superstar wouldn’t get the nerves Jessica faced when walking the runway. But we could see that she is just like a typical young woman who can easily be intimidated in an unfamiliar situation.

I think the main takeaway from the show is that beauty exists in many shapes, sizes, and colors. But true beauty is being able to be comfortable and happy with yourself. The true price of the elusive term “beauty” can have serious consequences when we let others define it for us. Skinny doesn’t have to be beautiful – and in the case of that French fashion model, it was certainly out of control.

I really enjoyed Jessica’s show. I think it shows us a side of other cultures that we might not normally see, even if we visited the country. I intend to continue watching, as Jessica seemed less ditzy (than how she has been portrayed in the past) and more endearing. In the coming weeks, I hope to see the many ways beauty is defined and what the true price of that may be.

-Amanda Fornecker