Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Glamour Shots


I have a confession to make. During my teenage years, I secretly wanted to have a glamour shot photo shoot. If you are over the age of 25, you probably know what I am talking about. Big hair, professional make-up, all blinged out, fancy clothes, and model poses. Many of my friends had those shoots and I thought that their pictures looked so cool. However, I do not think that I ever got up the nerve to ask my parents, and they probably would have said no anyway because the shoots were a whole lot more expensive than my yearly yearbook pictures that chronicled that awkward phase nicely enough.

Now, I really wish that I had endured one of the glamor shot photo shoots. Have you seen the pictures now that the fad is over? Laughable is an understatement! I am sure that a glamour shot would now provide me with hours of amusement as I laughed at my own picture. I also think that it would show how false that reality would be. I was a plain teenager, dorky really, because I was not allowed to get contacts until I was a junior in high school. It would be a reminder that although I could get all dressed up and dolled up, I was just the same, normal, plain, non-glamourous teenager despite what the picture portrayed. It would be a humbling reminder that a glamorized exterior does not tell the story of who a person is on the inside.

I have noticed on the Fox News website the past few days that they have been showing off pictures of celebrities without their make-up. It is a reminder that what we see portrayed on TV is just glamor shots, but that these people are really just plain, average looking people. Sure, when you completely coat the exterior in professional make-up, professional hair, provide the right lighting, etc., these stars are gorgeous. But the reality is that all of those things are really just covering up normal, plain, non-glamorous people.

Don't get me wrong - I am thankful for make-up and the ability to hide some of the imperfections. I am just pondering how our outward appearance is comparable to our inward lives as well. We present as a pretty a front as we can to the public, but whatever we are able to act like on the outside does not change who we really are on the inside. The only way that any of us can be truly glamourous is through Jesus Christ. I am thankful that God will see Jesus covering all of my imperfections and ugliness on the day of judgment and that I will then inside and glamourous outside will match!

*You can find the pictures shown above and more at the Sexy People website - I almost posted the before/after pics of the Glamour Shot models, but you can find them for yourself on the Sexy People website here and here.

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