Izingibe Zokuphishekela Ubuhle

UBUHLE bangempela bahlulelwa kanjani? Abanye bacabanga ukuthi ubuhle buxhomeke ekuboneni komuntu ngamunye. Ngempela, abantu abaningi bathi umbono ngobuhle uyindaba yomuntu ngamunye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umbono ovamile ngokuthi ubuhle buyini ngempela uye wahlukahluka kakhulu kuye ngomphakathi nenkathi.

UJeffery Sobal, ongomunye woprofesa abaphethe isayensi yezokudla eCornell University, e-U.S.A., uthi: “Kulo lonke ikhulu le-19 leminyaka, cishe yonke imiphakathi yayihlobanisa ukuzimuka nokuba nesikhundla esiphakeme. Umkhaba wawubhekwa njengophawu lokuchuma nempilo, kuyilapho ukuzaca kwakusho ukuthi umuntu wayempofu kakhulu futhi elamba.” Imidwebo yabadwebi abaningi bangaleso sikhathi iveza lowo mbono, njengoba abakhangisi babo—ngokuvamile abangabesifazane—babebakhulu ngomzimba benezingalo nemilenze ebulungene, benanezinqe nezinqulu ezinkulu. Eminingi yale midwebo yayingeyabantu bangempela ababebhekwa njengezibonelo zobuhle.

Lowo mbono usabonakala nanamuhla, yize ubuhle buhlanganisa okungaphezu kokukhuluphala noma ukuzaca. Noma kunjalo, kweminye imiphakathi yaseNingizimu Pacific, ukukhuluphala kusaziswa kakhulu. Kwezinye izindawo e-Afrika, izingoduso zivalelwa “emigonqweni yokukhuluphaliswa,” lapho zinikwa khona ukudla okukhuluphalisayo khona zizokhanga kakhulu. Umnikazi we-nightclub ethile eNigeria uthi: “Ngokuvamile owesifazane ongum-Afrika uyisidudla . . . Yilobo-ke ubuhle bakhe. Isiko lethu.” Ukukhuluphala kwaziswa njengophawu lokuceba nempumelelo nasemiphakathini eminingi esadla ngoludala yamaHispanic.

 Nokho, kwezinye izindawo eziningi isimo sihlukile kulesi. Ngani? Abanye bathi njengoba ezohwebo nezezimboni zinwebekela kwamanye amazwe, kwaholela ekusatshalalisweni kokudla nakakhulu, imiphakathi “ephansi” yakwazi ukudla lokho ngaphambili okwakuyikhethelo labadla izambane likapondo. Ngakho, ukwazisa ukuzimuka kwaya ngokuya kuphela. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ezinye izinkolo zihlanganisa ukukhuluphala nokuminza, futhi lokhu kuye kwenza ukukhuluphala kwaba nesigcwagcwa. Futhi, okutholwe yisayensi ngezingozi zempilo ezihlobene nokukhuluphala ngokweqile nakho kuye kwaba nesandla kulokhu. Lezi zici nezinye ziye zaba nomthelela ekushintsheni kwemibono ngalokho okuwubuhle, futhi sekungamashumi eminyaka manje ingxenye enkulu yomhlaba igqugquzela ukuthi ukuba nomzimba omncane yikona okufanelekile.

Imithombo yezindaba iye yenza lukhulu ekubhebhezeleni lokhu kucabanga. Abantu abavela emabhodini okukhangisa nakuyithelevishini ngokuvamile banemizimba emincane, eqinile. Isithombe sabo sihloselwe ukudlulisela umqondo wokulondeka nokuphumelela. Kunjalo nangosaziwayo bamabhayisikobho ne-TV.

Lokhu kubathonya kanjani abantu abavamile, kuhlanganise nentsha? Isihloko esisanda kuphuma ngokubukeka komuntu sibonisa ukuthi “ngesikhathi owesifazane ovamile waseMelika ephothula esikoleni esiphakeme, uyobe esebukele ithelevishini amahora angaphezu kuka-22 000.” Esiningi saleso sikhathi, ugcingcwa ngemifanekiso yabesifazane abakhangayo abanemizimba “emihle.” Lesi sihloko siyanezela: “Ngokuchayeka kaninginingi kulezi zithombe, ngaphakathi kwabesifazane kwakheka umqondo ohlobanisa umzimba omuhle nesikhundla, injabulo, uthando nempumelelo.” Ngakho-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi ngemva kokubuka izithombe zabakhangisi kumagazini othile, amantombazane angamaphesenti angu-47 kulawo okwaxoxwa nawo azizwa ephoqelekile ukuba anciphise umzimba, kuyilapho ayengamaphesenti angu-29 kuphela ayekhuluphele.

Imboni yezemfashini nayo inethonya elinamandla embonweni wabantu ngobuhle. UJennifer, umkhangisi waseVenezuela osebenza eMexico City, uthi: “Umsebenzi wakho uwukuba ubukeke kahle, futhi namuhla lokho kusho ukuba nomzimba omncane.” Umkhangisi ongumFulentshi okuthiwa uVanessa uthi: “Empeleni, akukona ukuthi uyatshelwa ukuthi kumelwe ube nomzimba omncane, kodwa uwena ozitshelayo. Kuwumbono osemfashinini emhlabeni wonke.” Kuyinhlolo-vo ethile eyenziwa emantombazaneni asemancane, angamaphesenti angu-69 avuma ukuthi abakhangisi abavezwa komagazini bawuthonya umbono wawo ngomzimba omuhle.

Kodwa akubona abesifazane kuphela abayizisulu zethonya “lomzimba kanokusho.” Iphephandaba laseMexico i-Universal lithi: “Kuyaqala ngqá ukuba ezitolo kube nemikhiqizo eminingi kangaka yokuzilungisa yabesilisa.”

“Umzimba Kanokusho”—Ingabe Unomphumela Omuhle?

Emzamweni wokufinyelela “umzimba kanokusho” noma nje ukubukeka kangcono, abantu abaningi baphendukela ekuhlinzelweni ubuhle. Ukusebenzisa lo mkhakha wezokwelapha akusabizi kakhulu futhi sekungezinhlobo eziningi. Kwaqala kanjani ukuhlinzelwa ubuhle?

Ngokwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, ubuchwepheshe banamuhla bokuhlinzwa kokulungisa ukubukeka baqala eminyakeni yangemva kweMpi Yezwe I, lapho kwakwenziwa imizamo  yokulungisa izibazi ezimbi zamanxeba empi. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi lobu buchwepheshe bebulokhu buwusizo ekulungiseni ukungabukeki okudalwa ukusha, ukulimala ezingozini, nokukhubazeka umuntu azalwa nako. Nokho, njengoba i-Britannica ivuma, ukuhlinzwa kokulungisa ukubukeka ngokuvamile “sekwenzelwa ukuthuthukisa ukubukeka kwabantu empeleni abaphile saka.” Ngokwesibonelo, ikhala lingakhiwa kabusha, kungakhishwa isikhumba esilengayo ebusweni nasentanyeni, kungancishiswa ubukhulu bezindlebe, kungakhishwa amafutha esiswini nasezinqulwini, izitho ezithile zingandiswa, ngisho nenkaba ingenziwa ukuba “ikhange” ngokwengeziwe.

Nokho, kuthiwani ngabantu abaphilile abazifaka engozini ngoba befuna ukuthuthukisa ukubukeka kwabo? Yiziphi izingozi abangase bangene kuzo? U-Angel Papadopulos, unobhala we-Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgery yaseMexico, uchaza ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi lokhu kuhlinzwa kwenziwa abantu abangaqeqeshiwe kahle, umphumela kube ukulimala okukhulu. Kunemitholampilo enikeza abantu izinto eziyingozi ukuze banciphise umzimba. Ekuqaleni kuka-2003, iphephandaba labika ukuthi izimo ezazingayilungele impilo ezindaweni zokuzicwala zaletha idumela elibi eCanary Islands, lapho amakhulu abesifazane aba izisulu zokuhlinzwa okungaphephile. *

Namadoda angabambeka kulolu gibe lokuphishekela “umzimba kanokusho.” Amanye achitha amahora amaningi evocavoca umzimba, esebenzisa cishe sonke isikhathi sawo esikhululekile elolonga umzimba. Umagazini i-Milenio uthi: “Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, isidingo sokuvivinya umzimba sibangela ukuba kunciphe ubudlelwane nobuhlobo nabanye abantu.” Umuzwa wokuthi kumelwe babe osozinyama ubangela abanye ukuba baze badle nezinto ezingase ziwulimaze umzimba, njengezikhuthazi-mzimba (ama-steroid).

 Ukukhathazeka ngokweqile ngokubukeka kuye kwabangela abanye besifazane abasebasha ukuba babe yizisulu zezinkinga zokudla, njengokuzigcingca ngokudla noma ukuzincisha ukudla. Abanye basebenzisa imikhiqizo ebenza banciphise umzimba ethembisa imiphumela eshesha ngokungajwayelekile kodwa engagunyaziwe izinhlangano zezempilo ezinedumela elihle. Ukusebenzisa imikhiqizo enjalo kungaba yingozi kakhulu.

Izingozi eziba khona lapho umuntu ekhathazeka ngokweqile ngokubukeka kwakhe zidlulela ngalé kokulimala ngokomzimba. UDkt. Katherine Phillips waseBrown University, e-U.S.A., uthi abantu abakhathazeke ngokungafanele ngokubukeka kwabo bangagcina sebenesifo sengqondo sokukhathazeka ngokubukeka komzimba, esenza abantu abanaso bakhathazeke ngokweqile ngezici ingqondo yabo ebatshela ukuthi banazo. Lesi sifo singase siphathe umuntu oyedwa kwabangu-50. Uthi labo abanaso “bangase baqiniseke impela ukuthi babi baze bazihlukanise nabangane nabathandekayo babo. Bangacindezeleka futhi bathambekele ekuzibulaleni.” UPhillips unikeza isibonelo sentombazane enhle eyayinenkinga engembi yezinduna kodwa yona eyayiqiniseka ukuthi ubuso bayo babugcwele izisihla. Ingathandi ukuba ibonwe abantu, le ntombazane yayeka isikole isafunda ibanga lesithupha.

Ingabe indlela umuntu abukeka ngayo ibaluleke kangangokuba kumelwe adele inhlalakahle yakhe engokwengqondo nengokomzimba ukuze abe “nomzimba kanokusho”? Bukhona yini ubuhle obubaluleke ngokwengeziwe umuntu okufanele alwele ukuba nabo?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]

Emantombazaneni angamaphesenti angu-69, umbono wawo ngomzimba omuhle uthonywa abakhangisi abavezwa komagazini

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Ukukhangisa kunethonya elikhulu embonweni wabantu ngobuhle

[Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Abanye baye bazilimaza ngokuhlinzwa kaningi belungisa ukubukeka kwabo

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Abanye bazikhandla ngokweqile ukuze babukeke ngendlela abayithandayo