Beauty: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Setup
According to myth, Helen of Troy was “the face that launched a thousand ships” — her abduction having incited the Trojan War. Most of us can only dream of inspiring such passion, though studies show American women will spend over $200,000 on cosmetics in their lifetimes, and plastic surgeons report they are seeing “catapulting demand for facial plastic surgery and aesthetic procedures.” Are there risks associated with putting such a high premium on beauty, particularly in the age of social media? What happens to our psyches when we stare at ourselves on a screen all day? And what the heck is “snapchat dysmorphia” anyway?
- 2022 Festival
Explore More
Arts

Music and dance are humanity’s hallmarks, a shared ritual of communities the world over. Over the millennia, we’ve created some highly specialized forms, but at its root, musi...







A look back at what we've read, watched, and listened this year.






At the 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival, five of America's premier artists in classical music, jazz, and ballet bring virtual audiences works of art intended to deepen thought.



Time on your hands? Looking to escape into learning? Dive deeply into a broad array of topics from Aspen Ideas. Discover how soul music became a soundtrack to some of our nati...

Women's History Month is an opportunity to honor the indelible contributions women have made in societies around the world. But don't wait until remarkable women are in histor...



