VH1’s “TRANSform Me” and Images of Beauty

Did anyone else watch the premier episode of VH1’s new show "TRANSform Me " on Monday night?  It aired right after Jessica Simpson’s "Price of Beauty", which I had made a point to watch, so when TRANSform Me came on I just kept watching.  VH1 says of the show:

TRANSform Me is a makeover show in which a team of three transgender women, led by the inimitable Laverne Cox (I Want To Work For Diddy), rescues women from personal style purgatory. Laverne and her ultra-glam partners in crime have undergone the ultimate transformation, so they’re the perfect women for the job.

They’ll travel the country in their tricked out fashion ambulance, siren blaring, and swoop into scenes of fashion disaster. They’ll not only make women look better but feel a whole lot better about themselves. It’s about discovering one’s inner personal style.

I personally enjoyed the show.  I like doing and wearing things that are considered "feminine", and I love how clothes can express a person’s personality.  I also love that this show strives to bring awareness to transgender issues.  The VH1 website has links to the Audre Lorde Project and GLAAD, and in the first episode they made a point of explaining what it means (to these three women, anyway) what it means to be transgender.

What I struggled with was the show’s narrow definition of beauty.  The pilot episode features a woman, Nicole, who recently lost a lot of weight and still dressed in her old clothes.  She talked about her sister and how no one believes they are related because she’s the "pretty one" while Nicole is the "ugly one".  Nicole’s transformation had a lot to do with getting her new, trendy, ultra-feminine clothing and giving her a new, trendy haircut and makeup look.  I considered it to be a very mainstream kind of beauty.  I also did not like that the first participant’s transformation hinged on her weight loss.  While a healthy lifestyle choice, I felt it was also emphasizing pop culture’s ideal of the "beautiful" and "sexy" woman.  I had hoped that the show, especially coming right after Price of Beauty, would acknowledge some other kinds of beauty.

I’m going to keep watching and see if the "beauty" branches out some.  I hope that the show can bring awareness not only to trans issues, but also to issues that affect all women, regardless of gender/orientation/what-have-you.  I would also love to hear some discussion on this from the Feministing community.