An expert in the field of contemporary cultural studies, Susan Bordo explains how society’s perception of beauty has changed over the years.

Bordo will use the second wife of King Henry VIII as a point of reference. Anne Boleyn is often thought of as a woman of mythical beauty, but was also said to suffer from various “deformities.” Bordo will also treat listeners to colorful descriptions of what medieval women did to bleach their skin, pluck unwanted hair, and whiten teeth.

Co-sponsored by the University of Missouri – Kansas City Women’s & Gender Studies Program, Bernardin-Haskell Lectures, English Department, and Women’s Center.