Face to face. Not satisfied with nature’s product? Unsympathetic to your reflection in the mirror? Looking for more than artistry or resemblance? How about a mask? A holy picture of your inner self, to better align that precise, albeit mistaken idea of what you look like. Put your best mask forward…
An unassuming man might settle for an idealized likeness of himself, a sublimation of ordinary features. A truly fastidious person might want to own an entire collection of masks, each suitable for a particular occasion, expressing optimism, indifference, sustained surprise, displeasure etc.,without jeopardizing their basic looks. A person who has been mistaken more than once for a celebrity whom he faintly resembles might unblushingly choose the illustrious face. No doubt, most people would want to look younger; a few perhaps older. But rare is the person who has never longed to encounter a different face in the mirror.
A mask permits anyone to put their best face forward. No baggy eyes, no wrinkles, no five o’clock shadow, all features permanently composed. Neurologists may want to prescribe therapeutic masks to help patients ease their real or imagined sufferings. At a board meeting a well-masked man will not hesitate to speak his mind freely, and the steady gaze of his fellow masks will fill him with pride and confidence.
Moreover, since few people in the public eye are graced with a handsome, beautiful or even cute and winsome face, a mask can alleviate the discomfort of having to look at them. It has been ascertained that much of the poor impression politicians make, results from their visual image. Henceforth, popularity votes and personal ratings will be based on a person’s compelling effigy; by wearing a mask, they will no longer have to show the world their true face. Sculptors, those least useful members of human society, will receive commissions that may decide a nation’s fate, and news will be made by the ten best-masked men and women, whether they wear clothes or not. …