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Amy Schumer tackles pop culture's mixed signals with 'Girl, You Don't Need Makeup'

While the skit was produced in good fun for "Inside Amy Schumer," the comedian did succeed in bringing a real issue to light.
/ Source: TODAY

In One Direction's 2011 hit "What Makes You Beautiful," the world-famous boy band croons about their idea of the true meaning of beauty: "Don't need makeup / To cover up / Being the way that you are is enough."

Meanwhile, rapper Drake had earlier riffed on a similar theme in his 2009 single "Best I Ever Had," rhyming, "Sweatpants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on / That's when you're the prettiest, I hope that you don't take it wrong."

Based on her latest sketch, it seems Amy Schumer did indeed "take it wrong."

And so, presumably, have a lot of other women who aren't fooled by the oftentimes contradictory messages about women's beauty perpetuated by today's media.

After all, Drake and One Direction (who are, in all fairness, only the tip of the iceberg) chose to cast conventionally beautiful models and actresses in the music videos that broadcast their "just the way you are" message.

Lacking sincerity, the trope got old pretty fast.

The backdrop of Schumer's spoof is all too familiar: a music video in which members of a typical 21st-century boy band encourage her to wash off her makeup and instead focus on her internal beauty.

She runs off to do just that. When she returns, the band realizes it was all a horrible mistake.

"We kinda changed our mind on the makeup thing," they sing, hurriedly helping a horrified Schumer reapply her cosmetics.

While the skit was clearly produced in good fun for Schumer's Comedy Central series, "Inside Amy Schumer," the comedian did succeed in bringing a real issue to light.

Before Tuesday's episode aired, Schumer asked viewers to share makeup-free selfies, using the hashtag #GirlYouDontNeedMakeup, and fans were quick to respond.

Though we can't promise we'll be putting an end to our solo One Direction dance parties (in other words, absolutely not), you can bet we'll be thinking twice about the lyrics.