Let's face it, image might be everything, and at least, image is everywhere. From the Real World/Road Rules: Battle of the Sexes to American Idol, where Simon fears the music industry is dominated by how you look and not how you sound (But Simon, Kelly Osbourne can sing!) to our very own Beaver Avenue, where another tanning salon just opened.

I got to thinking about image and, rather than pouring myself over my Norton anthology, I indulged myself in a guilty pleasure: My So-Called Life, hoping it would provide me some insight into this image-conscious world in which we live.

Since the entire series was recently released on DVD, and because I am definitely the product of a generation where "like" is just as commonplace as "um," My So-Called Life is my favorite show.

For those of you who missed the short-lived series (sigh) or at least the MTV marathon, in one episode aptly entitled "The Zit," the main character is plagued with a huge zit, and the prospect of having to be in one of those hokey mother-daughter fashion shows. Needless to say, it is, like, a total disaster, and the rest of the show plays out scenarios to which we are all able to relate: self-hatred towards our image, especially when faced with that zit that only you can see, but seems as big as the moon's crater.

But, when you flip on the TV and see Britney's gyrating stomach, and J.Lo's behind, it's hard to separate your own image from what society dictates.

It's true that we all go through image stages. You know, one day you're "preppy" in Gap's latest boot cut jeans and the next you're J.Lo's twin in one of those velour sets that are all the rage in these parts. (Let's see how many times can I mention Ms. Lopez-soon-to-be-Affleck in this column.) And, although we might want to escape it, this image consciousness follows us through the perils of middle school to the very streets of State College, where people can be seen outside in below-freezing temperatures without a coat, all for the sake of looking first-class.

There is one thing that does remain constant in the midst of all this image madness: No matter what particular image you're going for, most of us want to look good.

For the majority, however, looking good equals doing the best we can, because, as much as we want to dream, we don't have Jenny from the Block's butt or her stylists to do our hair every morning and customize our makeup. While the college sweatpant dress code is touted in every depiction of the lazy college student, the myth just doesn't hold up.

A look inside any particular classroom at Penn State will give you a sampling of so many different images that even the act of wearing sweatpants becomes an image-conscious choice.

For example, when I awake every morning, and slide gracefully to my closet full of three-dozen "It's on sale, so I must buy it!" shirts, my mind chooses an outfit that I hope resembles a Sex and the City fashion-to-do. I fully intend to put on an attractive, graceful outfit. But, my dreams usually fall short, and I end up looking like myself, which is probably not the worst thing. After all, image should be what makes you happy.

Another example: I used to wonder why anyone would choose to go "tanning." I'm not even sure I understand when being tan equaled being attractive, but apparently it came from Hollywood (You know, sunny land of California equals tan actors, duh!).

In asking around for an answer, which led to responses mostly resembling an "It makes me feel good" mantra, I realized that tanning is just as much an image as not tanning. And, if standing in a booth with ultra-violet rays makes you happy, go for it. Especially since salons can now zap or spray you within the convenience of the cosmos known as Beaver Avenue. (Apparently, getting sprayed is the safe, all-vegan way to tan.) So, go forth and tan, or do whatever it is that makes you feel good about who you are: pierce, tattoo, dye, go global, go rocker, go punk or go TRL.

But, above all, remember image is not everything, and you are actually beautiful, no matter what the STYLE network says. If you don't want to listen to me, take it from My So-Called Life: "Sometimes it seems like we are all living in some kind of prison, and the crime is how much we hate ourselves. It's good to get dressed up once in awhile and admit the truth: that when you really look closely, people are so strange and so complicated that they're actually beautiful."