The need to be skinny has trickled down through magazines, TV shows, and movies all the way down to the minds of the common public. Really hitting home with adolescent girls. In magazines we see the models who have been airbrushed to perfection. However, not only do we see their bodies being mutilated but any blemish or undesirable mark is removed. Recently there has been controversy over this Ralph Lauren add. Before even reading the article I was shocked by the picture. They explain how the models waist appears smaller than her head, a wildly unrealistic feature in any person. I know that the article gets into stuff about copyrights with the picture but honestly it doesn't matter what way you look at this its wrong to have that up for whatever reason they may have. Some of the links on the article are surprising to see, one compares Beyonce in a commercial showing how they've lighted her skin and hair for TV. And people quoted in the article wonder was that really necessary? What's really the point of all this?
Many programs such as Tyra Bank's, America's Next Top Model have recognized the issue of what's "dangerously skinny" by allowing "plus sized" models on the show, never more than one or two but at least those that want to model have a chance. One of which actually won a few seasons back. You also hear her tell some contenstents that they should watch their diets because they look too skinny. Also TLC's What Not to Wear helps people change their wardrobe to fit their lifestyle more appropriately and help flatter their indivdual body type. However, they make the clothes fit to them, you never hear Stacy or Clinton (show hosts) tell someone they should lose weight.
It's obvious that some worry about what kind of media people are being exposed to. Children and teens are always being told about healthy diets and the dangers of eating disorders. We talked in class about why certain laws are put into place because something must have triggered this need. Well our media has triggered this need to discuss body image in schools' helath classes.
So if we all recognize this, why are our models super skinny and our celebrities all made up constantly? Can our society move away from this or is this just how our world has evolved? Do our fashion industries, magazines etc really care about how what we see affects us, or are they just trying to hypnotize us with this unrealistic image of what we want to be so they can make the big bucks?
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Obviously I can't really relate to most of this considering I am of the male gender but I did find a few things you said spot on. When I see magazine covers I have no confidence in what I'm seeing. I know that these pictures have been manipulated in every single way to adapt to a certain standard. So when I do see these publications I just dismiss them immediately. Secondly, marketing has reached a point where they can make people do whatever they want. Marketing firms for cosmetics and clothing companies create an ideal and sadly people strive for it, even if the ideal in nearly unattainable.
ReplyDeleteMoragn,
ReplyDeleteNice job here! This is a thoughtful post on an important topic. It'd be nice to quote and analyze some of the discourse surrounding this issue (say, in the articles you cite). Also, I wonder if you can relate this topic to our class idea of story telling. Last, I wonder about the slippery word "evolve" in the rhetorical questions you end with? Isn't body image a CONSTRUCTION? Who frames that discussion? Who is left out?