What better image can be found that strengthens Kilbourne's agrument, the Barbie poem by Marge Piercy, and our discussion on the medias contribution to the bombardment of messages on beauty. The young women in the photograph is sitting on top of a stretcher, surrounded by doctors applying varies cosmetics. It intially caused a reaction in me as how lightly society views the impact that the media has on women. The same age on the stretcher reminded of women undergoing extreme measures such as liposuction and botox to meet the demands of the media's preconcieved notion on beauty. A perception of beauty that does not even exist because it requires a women to have no flaws, otherwise to be perfect. As you can see by the photograph, the model shares the same struggle as any woman since she also needs the help of doctors to fit society's expectations. It is every womens destiny to enter this endless battle with the media. In which they have to choose which is more important their individualtity or society's approval. Similar to the Barbie poem, the last stanza expresses women's conformity and inevitable death as they trade in superficiality for inner beauty, the thing that really counts.
I think one of the most crucial points that can be made from this spread, which Tati pointed out, is that every women is part of the battle with our world's unattainable perception of beauty. As illustrated by this photograph, those who we might think are examples of this sought-after perfection are not exempted from the hardships it consists of, nor do they see themselves as the basis of what is necessary for this level of flawlessness. If we live in a world where the models that we see in magazines and view as the criteria to hold ourselves up against are not comfortable in their own skin, then what is the root of this whole perception of perfection?
ReplyDeleteI think that this image perfectly depicts the unattainability of conventional 'beauty.' With new technology and makeup, false images of men and women alike make standards of beauty impossible to reach. Like the concepts in White Noise, a false image like the advertisement shown above are replicated and replicated, with no original to back it up. Women are constantly chasing a perception that doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteThis image captures everything we have been discussing about media, advertising, and beauty industry influences on society today. This image sends a message. people should look at this and see what is wrong with society today. However, many will look at this and only remind themselves of the idea of self improvement through make up, plastic surgery, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis ad reiterates the struggle of individuality (true beauty) and the media (society's attempt and perfection, the implausible). Interestingly it also triggered something for me that we have not yet talked about. Not only is our definition of beauty altering, but the role doctors play in our lives is also altering. Doctors now appear as professionals of perfection--they have the skills to perfect skin, facial features ect. Doctors, who have always been honored in society for making discoveries and valued for curing the population, are now giving in to society's demands for a beautified and perfected life.
ReplyDeleteThis image relates directly to our discussions on objectification of women. Women believe that they must look a specific way in order to be attractive. Any deviation from this must therefore make someone ugly. This is ludicrous because women (and sometimes men) are losing any sense of individuality, and submitting themselves to conformity. We are more comfortable when we blend in, thus we crave the "accepted look." I really like what Tati said that women "have to choose which is more important their individualtity or society's approval." We shouldn't need approval from anyone regarding who we are. This bothers me, and I hope that people soon realize that all the ads, commercials, etc. show fake women/men which we should not even bother attempting to resemble.
ReplyDeleteI find it intriguing that this image is most likely followed by a "the best of beauty". A tedious list of cosmetics that can improve one's features. So was this image placed there for a reason? To incite insecurity into the viewers of the article, to make them strive for the products that follow. If the model needs "special" products or even cosmetic surgery to become acceptable then what about the average women? What is average anyways, if based upon a corrupted scale influenced by celebrities and the magazines? Is beauty real anymore?
ReplyDeletePeople are told this is beauty and they accept it. However, this is not a beautiful woman. I say this because this image is a sign that portrays beauty when no such beauty exists. How can something be our guideline for beauty when it is not real? This image has been distorted with computers, and does not portray reality and is not reality. Is this a beautiful picture? Perhaps. Is this a beautiful woman? There is no woman.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at this picture, I can't help but be a tad bit scared. When I think of a hospital, I think of illness. I think, something is wrong. The fact that they use a woman sitting on a stretcher with medical tools and surgeons surrounding her, makes a strong statement. The writer is saying that there's something wrong with you if you do not look this way, and you can "correct" yourself by buying certain products. I find that extremely disturbing, and frankly, just sick and wrong. To comapre buying make up to having a potentially life altering surgery is absurd. This is the reason girls have such low confidence in themselves. It doesn't come out of thin air. These awful feelings are direct results from pictures such as these that are thrown at us every time we open up a magazine or change the channel on the TV.
ReplyDeleteThis ad really is a picture that is worth a hundred words (or more). First of all, it just FURTHER shows how much women are squashed into molds. They are dictated by society to change themselves to please. They need to have beautiful shiny hair, thin waists, etc. etc. so that they will seem attractive so men will pick them up. But, really, why? Why is it so necessary for women to force themselves into looking beautiful?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I find interesting is that the two doctors are both MEN. Why is it that a woman cant be performing surgery or whatever operation/procedure these men are doing? One chromosome difference between the two sexes yet it's as if men and women are completely different species.
The combination of a operating room and cosmetics creates a very powerful effect. To most people, an operating room is associated with coldness, fear, blood and sickness. Cosmetics, on the other hand, are usually associated with beauty, perfection, and attraction. Putting two such opposing ideas together in one picture makes a haunting assumption: there is nothing beautiful about this kind of beauty. It is cold, frightening and sick. It encourages women to put aside their fears and step into the operating room, to let strange men in white coats prod and poke them to meet their standards. I agree with Allie that it's important to notice that the doctors are men, because it further proves that men decide the standards women must achieve, which to me seems unbelievably prejudiced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points that Allie, Aimee and Tati are talking about - girls are "molded" into the need to look beutiful and perfect. Our society promotes outer beauty more than it does inner beauty. Heck, we've made multi-billion dollar industries out of the standard. The fashion and cosmetic industries boom with our desire to fit the look created for us.
ReplyDeleteIts been statistically proven that people tend to trust good-looking people rather than those who are "ugly". Why is it that people have to be pretty in order for them to be trustworthy?