After a generation of action to define social roles and to gain rights and freedoms of women, are we really free?
In the book The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf, she states that “We are in the midst of a violent backlash against feminism that uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women’s advancement.” She is referring to the contemporary ideal of what society believes women should look like; tall, thin, flawless skin, beautiful hair, and dressed to impress. This is surrounding us so much so that we have become desensitized to it. It is argued that women's obsession with their appearance comes out of social pressure and leads to psychological consequences such as decreased self-esteem, distorted body image, and feelings of helplessness and frustration in response to unsuccessful dieting efforts. In today’s society, women are expected to gain an education, become successful, be a wife and be a mother all while maintaining their appearance. These are the western society’s cultural norms.
When we open a magazine, we never see a woman with curves on the first page. Instead we see a woman who is 23% skinnier than the average woman. Advertisers show stunning models living the perfect life to try and entice us into buying their product. They give the illusion that if we buy their product, we will become beautiful and have the desired life. When writing this blog, it brought me to analyze the TV shows I find entertaining to watch. We have all heard of the show What Not to Wear; a TV show where two fashion stylists and a team of hair and makeup professionals help revamp the look of individuals due to their “undesirable” appearance. On the majority of the episodes I have seen, they are assisting women with vast ranges of education or work experience, but are having a difficult time finding employment or gaining a promotion. The show presents the idea that you can have 10 different degrees or 20 years work experience, but if you do not dress to impress you are less likely to become successful. Therefore, the appearance of women now is becoming a barrier for employment. These ideals are what further oppress women, as a society we all contribute by watching certain TV shows and idolizing celebrities, partaking in materialism and defining ourselves by the brands we buy, and striving to look like what society thinks we should look like. As long as these ideals exist, I believe women will continue to be objectified and categorized regardless of the feats we have overcome throughout the decades.
Alexandra
References
Wolf, N. (n.d.). The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. Google Books. Retrieved December 6, 2012, from http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YD56gICSRk0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=the+beauty+myth+naoimi&ots=mDIpWsLVKp&sig=LkaulQGQHOKwnvPaMv7CKxTSSrU#v=onepage&q=the%20beauty%20myth%20naoimi&f=false
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ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic to blog on Alexandra! I don’t like the fact that there is this image of perfection that media tries to feed us. The pressure to be what society deems is “normal” is so distorted. It puts enormous pressure on young girls to lose weight and strive for perfection.
ReplyDeleteI am however, a fan of some makeover shows. My favourite is “How to Look Good Naked.” The show takes women of all sizes and shapes – a very realistic representation of the real size of women in our society (which is not the image media shoves down our throat), and shows them how to dress for the runway and even for beautiful naked pictures. It helps to show that we are all beautiful and can be sexy, no matter what size we are. Beautiful and sexy is more of an attitude than a desperate attempt to fill a stereotype. I believe it is important to strive to be the best we can be – even in how we present ourselves, no matter what our shape and size is. When we strive to be the best we can be, we exude confidence and this is what helps to land the job or promotion – a confident attitude with a genuine belief that we are not “less than” but we are wonderful… just the way we are.
Lisa :)
I am very much for fighting societies image of how women and even young girls think they should look. There are many illnesses that are developed, in young girls especially, like bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and body dysmorphia. Which I believe are very much attributed to this image that society has created, and so many women are nearly killing themselves to look like. There could be other factors that contribute to these illnesses as well, but perhaps environment has triggered something that otherwise wouldn't have been an issue. I had a teacher who used to say "genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger". If something is not done to help improve the image of women in society and encourage strong, empowered females I do believe that women will regress in society. All the challenges we once faced and overcame will have been for nothing.
ReplyDelete-Denise
I agree with you Alexandra, our society is going overboard with the expectations around what a woman should weigh, dress like, and the lifestyle she should lead. I have two young girls who I am guiding in the healthiest way that I can, but the media is working twice as hard as I am at leaving a lasting impression on their self image. It is not just the media either, I heard a woman boasting to her friend about how she just lost 10 lbs and she was extremely thin. These types of ideas cause a ripple effect of self criticisms among impressionable minds. I have a Dove Real Beauty campaign shirt that says "You are beautiful, pass it on…" These are the ideas that we must advertise for women to feel empowered.
ReplyDeleteTara
I agree also agree with you Alexander that society is going overboard with the expectations of women. I know firsthand about the expectation of women, being a woman myself. I am constantly reminded of how much I "should" weight, how to dress, how to get guys to notice me, or how to wear my hair. I see myself as a confident person, therefore I am able to overcome these expectations and focus on my own expectations. However, not everyone has the confident to ignore society’s expectations and put a lot of stress on one’s self. Today more advertisement has been created to promote "0 is not a size" or "curves are HOT", but these few advertisements don't block out the Ads of Victoria Secret models in bikinis. I think advertisements needs incorporate more "natural beautiful/fit" actors/actresses to promote natural weight loss, health, fitness, and wellness.
ReplyDelete-Lindsay
Hello Alexandra,
ReplyDeleteI like your topic and I think that you did a good job presenting it to us.
I totally agree with you. There is an ideal or a perfect image of how attractive women look like and it is invading the whole world. From my personal experience, many people would tell me or at least make me feel that I am not good enough because of my height and short hair. It used to get me in the past. We do not get to choose where we come from or how we look like, but we get to choose who we are and what we want to do in our lives. However, I believe that real beauty comes from within. For example, if you have a beautiful mind and a kind heart that will naturally reflect on your looks and will shine within your eyes. Unlike personality, our looks fade away by time; our bodies get old and tired. On the other hand, our soul will always remain restless. I find it sad that there are many young females who are dragged to being perfect. I hate how women are viewed as sex objects. A woman should be perfect; attractive, knows how to cook, works, raises children, and the list goes on.. I think that we need to be careful of what kind of media we read and listen to because it will reflect on us somehow
-Farah