The Truth About Normal In the 21st century, photography and videography have become the most popular art forms. Art and imagery have always held the human mind’s interest. Often it allows unreal things to become real and real things to be remembered. With technology today, most people are able to take a picture or a video at any time they would like. Social media such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat serve as platforms for these images to be shared. Not only do everyday people use these platforms, but celebrities do as well. Often for celebrities social media becomes a way to brand and advertise not only theirselves, but their best selfs. This can be problematic because the ideal images of celebrities that are published are often ones that …show more content…
are made to sell and do not reveal the whole story. Part of a celebrities' job is to portray the cultural ideal and they are required to take actions everyday that "normal" people do not. This creates an unreasonable and usually unattainable beauty standard for everyday people which leads to a bunch of complications. The normalization of celebrities’ appearance should be limited because it provides unrealistic inspiration to young minds. An ideal is a concept specially constructed to be considered perfection or close to perfection.
In today’s society, as can be seen in the way celebrities are viewed, ideals tend to be overused; so much so that they become a guide in which to measure oneself against. Lennard J. Davis explores the ramifications of this in his article “Constructing Normalcy.” If ideals are used as a guide, and consequentially made into the “average” for society, then these ideals have the potential to be harmful to self image and encourage self esteem issues commonly seen in the 21st century. As Davis states in reference to Venus, “...this ideal body, is not attainable by a human.” The perfect images that ideals promote are unattainable. It is simply unreasonable to aspire to one idea when the spectrums of body image vary so vastly. Body image ideals are often harmful to society because they create a negative connotation. Davis explains that ideals imply that the human body is viewed as art and if that is true then, as is human tendency, it sparks a desire to compose the “perfect” body using different parts from different models (Davis 4). If we view the human body as art then the negative connotation inspired by society’s obsession with “perfect” is like putting art, a subjective practice, into the categories of being good or bad. Trying to minimize the natural beauty of the human body by judging it on subjective terms can lead to a mess of issues especially when idolizing the …show more content…
ideal. Often portraying this ideal are celebrities: people who are devotedly followed by everyday people whether that be on social media, magazines, or a blockbuster film and are admired for their appearances. These celebrities frequently are performers of some sort like singers, dancers, or actors. Sometimes though, they are nothing of the sort and instead just people who are considered to be extraordinarily beautiful. Whether they fall into one category or the other, they all benefit by conforming and representing society’s ideal. The Kardashian family, for example, do not sing or act. At the most they are models and social media figures. They get their fame from people talking about them and maintain their fame the same way. Their most glorified success boils down to one main component: their appearance. They are known for being busty, having flat stomachs, and flawless make-up. For today’s culture this is the ideal for a woman; to be fit and skinny, but still have a curvaceous, Marilyn Monroe-type figure. On the other end of the spectrum, Jamie Dornan, an actor and previous male model, is also known for his “good looks” as well as his talent. He has recently become famous for his role as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey and previously had roles in television like the Huntsman in Once Upon a Time. Jaime Dornan is a good example of the ideal for the male body: muscular, toned, and a chiseled jaw. Though his fame is achieved through his acting capabilities his appearance also plays a large part in the roles he gets. His roles are often playing someone who is put in the position of being a romantic interest. He is casted because of his appearance, not just because he can act. In short, the way someone looks does a lot to help them rise in fame. Society likes to look at people and things that are beautiful, or ideal, and even more so, society is drawn to this beauty and idolizes it. In a lot of ways, if you appeal to society’s current ideal then you have already won a singular battle on the path to fame and success. However, when such an integral part of a job is to look good it can take a toll. In order for celebrities to keep up these ideal appearances, they must take extensive and sometimes extreme measures; things like slimming down their bodies in time crunches that can be severe as a couple weeks or doing a diet that keeps them dehydrated in order to be lean. Everyday people do not realize that celebrities have to do this in order to keep their jobs; it is a part of their responsibilities and they are paid to do it. Often, if someone has undesirable traits then they will not be as successful in the business. In an article by Logan Hill, "Building a Bigger Action Hero," he mentions a tidbit of an interview he had with Gunnar Peterson, a trainer, in regards to the casting of a superhero. “'Great, you're a good-looking kid and you can act,' he says. 'Now take off your shirt.'" What Peterson is insinuating here is that even though you may be good looking and an amazing actor, you won't be desirable for a part unless you fulfill the ideal. In the case of the superhero, the ideal is that you are bulky, toned, and muscular. The effect that the ideal can have on these celebrities can be potentially health risking. Hill touches on this by talking about how actors often are kept at a very low body fat percentage, dehydrated, and sometimes on drugs or supplements. In one case, Matt Damon suffered from dizzy spells which impaired his adrenal gland an almost caused problems with his heart. Though celebrities may be able to achieve the ideal, they put themselves at risk by doing so. This is something that, even with all the money and fame in the world, can not be forgotten. Celebrities are often a source of aspiration for everyday people because of their ideal bodies and lavish lifestyles. If Kylie Jenner posts a picture on Instagram of her new lip product then generally people will want to buy those products, even if they are expensive, to look more like Kylie Jenner; to better fulfill the ideal. If Zayn Malik posts a picture of himself shirtless then young men, even other celebrities, will look at his body and suddenly have something to aspire to or a new goal to reach. Celebrities affect everyday people because their lives are constantly publicized and objectified. They post pictures of their Lamborghini to show off their wealth and pictures of their dehydrated, "ripped" bodies to show off their looks. In the eyes of every other person who is not a celebrity, their lives are perfect. As previously mentioned though, celebrities’ bodies look great because that is one of the responsibilities assigned to the job and they simply have to. Then, because celebrities work so hard to fulfill this cultural ideal, they are in return paid hefty amounts of money which allows them too maintain cushy lifestyles. It is a vicious cycle that feeds to the obsession of ideals which directly influences the lives and decisions of everyday people; and with technology advancing quickly, it influences young people even more. Young people, who are generally more impressionable, are the main audience for most products people like Kylie Jenner make and most movies and YouTube videos released. People usually are trying to accomplish one big picture task in their youth: to figure out who they are. It is no secret that young people are hooked on social media and the internet, both of which serve as a huge platform for celebrity endorsement. The largest community of role models for the youth to look to is celebrities, due to the way they are promoted and exposed in the media. This is where ideals do the most damage. The images and people that are idolized and associated with success by society are portrayed by public figures who are paid to look perfect. Celebrities are the expectation given to the youth in today’s society and as a result of this the lack of realistic standards can cause a great deal of problems. The consequences of celebrities being the largest source of inspiration for youth can not be overlooked.
Body image has recently become very popular in pop culture; body image being the way someone views their body. Society is obsessed with the human body: what it looks like and what that means. Due to the overuse of ideals in media, people, especially youth, have an inherent desire to want to be seen as beautiful because society pairs these traits with success. When these standards are not met it can create a bunch of problems that stem from body negativity. People will resort to self-harm such as cutting themselves and even develop eating disorders that later result in health problems. It is also common for negativity and rejection to come from peers in the form of verbal abuse. School yard bullies and even loved ones will call people cruel names to tear them down and build themselves up. Both verbal abuse and self harm also have the potential to create mental disorders or illnesses such as anxiety, paranoia, and depression. Celebrities, who portray the idolized ideals that cause these problems, hurt even themselves in the process of doing so. As mentioned earlier, Matt Damon dehydrated himself so severely in order to keep a lean body for a film that he had constant dizzy spells and almost a serious heart condition and most stunt doubles for celebrities are on drugs to maintain their bodies in leu of having personal trainers (Hill 64). Most of the Kardashians, who are
praised for their curves, had plastic surgery to get those curves. Not even celebrities are safe from the affect and influence of ideals. When the consequences of setting ideals as standards is so severe it can be hard to justify doing so. As much as celebrities do in terms of instigating body negativity, they are still, in essence, providing a role model for all of society. This is admirable because no other group of people are able to reach as far with their influence as celebrities do. They are depicting what is supposed to be a healthy person. Someone who is fit, has no serious health problems, and is happy. That’s not so bad; is it? Though things like a post on Instagram of Khloe Kardashian in her newest pair of jeans may seem harmless, they are not. It is true that celebrities may appear to be representing a healthy lifestyle, but just because they may look their best does not mean they are healthy. In fact, it usually means the opposite. It may be ideal to be fit, thin, muscular, busty, happy, pretty and healthy, but it is by no means realistic. The influence that celebrities have on youth and others absolutely needs to become minimized in order to sustain a truly healthy culture. Aside from fame and wealth for selected parties, no one benefits from the promotion of ideals. The consequences of this obsession with being perfect are vast and always end in someone getting hurt. Eventually everyone is torn down. Why maintain an unrealistic standard? By doing this society sets itself up for failure. Everyday too many people are hurt or put in harm’s way for the sake of being beautiful. It is vital that society begins working together to create an inclusive world where no one limits themselves because they don’t meet a beauty standard.
If a teenager or pre-teen is focused on particular celebrities and their goal is too look like them, it is not difficult to slip into acting like them as well, or at least being influenced by their behavior and perceived attitudes. The media abounds with bad examples of celebrity behavior, from Justin Bibber driving recklessly to Miley Cyrus parading around scantily clothed, and although every celebrity is not a terrible role model, a disproportionate amount of them can be found to have shaky morals and seem to have let the attention that they receive affect their behavior. In addition, the perfect bodies that most of them display are not realistic and in some cases not even naturally attainable, thanks to the modern tools of plastic surgery, augmentations, liposuction, and other cosmetic surgeries. The media too contributes to the unreal portrayal of models and famous people by using airbrushing on pictures and other editing that lead regular people to compare their bodies to images that are not even humanly possible. The Barbie-like models that girls compare themselves to and the ripped and muscled men that boys compare their bodies to are often completely unnatural and the people who have somehow attained them are,
We hear sayings everyday such as “Looks don’t matter; beauty is only skin-deep”, yet we live in a decade that contradicts this very notion. If looks don’t matter, then why are so many women harming themselves because they are not satisfied with how they look? If looks don’t matter, then why is the media using airbrushing to hide any flaws that one has? This is because with the media establishing unattainable standards for body perfection, American Women have taken drastic measures to live up to these impractical societal expectations. “The ‘body image’ construct tends to comprise a mixture of self-perceptions, ideas and feelings about one’s physical attributes. It is linked to self-esteem and to the individual’s emotional stability” (Wykes 2). As portrayed throughout all aspects of our media, whether it is through the television, Internet, or social media, we are exploited to a look that we wish we could have; a toned body, long legs, and nicely delineated six-pack abs. Our society promotes a body image that is “beautiful” and a far cry from the average woman’s size 12, not 2. The effects are overwhelming and we need to make more suitable changes as a way to help women not feel the need to live up to these unrealistic standards that have been self-imposed throughout our society.
Societal constructs of bodily perfection have a massive influence on both genders and on all ages. If you look at any magazine, you will see women constantly being compared to each other, whether it is in the “who wore it better” section or in the “do’s and don’ts” part of the magazine, comparing body images and overall appearances. All parts of the media that encompasses our daily lives are especially dangerous for young and impressionable teens because they see people being torn down for trying to express themselves, and are thus taught to not only don’t look like “don’ts”, but also look like the “do’s”. This is dangerous in that women in the magazine set very high standards that teens want to emulate, no matter the cost to themselves or their health. Celebrities have the benefit of media to make them appear perfect: Photoshop and makeup artists conceal the imperfections that are often too apparent to the naked eye. Viewing celebrities as exhibiting the ideal look or as idols will, in most cases, only damage the confidence of both young teens, and adults, and warp the reality of what true “beauty” really is. It makes teens never feel truly content with themselves because they will be aiming for an ideal that is physically impossible to attain and one that doesn’t exist in the real
How should I look like to have the ideal body? An increasing number of women ask themselves this question many times in their lives. Deborah Sullivan’s essay, “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of Beauty”, discloses the different cultural traditions that require various methods of body modifications. Women should undergo such modifications to obtain social acceptance. Similarly, “Pressures to Conform” by Celia Milne discusses the effects of media and society on women, and how women view their physical appearance. The media gives women a plethora of choices for the perfect body and even provides ways on how to achieve them. There is no escaping. There is no excuse of not getting the ideal body that ranges from that of a stick-thin ramp model’s to the buff and chiseled outline of a body builder’s. Still, the struggle doesn’t end here. Women also desire smooth, wrinkle-free skin, hairless faces, and ample busts. “Stencil” women are celebrities, models, actresses - women whose coveted looks are seen through discriminating TV screens, posters, and magazines. The steady demand for these forms of media is mainly due to women who are looking for body images to pattern from. These women are on the constant lookout in updating their appearance and considering the bulk of information that the media presents to them, the media is a source of considerable amount of physical and psychological stress. In their fight for their roles in society, women undergo various body modifications to suit the taste of the present-day culture.
Beauty is a cruel mistress. Every day, Americans are bombarded by images of flawless women with perfect hair and smooth skin, tiny waists and generous busts. They are presented to us draped in designer clothing, looking sultry or perky or anywhere in between. And although the picture itself is alluring, the reality behind the visage is much more sinister. They are representations of beauty ideals, sirens that silently screech “this is what a woman is supposed to look like!” Through means of media distribution and physical alteration, technology has created unrealistic beauty ideals, resulting in distorted female body images.
Serder, Kasey. (2005). Female body image and the Mass Media. Perspectives on How Women Internalize the Ideal Beauty Standard. Retrieved from https://www.westminstercollege.edu/myriad/index.cfm?parent=2514&detail=4475&content=4795
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.
In a society similar to the one of the United States, individual’s body images are placed on a pedestal. Society is extremely powerful in the sense that it has the capability of creating or breaking a person’s own views of his or her self worth. The pressure can take over and make people conduct in unhealthy behavior till reaching the unrealistic views of “perfection.” In an article by Caroline Heldman, titled Out-of-Body Image, the author explains the significance of self-objectification and woman’s body image. Jennifer L. Derenne made a similar argument in her article titled, Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders. Multiple articles and books have been published on the issue in regards to getting people to have more positive views on themselves. Typically female have had a more difficult time when relating to body image and self worth. Society tends to put more pressure on women to live to achieve this high ideal. Body image will always be a concern as long as society puts the pressure on people; there are multiple pressures placed and theses pressures tend to leave an impact on people’s images of themselves.
Self-esteem focuses on personal body outlook as a whole. Body esteem is how one feels about his/her own body. Body satisfaction is an evaluation of how one thinks about his/her own body. In A Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Media Images on Men’s Body-Image Concerns, the conclusion from the study conducted was that “pressure from the mass media was significantly related to men feeling worse about their own bodies.” When someone’s esteem is lowered, depression can occur. This is an extremely dangerous negative effect from the media because this can lead to self-harm, or worse, suicide. From the study, it can be concluded that extremely muscular and “ideal” male body image types that the media portrays negatively affect how men think, feel, and see themselves on a daily basis (Barlett, et
Body image is among of the top reasons for developing psychological conditions in the country based upon the bias of what is shown through the screen. Since the nineteen-nineties an alarming trend has come to pass as a result in the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, to oppose this the exact opposite became popular to become skeletal in appearance with bones showing naturally through the skin. Becoming an accepted notion to starve in order to attain this new angelic appearance, rising above the notion of overly plentiful food by not eating until the body became undernourished. Even the naturally thin models were not skinny enough trying to appeal to this new craze. The resulting effects became depression in this pursuit of perfection, with competition becoming higher among women with finding mates, with this idealized persona becoming the image to men of what women should
Dittmar, Helga. "How Do "body Perfect" Ideals in the Media Have a Negative Impact on Body Image and Behaviors? Factors and Processes Related to Self and Identity." : Sussex Research Online. N.p, 6 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Over the last few decades celebrity and fame has changed dramatically, from Alexander the Great to Kim Kardashian. Talent and achievements no longer play a huge role when it comes to our celebrities. “Much modern celebrity seems the result of careful promotion or great good looks or something besides talent and achievement” (Epstein2) with that being said celebrity-creation has blossomed into an industry of its own. Keeping up with all the gossips from breaking up to hooking up, law suits and drama many might come to an agreement that celebrity culture is starting to be the great new art form in our new generation and that it ...
The importance of body image and the idealisation of the ideal body have become more dominant in society today.
Dittmar, H. (2009). How do 'body perfect ' ideals in the media have a negative impact on body image and behaviors? factors and processes related to self and identity. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(1), 1-8. Retrieved from http://libaccess.mcmaster.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/37225090?accountid=12347
How many times have we heard or said the clique “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” yet we focus so much of our attention on our physically appearance. Everyday we encounter images in the media that make us believe we have to look a certain way. Physical beauty is portrayed as important and essential in order to find love and acceptance. Although physical beauty is moderately important, it is less than inner beauty for it diminishes with age.