Final Question 4

Overcoming my fear

So many years spent living in fear

Of a father’s approval

Of classroom jeers

Frightened of never being loved

Of feeling rejected

Not fitting the glove

All that time I didn’t realize

The bigger hand

Writing the rules and lies

Putting false images in front of my eyes

And now educated, and more liberated

I’m no longer in disguise

In front of the mirror I used to hesitate

Reluctant to stare down

My inherently woman

Inherently beautiful, yet somehow imperfect

Silhouette

Now braver, now stronger

I take myself in, fully wholly

Knowing now my body is holy

Undefined, but fine with me 

Final Question 3

i. How do body outlaws balance maintaining autonomous beauty standards while also keeping a healthy body? (p.232 – “Sizing Myself Up” by Kate Dillon in Body Outlaws, also the note to the new edition of Body Outlaws, p. V)

ii. How do women reconcile between being educated with The Beauty Myth and maintain an interest in makeup and beauty products? (The Beauty Myth – specifically the last chapter)

iii. How do body image and beauty standards become incorporated into public policy changes in the media?

iv. What steps can everyday people take to reduce popularized sexual violence? Where does out cultural rehabilitation begin? (Beauty Myth p. 131-78)

v. How far do women in the workplace have to go before they reach equality and what steps can undergraduate women take to improve policy? (Beauty Myth pp.20-58)

Final Question 2

Popular culture has had an impact on beauty standards and body image throughout history. These beauty standards brought about by popular culture have influenced and constrained women in their roles in society. In the 1920s and 30s, pantyhose and binding corsets consumed women’s fashion, physically limiting the stretch of their daily activities. At this time, cosmetics also became increasingly popular. Over the years, popular culture has manifested itself in ways that are oppressive and restrictive to women. Naomi Wolf calls this the Iron Maiden, which I discussed in my first response. Wolf also believes that rather than art imitating life, the most powerful people in the beauty industry and those with political interests dictate what women should do with their bodies.

One way that popular culture has influenced beauty standards is through toys. Barbie has played a pivotal role in shaping how young girls view adulthood glamour and how they define womanly beauty. In one of my blogs, I discussed the role of Barbie and her influence on young girls throughout the years (http://minniesez.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-5-gender-and-toys.html). In the 1950s, Barbie was advertised as a slim, glamorous, docile, bride. In the 1960s, Barbie took on her domestic role as the head of the household in Barbie’s Dream House. Girls were once again encouraged to take their place in the home, isolated from the rest of society, organizing her household. In the 1980s, another Barbie came out which emulated the workout craze of the time. This Barbie was outfitted in leg warmers and a tight fitting leotard, showing off her slim waist and large bust. One child narrator commented that Barbie looks great after working out. This is a very positive message to send young girls. However, the positive message of health and fitness is ruined when the little girl says that Barbie must be going on a date with that great body. This comment encourages young girls to believe that their value and attraction from men is directly proportional to how much they work out or if they look like Barbie. Hypocritically, toys designed for young boys are oriented toward violence, adventure, and individualism. Popular culture encourages boys and girls to be raised as polar opposites. Males get to take on the role of an autonomous warrior and instigator while females are supposed to be docile, weak, submissive beings, consumed in approval of men to define themselves. One essay in Body Outlaws entitled “Klaus Barbie and other dolls I’d like to see”, Susan Jane Gilman uses a satirical approach to critique Barbie’s marketing to young girls. Gilman, in one of her more serious statements, asserts that “looks, girls learn early, collapse into a metaphor for everything” (Gilman 16). In discussing Barbie’s easily removable head, Gilman exclaims “Hey girls, a head is simply a neck plug, easily disposed of in the name of fashion” (Gilman 19). Gilman makes a good point here. Young girls want to emulate Barbie, an impossible ideal to uphold as her outfits, shoes, and even her head are completely disposable.

In contemporary culture, beauty advertising has become out of control with the increase in technological venues for media (aka TV, radio, internet, magazines, etc.) as well as endless money to spend on it. Naomi Wolf discusses popular culture’s influence on beauty standards in her chapter called “Religion” in her book The Beauty Myth. Wolf asserts that men have created a beauty cult centered around frivolously spending on the newest beauty products in order to maintain an image of youth and “beauty.” Instead of accomplishing this, however, women end up neglecting worthwhile opportunities to waste money, time, and self-esteem on unnecessary alterations to their appearance. Ironically, despite use of all of these beauty products, even doctors admit that beauty products will not get rid of wrinkles or change a woman’s physical appearance. A Professor Albert Kligman at the University of Pennsylvania states “it is physically impossible for them to get deep enough into the skin to make any lasting difference to wrinkles” (Wolf 111). Most recently, the beauty cult has gone further, extending into the world of plastic surgery. Women can now physically alter their bodies through a surgeon’s cutting knife. Subtle and drastic cosmetic surgery procedures have been rising in popularity. Many “noninvasive” procedures such as Botox are growing in popularity but are also very damaging to women’s body image. Unlike lotions and creams, surgical procedures can change a woman’s physical appearance permanently.

Several specific advertisements are extremely negative to women’s body image. A recent Marc Jacobs commercial shows Victoria Beckham as the purchased item in a shopping bag (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/fashion/10TELLER.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin). This advertisement puts this woman literally in a shopping bag, much like a handbag or a pair of shoes. She is no longer more valued than any other purchased item or piece of property. The advertisement also has a tinge of violence in it, Beckham’s naked legs sprawled out of the bag, looking lifeless. This gives the connotation of murder or death – perhaps death for fashion? Either way, her skin is no longer warm and full of life – she is a dead piece of leather. This advertisement is damaging to the image of women because it reduces them to the level of a piece of merchandise.

Another negative advertisement was on American Apparel’s website (http://www.about-face.org/goo/newten/8/eight.shtml). This shows opposing images of the same shirt on a woman and a man. The man is pictured straight forward, powerful and assertive. The woman is bottomless, looking a little ridiculous bending over in an animal-like sexual pose. This is a direct example of how advertising is different for men and women.

Finally, a negative advertisement I found is related to the Barbie discussion earlier (http://www.about-face.org/goo/newten/8/five.shtml). This advertisement is for a reality show which follows young girls competing in beauty competitions. These girls are encouraged to dye their hair, stay thin, wear makeup and fake teeth (to look like adults), and then prance around in swimsuits and outfits that look fit for Las Vegas showgirls. The influence of Barbie, Bratz Dolls, and our oversexualized popular culture has negatively impacted these young girls, often used as profit machines for money-hungry moms. Forcing prepubescent girls to believe that sexiness is equal to value is extremely damaging to their body image.

However, some companies have had positive beauty advertisements. The Dove campaign for real beauty has made major strides in encouraging positive body image, especially with young women who are still developing their sense of self. On the other end of the age spectrum, Dove advertises for

“pro-age” products, stating that beauty doesn’t have an age cutoff (http://campaignforrealbeauty.com/).

Another positive popular culture commentary on beauty products is this video I found on about-face.org (http://about-face.org/gow/newten/5/). Sarah Haskins makes a satirical analysis of ridiculous beauty products. I wish that her program was more popular because she brings to light many of the issues that Wolf discusses in the Religion chapter of the beauty myth.

Finally, another backlash against popular culture’s beauty obsession is the documentary “America the Beautiful” (http://about-face.org/gow/newten/5/three.shtml). This documentary fights back against the insane plastic surgery and beauty practices implemented in America.

In conclusion, I believe that popular culture and the media will always influence beauty standards. However, I believe that it is important for women to truly educate themselves and make wise decisions when choosing beauty products, rather than simply yielding to the status quo.

Extra Works Cited:

http://about-face.org/gow/newten/5/

http://about-face.org/gow/newten/1/index.shtml

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/fashion/10TELLER.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

http://www.about-face.org/goo/newten/8/five.shtml

http://www.about-face.org/goo/newten/8/eight.shtml

http://campaignforrealbeauty.com/

http://about-face.org/gow/newten/5/three.shtml

Final Question 1

*Note* I am posting the final questions as separate blogs as to avoid confusion about which question is which.

Body image is an individual’s perception of their physical appearance. Often this definition of body image also manifests itself in emotional assessments of self-worth as a reflection of perception of physical appearance. I believe the Body Outlaws text is a good piece to read first to get a modern grounding in the definition of body image and how real women feel about it. In the Introduction to Body Outlaws, Ophira Edut explains how body image often has a root in psychological problems, often brought on by societal constraints. Edut asserts “Our bodies have become arenas for feelings we don’t deal with” (Edut xxii). Edut understands that body image is so much more than a vain attempt to look beautiful. On a deeper level, Edut believes that body image ultimately reflects “a sense of place in the world. It should be a means of healing, rather than escaping from pain” (Edut xxiii). Edut’s short introduction lays down many of the ideals and points expressed in Wolf’s The Beauty Myth.

The Beauty Myth is a good text for understanding on a very thorough level all aspects of body image as they relate to consumerism. Wolf asserts that women’s body image issues are rooted in profit-driven businesses and that beauty standards are political rather than personal. Wolf points to events throughout history which have shaped how men in power have attempted to oppress women. The most surefire way to defeat women is to divide and conquer by encouraging poor self-esteem, competition with other women, and consequently consumerism. As early as the 1800’s women have suffered from the beauty myth and have had to fight two battles; those for their political rights and those within themselves. A suffragist, Lucy Stone, stated “it is very little to me… to have the right to vote, to own property, etcetera, if I may not keep my body, and its uses, in my absolute right” (Wolf 11). Thus, even almost two centuries ago, women suffered from body image issues brought about by men attempting to oppress their right to equality. Suffragists were often labeled as ugly, lesbians, or bad mothers. This was enough to keep many women out of the movement, achieving just what the men in power wanted.

As time went on and technology advanced, women suffered even more under body image pressures in order to destroy their identity and self-esteem. For example, after World War II when men reentered the workforce that women had been occupying, popularized dieting and women’s magazines became all the rage. Movements began to bring women back into the home and recreate the “separate sphere” for women. This is where much of beauty oppression began. Cosmetics, creams, and beauty products became incredibly popular and magazines were there to continue advertising the latest product. Women were blindly manipulated into what Wolf calls “the iron maiden” (Wolf 17). Making an analogy to the metal German torture instrument, she explains how “women [in a modern hallucination] are trapped or trap themselves in similarly rigid, cruel, and euphemistically painted [conditions]” (Wolf 17).

The Iron Maiden began to manifest itself when women began to seriously enter the workplace in the 1970s and 80s. Threatened by the possibility of women infiltrating, men in power again began to divide women and conquer. At this time, women often lost lawsuits that discriminated against women in the workplace for their beauty or lack of beauty. Lawsuits demonstrated that women could not escape the beauty myth, no matter which side of the continuum they leaned toward. In one lawsuit in 1986, a woman named Mechelle Vinson lost a sexual harassment lawsuit against an employer who “had sexually harassed her, subject[ed] her to fondling, exposure, and rape” (Wolf 38). The court contended that because the woman was beautiful, she welcomed rape by her employer. This case would seemingly make women believe that instead they should look ugly in the workplace. However, in the lawsuit of Hopkins v. Price-Waterhouse, the court agreed with an employer’s decision that “Ms. Hopkins was denied a partnership because she needed to learn to ‘walk more femininely, talk more femininely, dress more femininely, and wear makeup” (Wolf 39). Thus, in the workplace, women are placed in the Iron Maiden and cannot win equality in the workplace no matter what she does with her beauty. This relates to body image because women are sent conflicting messages regarding both their beauty and the value of their work.

More recently, the Iron Maiden has affected women through the marketing of beauty products. In Wolf’s “Religion” chapter, she discusses how beauty product marketing has distracted women from pursuing more important issues such as equal pay for equal work and reproductive rights. Instead, women are sucked in under false pseudo science in advertisements and are taught that life ends for women after age 30. Marketing personnel have used confusing jargon to push beauty products on women and make them feel inferior and inadequate. Buzzwords such as “’phytolyastil’, ‘phytophyline’, and ‘plurisome’” (Wolf 108). I believe that the pushing of excessive beauty products keeps many women occupied and in competition with each other. Women turn against each other, thinking that gaining happiness (a man) is the only means of coming out on top.

Rather, I believe that body image issues must be resolved via women working together and overcoming the financially-driven political war against women. Wolf also discusses this in her book in the final chapter. I think that the three most important body image issues are eating disorders, dependence on beauty products, and intragender competition. Body image is generally thought to be an individual battle, however I feel that the problem and the solution relies in female-female relationships. Eating disorders and beauty product dependence are both issues that could begin to reverse their prevalence through the mutual support and compassion of other women. Oftentimes, eating disorders are looked down upon while women are supposed to maintain the body of someone with an eating disorder. By confiding in other women and refusing to conform to public beauty standards, women can find strength in numbers and overcome societal constraints. Yes, this is easier said than done, but the fight of third wave feminism cannot be won without a strong alliance of women embracing true beauty through self-expression and health. Wolf suggests a solution to this problem by saying “Let us start with a reinterpretation of ‘beauty’ that is noncompetitive, nonhierarchical, and nonviolent” (Wolf 286). This, I believe, is the long term solution to solving body image problems amongst women and throughout the world.

Word Count: 1086

Film Review – Lovely and Amazing

Lovely and Amazing Film Review

Lovely and Amazing follows the lives of a family of women suffering from various beauty and body image issues. The mother, Jane Marks, is in her 60s and coping with identity issues. With her children grown up and without a husband, Jane experiences loneliness and insecurity. Consequently, she adopts a young girl named Annie. Jane is a white, well-to-do woman and Annie is a black, poor child from a drug addicted mother. To deal with her body image issues, Jane pursues plastic surgery, specifically a tummy tuck. In the process, she desperately pursues her plastic surgeon, holding on to her last attempts at gaining male affection.

Jane’s oldest daughter, Michelle, suffers from an unhappy marriage and feeling unfulfilled in her life. She is unhappy with her husband, who doesn’t appreciate her artistic talents and constantly nags her to get a job. Michelle is a deep character because while she has confidence in herself as an individual, her husband ruins it with his criticism. In an attempt to get her husband’s approval, Michelle takes a job at a one-hour photo shop. While there, she begins an affair with a teenage employee there.

Jane’s younger biological daughter, Elizabeth, is a struggling actress with body image issues. After pursuing acting, she has a successful, albeit small, role in a film. Her agent is disinterested in her success and her boyfriend finds her body image issues annoying. Instead of supporting her and comforting her in her insecurities, her perceives her position as vane and vapid.

Perhaps the most dynamic character in the film is Annie, the young black girl that Jane adopts. Annie’s biological mother was a drug addict and unable to support her. Annie is dealing with many issues. Firstly, she is an adopted child, which is a difficult situation for anyone to go through. Additionally, her adoptive mother is a different race than she; white and black, making the relationship more strained to the public. Annie’s character evolves over the film – first feeling like an outcast in the family to eventually beginning to see herself as part of the rich, Caucasian life. When talking to her black babysitter, she even makes a joke about black people.

An interesting aspect of this film was that no men played dynamic characters. Every male character in the film was flat and didn’t show any sort of support or development for the female characters. This film tackles lots of women’s issues; body image, sexuality, race, and personal fulfillment. I enjoyed watching the characters of the film grow and evolve in their problems and liked how the relationships amongst family members interconnected all of the issues.

Film Review – Dream Worlds 3

Dream Worlds 3 Film Review

Dream Worlds 3 is an expository documentary that reveals the violent, overly sexualized images of women in media. Specifically, the film addresses how women are used as profit objects in music videos. Women in the media are used as disposable sexual objects, exploited violently to make profit. This media standard is not the fault of individual artists or any particular race. Rather, profit-driven music producers and executives use women as sexual objects to sell products. Women are made money tools by several methods. Usually, the cheapest and most obvious methods are effective. Showing scantily clad women draped over a male artist gives viewers something to look at while envying the artist who has a fake entourage of lovely followers. Over recent years, this method has become used further and further in a more provocative and degrading matter. Consequently, the American public now accepts these images as standard. The film brings its thesis full circle near the end of the film, where the director exposes how people have begun to integrate these images into reality, manifesting themselves in public raping and increased assault of women.

The film directly relates to the course readings because it confirms many of the issues we have discussed throughout the semester. The documentary shows that advertisers and music producers in a very uncreative manner use women as objects to sell products. A specific motif that the film pointed out was the use of multiple women around one man in music videos. This is most prominent in rap videos but showed itself in rock and country videos as well. A young boy was even shown in a music video surrounded by adult women fawning over him. The music video industry portrays women as desperate sex-hungry beasts who will all worship one man in a harem-style crowd for the chance of getting noticed or receiving affection.

The documentary also exposes the idea of the passive, submissive women that we discussed in depth in class. Women, in the music videos of both male and female artists, are depicted as helpless, lifeless, passive, submissive sex objects. The documentary showed a montage of women in lying on beds, either fantasizing about men or agonizing over a lost love. Women, according to music videos, are in a half-robotic, half-dead state of limbo, waiting for a man to come sexually service her or love her.

Another disturbing aspect of this film was its very thorough exposure of violence in the mainstream media through music videos. Women in music videos are often bound, raped, or otherwise violently assaulted and our society is taught to accept these images as normal. The documentary featured a particularly disturbing Limp Bizkit video in which a woman was bound to a chair and the singer screamed expletives in her face.

I thought the production of the film was raw and slightly disturbing. However, I feel that it takes a message this powerful in order to get the attention of the people who normally accept these standards in popular culture. The artistry in the film is presented in just the way it should. I think it’s very important for the public to be exposed to these images and understand the effect that they have on people’s lives. The people producing the film obviously understand the body image consequences for women. Additionally, these images in the media have shaped the minds of young men in a negative way. Overall I enjoyed the film very much and believe that although it was difficult to watch, more people should be exposed to it.

Yaisa – I found this study guide for the documentary online – haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet but thought perhaps you’d like to use it for future classes.

http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/223/studyguide_223.pdf

Blog 10 – Beauty Soundtrack

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/18571799819

Playlist Soundtrack:

1. “Unpretty” by TLC
2. “Open Fire” by Silverchair
3. “Imperfection” by Saving Jane
4. “Hands” by Jewel
5. “More Beautiful “You” by Johnny Diaz
6. “I’m not my Hair” by India Arie
7. “Video” by India Arie
8. “Can’t Hold us Down” by Christina Aguilera

I chose these songs for my playlist because they highlight several issues that we have encountered in this class. The opening track, “Unpretty” by TLC, is a generalized song about beauty and self-acceptance. The song says that you can change everything about yourself through makeup or surgery, but you’re still going to feel “unpretty” unless you look inside yourself to develop a personalized identity. This song places the responsibility on women to examine and reflect on their implicit beauty.

A more specific song, “Open Fire” by Silverchair, deals with eating disorders. This song is also called “Ana’s Song” and the lead singer of the group wrote it about battling his anorexia. Some of the lyrics say “

Imagine a pageant
In my head the flesh seems thicker
Sandpaper tears corrode the filth
And I need you now somehow

And you're my obsession
I love you to the bones
And ana wrecks your life”

Thus, while this song does not promote healthy body image, it examines the devastating mental aspects of eating disorders.

The two India Arie songs promote healthy body image. India Arie is definitely a body outlaw and never apologizes for her artistic expression and individuality. I love her music because it increases my body confidence by witnessing hers.

The final song, “Can’t Hold us Down” by Christina Aguilera is controversial to some. Christina Aguilera is often viewed as a consumerized sex object that uses her naked body to sell albums. However, in this song Aguilera claims that her public promiscuity is actually a representation of power and freedom. While I disagree the excessive décolletage symbolizes empowerment, I do believe that women have the choice to do what they want, when they want, how they want with their bodies. The lyrics of this song go beyond body image as well and explore double standards in female sexuality. 

The rest of the songs on the playlist are good songs that talk about issues such as body image, beauty, and individuality. My taste in music has evolved over the years as I have become more aware of how the media and profit-driven record companies market and exploit artists. Thus, I have aimed to focus my musical interests more on purely artistic interest rather than commercialized drivel.