...When reading through a magazine, you may flip through the pages and find the phrases “thin is in” or “the perfect body”. You then notice a slim and nearly perfect woman photographed on this page and start to wonder “ Why can’t I look like her?”. You are not alone. The media has began to influence our body image through television, magazines, commercials, music videos, and other forms of advertisement. The media links beauty and thinness to love, happiness and success. Then the question emerges, what influence do these images have on the many children, men and women observing these images? That answer is very simple; Poor self image and esteem is produced. Negative opinions of ourselves are not born with us, but however are constructed after...
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...to sculpt the human body like an object. The question is: who controls the sculptor? Often the media, societal pressures, and capitalist incentives heavily influence, if not dictate heterosexual feminine beauty, but there are exceptions. Since the body can be crafted through cosmetics, surgery, and exercise, the pursuit of a better or perfect body is seemingly possible. In reality, achieving the perfect body is a stretch because the target ideal continues to evolve become less humanly possible. These conforming pressures separate body from identity. They impose a beauty image that limits one’s agency and self-worth, but at the same time present an opportunity for redefining...
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...understanding of why we have to follow a worldview in order to live it unto God’s will. (Piper) So what exactly is the main function of a worldview? Some philosophers think that it is a built-in grid that filters information and arguments and puts a particular twist on what we consider to be facts or how we interpret the thing we perceive. That is something that fall within the lines of comprehension and knowledge of the world around us. It is an essential concept that we need in order to survive under a fallen world. Which brings up a very good question? How can we even bother follow a worldview if we live in such an unholy world? The answer to that is quite simple. It is important to follow simply because we are imperfect images of God that live in an imperfect world that is filled with also sort of sin and destruction that can ruin us forever. Which...
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...The dehumanization of women has always existed, but it seems to be more evident in today’s society due to all the media outlets that there are. Media of all sorts exist in the modern day, ranging from the physical world, such as magazines and posters, to the virtual world of commercials and video advertisements. These acts of dehumanization are posted up and seen on every magazine stand to every commercial viewed on YouTube that one passes by. In today’s society, the media dehumanizes women by dictating their roles, looks, and future, thus painting a picture of what is known as their ideal woman. Many companies advertise their products by associating them with a half-naked woman or a sexual connotation to get them the attention that is needed...
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...Cindy Jackson Cindy Jackson holds the world record for most cosmetic procedures; she has been “nipped, tucked, and sliced open” over 50 times since her first procedure in 1988 (Rachel, 2012). A quote by The Times asserting, “No one knows more about cosmetic enhancement and anti-ageing than Cindy Jackson. She is living proof of her unique expertise” headlines her self-titled website. While Jackson’s website flaunts her many cosmetic successes, it also lists her as a member of Mensa, The High IQ Society since 1977. Additionally, visitors to the site learn that Jackson, who received her first Barbie Doll at the age of six, led a sheltered life and felt like a misfit. The Barbie Doll supported her fantasies of an alternative destiny until she became a teenager, at which time her interests turned to art and photography; her perception of visual presentation began. Social-self, Self-concept, Self-esteem, and Self-presentation The sense of identity, sense of self, is important to human psychology and sociology. It provides the sense of having free will and is the foundation of social control. The Myers text asserts that at the center of one’s world is his or her sense of self. It further states that, “the most important aspect of yourself is your self” (Myers, 2010). The beliefs by which one defines his or herself are self-schemas; the specific beliefs that define oneself. Moreover, one’s sense of self determines who he or she might become – the possible self...
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...problem of women with low self-esteem throughout the world and attributed this problem mostly to media influences. One powerful statistic from the study shows that only 2% of woman in the world view themselves as beautiful, while another statistic claims that 81% of women believe that the media and advertisements set an unrealistic and unattainable standard of beauty. These results compelled Dove to start their "Campaign for Real Beauty" in 2004. The campaign aims to change the standard of beauty in the world and act as a catalyst for change in society through means of communication such as advertisements, events, and funds to help females of all ages. Dove's attempt to communicate through advertising is vividly displayed in their outdoor advertisement for their new firming body lotion photographed by Rankin, but this advertisement not only attempts to show real beauty in its images. Like most advertisements, this ad's main goal is to sell the product it is displaying, and it attempts to do so through techniques of visual persuasion that utilize mainly pathos but ethos and logos as well. The advertisement's depiction of diverse women who appear to be everyday members of society instead of digitally enhanced, conventional supermodels demonstrates the ad's use of pathos to entice average consumers to buy the firming lotion. Women today are accustomed to seeing stick thin, young, seemingly perfect women strewn across advertisements. Due to the intense degree that the media floods...
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...Body Dissatisfaction and Media Exposure: Could Fear of Compassion turn Against Us? Most of us have experienced compassion in our lives. When we are compassionate, we are truly moved if others suffer. We could even feel somewhat more connected to them in a way. Basically, compassion entails noticing human condition, vulnerable and imperfect as it is. However, could we feel it towards oneself? That is what self-compassion is about (Gilbert, McEwan, Matos & Rivis, 2011). Instead of feeling it for others, self-compassion is turned inwards. It is worthy to note that self-compassion is one of the most important terms that the current science of psychology probably ever encountered, and in response to its recent boom there has been a huge amount of research into self-compassion over the past years. Nonetheless, this modern interest is not unfounded at all, but it yields a promising way to achieve more knowledge and in turn, contribute to the healing process in people. Furthermore, Neff (2003) has been the primal initiator on defining the key concept here, which is self-compassion. Accordingly, self-compassion is the combined ability of treating oneself nicely in situations of...
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...The Stresemann years of 1924-29 have often been portrayed as the “golden years” of Weimar Germany; however this idea has been challenged my many historians. During this period there was an element of political calm but it was mainly typified by political inaction and a failure of coalition governments to agree on any important issues. Economic development did occur but was minimal, and the period was one of slow economic growth and “relative stagnation”. Similarly, there were several signs of social progress and cultural development, but the years were significantly characterised by cultural polarisation. Therefore the blanket statement: “Germany experienced a period of political calm, economic development and social progress in the mid 1920s” ignores the problems in Weimar Germany at this time and is therefore not entirely correct, each clause contains some validity. In politics, there was a clear reduction in extra-parliamentary attempts opposing the government and political system. This was particularly significant as the preceding 1919-23 period was characterised by such threats from the Left and Right of the political spectrum, for example the Spartacist uprising, the Kapp Putsch and the Beer Hall Putsch. However, the mid 1920s cannot be said to have been years of political stability. Despite the reduction in threats to the Weimar state, the parliamentary system failed to mature and develop - a political stagnation developed, not a political calm. Seven governments...
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...Bartoszek 1 Magdalena Bartoszek Professor Mathew Sarkowicz ENG 101 5761 12 December 2011 One must suffer to be beautiful – Beauty standards in America. People are obsessed with beauty. Nowadays media creates an image of attractiveness showing only young, slim and beautiful people. Extreme dieting is very popular and cosmetic surgeries become a lucrative business. But how far are you willing to go in order to be beautiful? It may seem unbelievable what a female is willing to go through and what she is able to do to herself to be loved and accepted. The French say “L'un doit souffrir pour être beau” which translates to “One must suffer to be beautiful”. It is well known that women for centuries have suffered to be perfect. Robin Marantz Henig, the author of “The Price of Perfection” walks us through epochs and different cultures to demonstrate how the trends were changing over the years. Back in times ladies had had different methods to improve themselves. In China well-born girls were binding their feet to ensure the size of three- or four-inch long. Small feet represented the economic and social attraction. Girl’s foot was folded in half and wrapped tightly with bandage. After a while the feet were turning blue, sometimes soles and toes dropped off. Every few weeks the feet were squeezed into a smaller size of shoe until it became about four inches creating a “perfect foot called the Golden Lotus”. Back in 17th century, a tightlacing was very...
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...teenagers as it mocks the way a majority of them may think and act as she ridicules how they are desperately trying to resemble Barbie. Aqua uses a sarcastic tone to help send across the purpose of the text. Moreover, the tone throughout the song is understood through Aqua’s use of diction, repetition and visual features. The purpose of the song is to reveal messages of sex and the roles that men and women play in a sexual relationship. Since most listeners of this song do not cautiously pay attention to the lyrics, the sarcastic tone, mixed with the childish, high pitched voice of the lead singer would give the impression that this is fun and cheerful record, exposing the mood. The fake cheeriness and high-pitched voice is used to support audiences understand the mockery that links to the message which is human recklessness within society. The strong use of wording throughout the text demonstrates the superiority of men over women and develops the tone of the song. Confirmations from the lyrics would the word “beg”, and the sentence “do whatever you please”, expressing women as being the more docile partner in a sensual relationship, whereas men can have complete power and dominance over every aspect of the relationship. Also, other examples such as “dress me up”, “take your time”, and “I’m your dolly” uncovers that men seem to be receiving all the...
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...Media Research Assignment: Body Image “If your hair isn’t beautiful, the rest hardly matters” (an ad for shampoo). A woman in a diet ad exults, “I’d probably never be married now if I hadn’t lost 49 pounds.” Society never noticed beauty because it is too busy trying to create it. What role is media playing in the effects it has on people? Today's media in America affects social standards, and many often identify the media as their primary source of information. The mass media serves as a mediating structure between individuals and how we address identity by sending a powerful message to society: only a determined physical stereotype of beauty is valued. Reiterated by other primary agents of socialization, such as families, peers and schools, the idea is taken seriously by individuals. Body image is a complicated aspect of the self-concept that concerns an individual's perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance. Media negatively affects body image through ideal appearance, health issues and self-esteem. Effects of Advertisement: Society is extremely immersed in media. Media portrays the ideal body image negatively and impacts ideal appearance through magazines, commercials, and advertisement. The mass media's depiction of women portrays a standard of beauty that is unrealistic and unattainable for a majority of women in society. For example, Amy Finley, a community leader advocating advice for women, discusses a healthy message that women shouldn't...
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...it comes to the ideal body. In this cultural society where teens are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful people which is bad for the teens mentalities. This has caused a huge pressure on the young people, who want to be considered as attractive. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that more than 330, 000 adolescents-most of all female-underwent cosmetic procedures in 2007. Some adolescents use cosmetic surgeries to achieve their goals. The sort of surgeries that are frequently used to altering the body is nose jobs, breast augmentation, ear reshaping and liposuction. All those encroachments to change the human nature, takes the nonprofit organization National Research Center for Women and Families an interest in, as a way to improve the health of women and children. As a representative for the organization Diana Zuckerman blames the decision about what beauty should look like as one of the factors that affects the teens during their high-emotional and self-realization period where they only want “to fit in”. Some surgeons argue that the surgeries can increase the teenagers’ self-esteem. This statement is debated all over the world, but there’s no data to suggest that cosmetic surgeries can improve the self-esteem. Dr. John Canedy comments on Valerie Ulens’s: “Plastic surgery for teens”, an article from Los Angeles Time. He is associated with Ulene and comes with his point of view. First of all he is fastening that there are two types of adolescent patients...
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...Stereotypes Vogue magazine is said to be the most influential fashion magazine worldwide with the number of 11,265,000 of total audience. 88% of the audience are women, in particular women with above average income and higher education. Even though the pages overflow with glamour and luxury, the magazine is highly appreciated by women with average income, too (Nast,C.). For some Vogue can be a reality, for the less lucky it means the possibility to dream. It is a highly intellectual magazine as well, as it responds to current socio-political issues and promotes the cross connection of fashion and politics. With a vast audience comes great responsibility of those behind the creation and edition of the magazine. After all, fashion is a tool of communication that sets roles and promotes ideas and participates at the formation of its followers. A lot of criticism was ascribed to Vogue as a promoter of unrealistically perfect bodies and flawless visages that reinforce our stereotypes of what beauty consists of and what not. Nevertheless, besides the magazine's promotion of stereotypical beauty, at the same time other stereotypes are being attacked and broken down by the Vogue magazine. Vogue is mainly a collection of photoshopping ads of luxury products and models that do not capture reality but stereotypical representation of women. According to some readers, listing through the photographic essays, one is being transported into a dream-like world. The fantasy, the fairy-tale models...
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...is that of the Rhodes statue at the University of Cape Town. The statue is found at Upper Campus at the university and on the statue is a graffiti stencil done by the Tokolos Stencils Collective who took responsibility for the graffiti on their Facebook page. The vandalism comes at the crucial time of deliberating whether the statue should be removed or not? (Mahapa R, 2014). The Tokolos Stencils Collective uses culture jamming, which is a network of media activism which aims to resist the norms and conventions of mass culture by exposing the ideological messages of media. (O’Shaughnessy, M. and Stadler, J, 2012), in order to force society into thinking about social classes and how hegemonic power, convincing social classes to adopt the social values and norms of the dominant ideologies, is still apparent today (Stoddart, J.C, M, pg 201) The article, with which the image comes, is written by Ramabina Mahapa. In this article he discusses the fact that UCT mainly posses’ portraits, sculptures and paintings of black men and women who are depicted in a negative manner (Mahapa R, 2014)The writer accuses UCT of having works of art that don’t allow black children to be proud of their upbringing and who they are (Mahapa R, 2014) Rambins, claims that UCT are portraying a skewed view of history opposed to the view that represents black influential people like Shaka Zulu and Miriam Makeba (Mahapa R, 2014).The articles states that there are rarely any white bodies shown and they are rarely...
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...“Trying to be perfect in a world that is so imperfect” seems so cliché for the majority of today’s society. For a handful of people that feel they can be perfect, this can have a bigger impact on life then intended. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, Lia, an eighteen year old girl is suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, while being haunted by her dead best friend’s soul. She is trying to recover, but is unable to cope with the taunting she gets from her ‘friend’. In Crystal Renn’s Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves, Crystal has all the looks to be a super star run way model, but there is one catch, she must lose weight. Soon enough Crystal just like Lia is consumed by an eating disorder and through food and exercise; she too is able to demonstrate how easy it is to be lured into an addiction. It is through the self determination and the influence of others, when they realize that they do not have to succumb the ideal image to have self worth and acceptance. Follow Lia Overbrook, and Crystal Renn, who both are convinced they have what it takes to have the ‘perfect’ physical appearance and be beautiful. It is when people want something bad enough; they develop a sense of will power and determination to reach their goals. In Anderson’s Wintergirls, Lia shows how food and bones are signs of will power, success and control. As a result of her parents’ divorce, Lia feels the only way she is able to grasp a sense of control is...
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