We all know that photos in the media are altered- a lot- so why do we keep striving to achieve this image of a "perfect woman"? Because of what we see in the media. Whether we know it or not, the images that we see every day, whether it be in magazines, commercials, billboards, or advertisements, affect the way we see ourselves. A lot.
The media and the heavy editing that goes into the photos we see have a clear negative impact on the self-esteem of women in particular. A study by the "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty" found that only 2% of women find themselves beautiful. Additionally, 33% of women feel that they are striving to obtain a body image that is impossible. Self-esteem is becoming an increasingly more prevalent issue in the United States. America needs to stop romanticizing unnatural, unhealthy, and unattainable images of woman and instead focus on natural beauty and healthy body types.
 |
| Victoria's Secret "Love My Body" Campaign |
|
| Dove's "Real Beauty" Campaign |
Above are images from Dove's "Real Beauty" Campaign and Victoria's Secret's "Love My Body" Campaign. Which image to you feel better about? Think about how the media affects you and how you view yourself.
Keira Knightly, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, and many other celebrities and brands are showing women that it is okay to feel comfortable in your own skin, that you should feel comfortable in your own skin. I hope to see other individuals and organizations jump on this trend.
Ellie -
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post - great idea to compare the two pictures of the two campaigns! I wrote a similar blog post this week highlighting the good and bad media that comes with the topic of body image. iNature Skincare and the Jubilee Project collaborated to make a video similar to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. The video asked 50 people of all different ages the same question, "What is one thing you would change about your body?" The adults came up with answers almost immediately, while the kids struggled to think of something. It is amazing how the adults, who have obviously been exposed to the harmful media, could come up with lists of what they would change, while the children could not think of just one. This campaign promotes the importance of feeling comfortable in your own skin and uses the media to spread good.
Check out my blog post too!: http://claireamericanstudies.blogspot.com/2014/11/media-spreading-positivity.html
Claire- it is very interesting how self-esteem issues change with age. Why do you think this is true? I will be sure to check out your blog post.
ReplyDelete