REAL BEAUTY

"You are more beautiful than you think you are."

The media “encourages” aggressive marketing techniques for their monetary benefits in advertising, helping the fashion and beauty industry create misconceptions about unrealistic aspirations as a result. Many films, television programs, articles and other forms of media propaganda often promote unrealistic ideals about attaining perfection. Young women are left vulnerable and relatively susceptible to the “normalcy” of such a projected image. Therefore, they subconsciously develop a negative body image due to their desire to “belong” to this modern community. Television commercials are brilliant at featuring the workout regimens endorsed by celebrities and opinion leaders.

With new media, there are instant updates about the latest technological advancements in plastic surgery, sprouting from various television programs that promote the chase for perfection, directly or indirectly. In this modern era, young women demand appearance to be flawless in every aspect. Before mass media was introduced, the idea of beauty was limited to communities. In a society that chases perfection, non-existent problems are being picked at and re-surfaced. Fashion television programs tell viewers about products that they should purchase to fix or camouflage these “problems” they may or may not exist.

Our bodies are the places where our drive for perfection gets played out. Food and the pressure that goes with them surround us. We are inundated with a wide variety of information about the “good” and “bad” foods. Television commercials feature the most effective workout regimens and the latest technological advancements in plastic surgery. Young women these days demand flawlessness in appearance – the outer manifestation of our inner dictators.

(An extraction from one of my mass comm school papers about media messages)