Day 3

Sex Sells.

What is true beauty? Is it a tall skinny young long haired blonde woman with bright blue eyes? Or is that simply because it is what we have been taught to believe? Who sets these "standards" of beauty? And does everyone agree with them?

By that definition I am the complete opposite of what is considered beautiful. I am short, with brown eyes and brown hair, although I am thin and my hair is long. So then why does my boyfriend tell me I am beautiful? Is it because he thinks compliments will make me putty in his hands? Or is it my winning personality that shines through? Maybe he actually does think I am beautiful?

So does the media then really dictate what we perceive to be beautiful? Who does it affect? Men, women or both? and the biggest question of all: Is it okay to be me?

“Beauty is artificial. If you look at pictures of models in magazines some have been changed to look younger, even in advertising campaigns. No offence to Estee Lauder, but they have used models like Andie Macdowell and Liz Hurley, who are in their forties. Fashion designers associate themselves with inaccessibility. The models in the Prada campaigns, for instance, look like aliens.” (Darke, 2005)

PRADA 2008 Summer/Spring Campaign

"I remember reading about the waif look in a teen magazine many years ago and, being a size 14/16 and 40DD, I realised that in the eyes of some fashion editor I was unfashionable for just being me. I think real beauty is beauty of mind and soul and being" (Mir, 2005)

There is no doubt in the enormity of influence that the media has on society as a whole. Think about it, would YOU buy a magazine with a "unattractive" woman on it? More often then not, no. Beauty is aspirational, and its human nature to crave more than what you have. More than what you are. And advitisors, designers, editors, they all know this, and take advantage of our insecurities. In the end, sex sells.

Mir, S, 2005, What is Beauty? Retrieved October 6, 2010 

from http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article506339.ece


Prada 2008 campaign [Image] 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010
from http://hypebeast.com/image/2008/02/prada-2008-james-jean-3.jpg


Of the Minute [Image] 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2010
from http://i.models.com/oftheminute/images/2007/05/gemma-w-vogue-it-cover.jpg


Of the Minute [Image] 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010

from http://i.models.com/oftheminute/images/2010/01/irisvp1.jpg