from: Ali
My photograph was taken at a local tanning salon where females of all ages go to pursue a “beautiful” tan body. When I asked the girl in the photograph if she would pose for me she replied without hesitation, “ Oh my gosh that’s like really cool, yeah of course I will”. Adrianna, the girl in my photograph, looks to be around the age of 18. When I asked her how old she was she stated that she was 15. I was amazed at how mature she looked. Society and the media teach young girls that it is cool to look older and sexy. It is very evident that gender socialization has played a large role in Adrianna’s life. Although she is only 15 she makes an attempt to look older, prettier, and even more fashionable because she thinks that girls are supposed to, given their gender. Teenage girls feel they need to live up to a standard and they will do anything to achieve it. Girls want to feel accepted by their friends and boys. They want to feel confident in their body and view themselves as attractive. The sign in the background says, “Tanning… Look good, feel great”. This gives young girls the idea that tanning is okay and in a sense healthy because it will make you “feel great”. This sends young girls the wrong message. I had Adrianna stand outside of the tanning
salon rather than inside because the window reflects the snow on the ground. The snow shows that it is winter and raises many questions as to why one would tan during winter. This proves that girls feel the need to be tan all year round in order to be confident in their body. The magazine that she is holding represents the medias influence on her. The magazine is where she gets ideas about beauty, fashion, and boys. As you can see there is a heart shaped press on tattoo above her hip. The media influences the way girls think and what they do. Adrianna might idolize a celebrity who has a tattoo and therefore wishes to have one as well. After Adrianna told me her age I realized that she was unable to drive. This means that her mother or father would have had to take her to the tanning salon. They too are sending their daughter the wrong message. They are telling her that it is okay to try to strive for perfection. It is interesting that parents would accept this type of lifestyle for their children.
7 comments:
Seriously, this has to be one of the best blog entries I’ve seen yet. I love how you captured the magazine in the picture, totally showing how the media controls this young girl’s life. I think Lauren Greenfield would definitely have to agree with me. :)
This is a great picture. I love how the snow is shown in the background. It really shows the idea that girls need to look a certain way and they will do anything to look that way.
Younger females want to look older, older females want to look younger. There is no way she is 15 years old, but apparently she is and just hiding behind the big white glasses, the fashionable jump suit, the magazine and cell phone. I would love to see a study on the daily lifestyle of a 15 year old from 1958 compared to the lifestyle of a 15 year old in 2008. I think it is crazy that there is snow on the ground and she is wearing a belly shirt with a scarf around her neck. I also noticed her bracelet says “Live to Love.” I do not think I personally have ever read one of those magazines, but I wonder if the media is sending a message to her of what love is as well as the images in the magazine of what an attractive female looks like.
This is a very well developed picture. In the picture you see a girl standing outside a tanning place with a very comfortable outfit on. She is showing off her stomach area for attention after going tanning. But a major contribution to this picture is through the glass you can see a mirror image of what it looks like outside. It feels cold, there seems to be snow on the ground, but the girl is wearing something you'd wear in the summer time. Fake tans have given the impression that you can believe that it is nice outside all the time but in actuality it really isn't. This is so true in the world today and it is embaressing at times to see this.
Gender socialization plays great role to be male or female.Artic Tan
shows clearly that how young girls wants to be grown up and they want to look beautiful. Because young generation watch TV shows more in their non-school time and they also read magazines. All these messages effect them in a great ways, and young girls has one thing in their mind to be beautiful and sexy.
This is a great photograph with a great point behind it! As a tanner myself, I know how important it seems to be to look tan. As this photo shows, it does not matter what season it is, tan seems to be in! And even if people know it's not real from the sun, we don't care. My mother however would never have let me tan at age 15, but I suppose society it changing! I nanny for 11 and 13 year old girls, and fell into an akward situation when I told them I was going tanning after work. "Tanning, like, in one of those beds you close yourself in?" they asked so curiously like always. "But isnt that really bad for you?" I said yes, but in my mind I had to think.."but who cares?" Hopefully I don't wrongfully influence them.
I agree with lilruka, this blog post is awesome because it shows the stereotypical girl who does whatever she has to be beautiful. I like what the sign says "look good, feel great". That really says something about our county when you can only feel good about yourself, if you are pretty. But again whats pretty? Everyone likes something different, so what may be pretty to one person isnt to another. What the picture also implies is that even after tanning, she is still looking in a magazine to find more things to do to look pretty...its kind of ironic
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