From: Jessica
Gender socialization sends messages to women and girls from a young age about what is expected of them; physical attractiveness being one of the most important. Physical attractiveness is important for both men and women; however, physical attractiveness is much more important for women. Whereas, doing well in school and being smart is seen as being much more important for men than for women. Being physically attractive means wearing the right clothing, having the right hairstyle, having the right body and so on. Girls learn these "expectations" through socialization as a child, adolescent, and adult. As we read in our textbook "Beauty is a beast", many negative consequences acquire because of women trying to always look their best. "Beauty" can not only be expensive but it can cause many women to feel unhappy with the way that they look. Most women are exposed to the mass media, and for instance they want to look like Megan Fox, when in reality her look is almost impossible for the average woman to achieve. I think it is very important for girls/women to remember that the mass media portrays images of women that have been photo cropped, and these body images in magazines are false. Women will go to almost any risk to look beautiful; while some women alter their bodies through plastic surgery other women will go on multiple diets to achieve the look that they want. The message that I wanted to portray in my photo is that no matter how many hours a woman spends doing her hair and makeup she still has insecurities; whether it be her weight, breasts, or facial features. In my photo a makeup bag is sitting out, multiple shirts, and jackets; but no matter what is chosen to wear, it seems as if it will never be good enough. By Brittany putting her hand over her eyes, she cannot see what she looks like therefore she cannot see any flaws. Brittany is also looking at the floor which means that she has less self confidence. By tilting the camera frame while taking a picture I was trying to portray that the world sends mixed messages to women about beauty; that women must be beautiful but pure at the same time, however obtaining this beauty could cause many physical and mental problems. In conclusion, women should stop comparing themselves to others, and remember that no one is perfect!
3 comments:
This photo seems to show a very significant side of girls and body image. It shows a young girl obviously uncomfortable looking in the mirror. I thought her pose, hand covering her eyes, was very symbolic of young girls and how they don’t want to “see” themselves as they actually are and are blind to the real beauty of themselves because they are so focused on the unattainable beauty portrayed in the mass media. I also thought the camera tilt had an abstract way of portraying the weight of what a young girl sees in the mirror. Because the camera was tilted and the side with the mirror image was portrayed as heavier it showed that what girls see is more important than what is actually there.
If only the media’s content reflected “realistic” models; by that I mean the average person walking down the street, not a fantasy look such as a Victoria’s Secret model. I agree with your statement that “mass media portrays images of women that have been photo cropped.” I never understood why selling false messages of beauty to women is okay to do, or should I say generally accepted in our society. No matter what women do, most feel as though they can never be “that pretty, sexually attractive woman he wants”. When I look at this photo, I automatically visualize an insecure young girl who tries to fit in but just can’t figure out how to; by her covering her face, it shows her continuous struggle of trying to figure out what beautiful is. Being a
woman in today’s society, I can defiantly say beauty is a beast.
However, I have learned that the real beauty of someone is not always the physical, but what is within. I don’t see our society getting any better at making women feel like they are beautiful, no matter what they look like, what they wear, or how much they weigh. I truly feel as though, each individual woman needs to take it upon themselves to recognize that media is a false advertisement and that being yourself if what is the beauty. This photo was a good representation of “Beauty
is a beast”, in quite a few ways.
For me this photo shows a struggle that girls go through every day. It depicts a scenario that every girl has experienced. The girl in the photo is obviously un-happy with her appearance whether it is related to weight or style the pain is the same. With her head down and her hand over her eyes we can gather that she does not like the way she looks. We can also assume she’s getting ready for her day because of the pile of clothes in front of her. This photo could also be expressing the need for girls to be like their friends or celebrities. When trying to be like others its easy to forget who you are, and when you don’t know who you are its impossible to be happy and escape the pressure that gender roles force on us
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