Smiling Through the Pain

 

From: Lily

            There is a message forced upon girls at a very young and impressionable age, one that they seem to adhere to long after their childhood is over. It is the subliminal message found in movies, magazines and advertisements; beauty is only pain. For my photo essay I chose the subtopic of; the consequences that beauty standards set for adolescent girls.This is rooted from when various films and other forms of media that are geared towards young girls, plant a seed in their mind. One that tells them that they need to live up to so-called “standards” that are seen throughout the media.

 A major factor for implementing these standards are none other than Disney films; each princess is depicted as slim and pretty with little to no flaws; and at such a young age might I add. Girls grow up believing the motto, “beauty is pain” and try their hardest to live by it, which can be seen in instances such as extreme and unnecessary dieting, the use of wax to remove body hair, or wearing clothing or accessories that cause you physical pain. The pain doesn't stop these girls, because how could they not fit in?

I chose three specific photos and put them into a side by side collage to put emphasis on each specific aspect of the subtopic. All three photos show the same scene; a young girl is standing in front of a mirror, gripping her shirt behind her back to make it fit her figure more tightly than intended. All three photos are surrounded by a white border. I chose to have the photos side by side instead of on top of one another to make it known that all three photos have their own messages but are always going to be powerful together. The choice for a white border specifically to relates the color of white to purity. The purity and innocence of the girl is no longer within her, but surrounding and following her as she strays away from childhood and the simple pleasures of being a kid. The fact that all three photos are still within the border and not straying away symbolizes how deep down, young women still hold on to a piece of their innocence. Whether they know it or not, they are constantly longing for their inner child.

The first photo within the collage staring from the right, is a pair of hands gripping a green tank top into a ball on the back of the shirt. We see that there is a direct line of light onto the back, with the hands casting a shadow onto the left of the shirt. The direct light is there as a spotlight to really scream to the audience that this imagery is going to be harsh and unsettling. At a closer look, it can be seen that the knuckles are gripping the shirt so tightly that they have begun to turn red and sore. The imagery of the tight grip the knuckles have on the shirt, is parallel to the grip that the feelings of desperation and longing have on these young girls when they begin to try and conform to beauty standards. The shirt has a duality to it. On one hand, there is something to be said about the color of the shirt. I chose to put the subject in a green tank top specifically because of the connotation that the color green can hold. The color green in this specific picture represents envy. Specifically, envy that young girls have in regards to “prettier” or “skinner” women than themselves. One the other hand, the shirt is also a representation of the willingness that young girls have to hurt themselves, someone, or something in order to fit into the standards of beauty they see so often.

The center photo is vertical rather than horizontal to create a sense of individuality from the photos on the sides. We see the subject looking into the mirror, hands still behind the back with the shirt still pinching her waist. We also now see a black and white photo of Madonna putting on lipstick in a mirror. The use of having the subject look in the mirror is to parallel Mandona, yet again resurrecting the feeling of comparison to “prettier” women. Taking a closer look we can see that the subject has been crying due to the mascara streaks going down her face. This adds a sense of empathy for the audience, letting us know that we aren’t alone when it comes feeling like we need to live up to expectations. We can also see that she has a smile on her face although the mascara streaks are still there and very visible to the audience. I chose to have the subject smile as a nod to the phrase, “smiling through the pain” which was a large factor in my decision making process when deciding what exactly I wanted my photo to be for this project. There is also a note to add about the choice of jewelry for this photo; she is wearing a white necklace with green beads intertwined and a pair of earrings made to look like pomegranates. The colors of the necklace tie back to those of the shirt and the border, with the white representing purity and the green beads representing envy. The white rope of purity is slowly being infiltrated by feelings of envy. The pomegranates on the other hand have the symbolism of fertility, which I felt may allude to the feeling of needing to be more desirable for men and look more feminine.

The last photo on the collage has been taken more zoomed out and we now see the entire scene. The frame of the mirror, the dresser and the lamp are all white to put a large emphasis on the sense of innocence and purity that is always following the subject, waiting for her to be herself again. The lamp shade has an almost violent light erupting from underneath, this is to show how desperately she wants to be herself but she can’t break away from conformity of wanting to fit in. We can also see that the line of her waist band on her jeans perfectly matches with the end of the mirror. I chose to draw this line here as a way to say that at this moment, nothing matters more to the subject other than how her waist looks. This is also why she is unbothered by the fact that her hair is astray and her makeup is runny.  The foreground of the photo is the backside of the subject; we can see that the shirt is digging into her waistline, which was less pronounced in the first two photos. With that being said, the backside of the subject is blurred out more, in order to put the focus on the lamp as well as the subject looking into the mirror. I chose to have her looking directly into her own eyes, to comment on how self centered young girls become due to the years of conditioning from the media as well as how conceited they are while growing up, desperately trying to fit in. This was an emphasis on how concerned young girls are with their self image.