From A:
My photograph demonstrates how young girls are taught two different and conflicting ideas about their bodies and how they are supposed to act. The first one is purity. There’s this idea that girls are supposed to maintain their purity by dressing modestly and not having sex until marriage. They are told that they are delicate and, in a way, sacred. On the other hand, there’s pressure to be provocative and dress in a way that appeals to men. They’re taught that their looks and their body is their greatest asset and that they should present it to men. I wanted to capture the contradictions between these two messages that are pushed onto girls. The white of the top represents purity and the innocence of childhood. However, the top is stuffed to make the breasts appear larger, signifying how girls feel the need to sexualize themselves in order to be considered attractive. Sara, a 19 year old girl who was interviewed for Lauren Greenfield’s photo essay “Girl Culture”, says that “The way I relate to people is based on how I look…” When one beauty standard is pushed onto so many girls and women, it leads to feelings of low self worth. They may turn to things like restrictive diets, cosmetics, or surgery in order to fit societal expectations.
The hands holding the breasts show how girls are taught to give their bodies to men, but at the same time keep them concealed. Every message is contradictory, and following either side leads to criticism. Having the arms crossed shows the insecurity this type of socialization causes and how confusing these mixed messages are. 19 year old Lillian, also interviewed for Lauren Greenfield’s photo essays, says “But this city definitely teaches you that youth and sexuality go hand in hand.” Young girls don’t choose to sexualize themselves because they want to, but because they are told that it’s how they will be liked. This messaging is both explicit and implied through media, where girls are shown getting more positive attention when they look or act a certain way. Seeing this growing up has a lot of impact on how they will view themselves later in life.
1 comment:
The contradictory signals that young girls are exposed to regarding sexualization and purity are captured in your shot. Contradictions arise because the white top symbolizes innocence, and the inflated breasts stand for social pressure to look good. The nervousness and defensiveness brought on by these conflicting expectations are demonstrated by the crossed arms and hands over the chest. Young women use Girl Culture to illustrate how these norms affect their sense of value, demonstrating that social influences rather than personal preferences define beauty standards. This picture effectively criticizes how culture and the media mold young girls' ideas of femininity, which frequently results in long-lasting issues with confidence and self-image. Good shot and explanation.
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