From: Mackenzie
Media and popular culture are often the first teachers in a girl’s life. By simply engaging with cultural products of society (pictures, toys, movies, television shows, etc.), she is learning “how to see, live, and be in this world” (pg. 210). The accuracy of these lessons, however, and exactly what they are teaching girls about their place in the world is what I wish to highlight with this photo. I also sought to pay particular attention to the harmful impacts of these often unrealistic expectations regarding beauty and image, mainly through the use of symbolism.
The first symbol utilized in my photograph that I will discuss is the image of the supermodel tacked onto the mirror. Dressed in nothing but decorative undergarments and long gloves, this woman is how many would describe the ideal female form: tall, thin, and decidedly feminine. This image is not unique; physical and digital media alike are flooded with similar representations of women. Given the commonality of these images, girls are socialized to believe that this is the only acceptable way to be a woman. The placement of the image on the mirror suggests that when the subject views herself, she is doing so in the shadow of the woman depicted in the photograph: she wants to look like the supermodel, to live up to the unrealistic expectations promoted in the image, and the fact that she does not is a source of great stress. According to Saraswati et. al, “representation is constitutive of reality” and “skewed media representations undoubtedly contribute to a distorted perception” of that reality (pg. 209). Girls are inundated with similar images from birth, spurring the development of a negative relationship with their own bodies based on what is promoted in the media. Through exposure to these highly stylized and unrealistic images, girls are taught to value what they see on the mirror rather than in it.
The image of the supermodel also symbolizes the ways in which women are often viewed through the male gaze, or the idea that women in the media are depicted through a patriarchal lens (pg. 209). This suggests that most pictures of women are made by men, for men, and to the detriment of women. When women see pictures like that of the supermodel, they are seeing them through the eyes of men: what they want, what they like, how they believe a woman should look. Girls are socialized through these male-focused depictions of women; they grow up wanting to look like the supermodel, wanting to look like the kind of women men seem to want the most. This creates an environment in which, often subconsciously, girls view themselves solely as objects of male desire. By aspiring to the image of the supermodel, girls are aspiring to conform to men's views of women and reducing themselves to a simple reflection of male desire.
Another symbol I wish to discuss is the white measuring tape. In the photo, the tape is threaded through the loops on the subject’s jeans, and she is pulling it tightly around her waist as one would a belt. This represents the constricting nature of the expectations placed upon girls and women by themselves, society, and the media. Girls and women often go to great lengths to conform to the images of women they see, sometimes to the point of causing themselves pain and discomfort. Much as a tight belt makes it difficult to breathe, girls and women often suffocate under these oppressive ideas and harmfully unrealistic expectations.
The final symbol I wish to discuss is the mirror itself, and the photo’s focus on the reflection rather than the subject herself. Individuals and society are caught in an endless cycle, each influencing the other. Through the use of the mirror and the focus on the reflection, I wanted to depict the ways society’s own harmful expectations are reflected back at girls and women from every corner of the media. Additionally, I wanted to illustrate that an individual’s true appearance, what she sees in the mirror, often bears little importance; rather, what she thinks about what she sees, what she thinks of herself based on the influence of the media, is what carries true weight.
Work Cited
L. Ayu Saraswati et. al, Introduction to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Oxford University Press, 2021.
1 comment:
From: Brooke Belange
Mackenzie, your photo is a really good representation of how the media shapes girls' perceptions of themselves as well as the male gaze. I really appreciate you talking about the male gaze in your head because I feel like it’s not touched on enough. I feel myself along with other girls and women refuse to admit or simply just don’t realize that by submitting to these beauty standards or styles we are measuring ourselves and our worth through a lens created by men. I agree with the point you made about the model being a reflection of what the media deems desirable. By putting this picture of the model over the girl's face in the mirror you really proved a strong message of how adolescent girls and women are encouraged to judge themselves from an external male centered perspective. The male gaze teaches girls from a young age that one of their primary values should be how they look, but especially how they look to men. The model in lingerie is giving into the “male fantasy” and by the girl comparing herself to this model she is evaluating her worth based on this specific beauty standard and gaze. I also love that you threw in the measuring tape because to me it shows the girl trying to “fit” into a harsh vision of femininity created by society. It's a great symbolism of how women shape themselves to conform to unrealistic ideals they've been taught to strive for since a young age. I think this photo also shows body dysmorphia as well because the girl cannot see her face as it is covered by the picture of the model. This shows how not only is she trying to look like something she’s not but she's almost lost her own sense of identity due to the immense amount of pressure and ideals forced on her. This photo told a very interesting story to me that only seems to be becoming more common nowadays.
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