What is beauty? How is beauty defined? Who defines what beauty is? What does it take to be considered beautiful? Is it something objective or subjective? There are many interpretations of beauty, and there is never one clear-cut definition that directly applies to everyone. However, it can be said that the overarching idea of beauty from one’s culture can affect their perception of beauty. Ideals on body image are directed at both binaries of the gender spectrum, but women are depicted as being the bigger targets of body policing and are more susceptible to the negative effects that result from body policing. The intersectionality of multicultural perspectives of body image for women also create conflicting perceptions of beauty.
We compiled a survey asking various questions asking people about their perceptions of female body image. We asked about people’s ideals that determine what makes a woman beautiful, how they feel fat people are depicted in the media, what defines the “ideal” body of a woman, and how women are usually depicted in magazines. To view the results, follow this link to see what people said and what the statistics showed:
Here we find the answer to the question, “Is it something objective or subjective?” Beauty is subjective. What is considered beautiful in one place is not always considered beautiful across the globe. While the idea of beauty is objective, the ideals of beauty are subjective. While the ideal of beauty varies somewhat from person to person, culture provides the framework for that individual view of beauty. The Western ideal of beauty is not that of the rest of the world. In fact, many ideals of beauty contrast our nation’s idea of beauty. One example is how beauty is defined in Africa. One woman, who was a participant in the Miss Fats beauty competition in 2001 stated that, “Now the beautiful men in the fancy 4x4s want girls like us, because they can see that we are large and healthy, not thin and sick.” She is referring to their ability to withstand AIDS and the AIDS epidemic because of their fuller figure. Their figure suggests that they currently do not suffer from HIV, while also being able to fight it off for a longer amount of time, should acquiring it be their fate. Additionally, women in some areas of Africa are forcefed before marriage because “thin is not in” and is equated with poverty, as this ( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/fat-is-where-its-at-say-new-south-african-beauty-queens-619581.html ) article in The Independent describes. This directly contrasts the idea of what is desirable in America. As seen in The Daily Beast, ( http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/galleries/2010/07/19/beauty-ideals-around-the-world.html ) people in every culture desire and strive to embody their own culture’s ideal of beauty. Americans strive to be a size 0. Iranians equate status with nose jobs. Korean women undergo eyelid surgery.
Additionally, one culture’s idea of beauty can spread beyond the confines of its borders and begin to influence people who live thousands of miles away. An article ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372036/Globalisation-fat-stigma-Warped-ideas-beauty-body-size-born-West-exported-developing-nations.html ) in the U.K.’s Daily Mail suggests that, “ Fat people are being stigmatised (sic) around the world as Western ideas of beauty and body size are being exported to developing nations.” This same article states that “it is common in African cultures for fat to be interpreted as a symbol of sexual maturity, fertility, prosperity, strength and wisdom. In Jamaica, curves and a fuller figure are embraced especially owing to their love of dance and shaking of their hips.” But then goes on to say that, “ But even in these countries, that idea is becoming less and less common with more people embracing the 'size 0' image.” So while beauty is subjective, it is possible for this wealth of knowledge and preference to spread across the world, just like anything else these days. America, the dominant country that it is, is beginning to influence different realms within different cultures. So while beauty is considered subjective at this point, the current Western ideal of beauty can one day become something more objective and globally accepted, while rarely being thought about.
It's very easy to overlook what factors contribute to developing U.S. ideals of female beauty, especially when those factors become integrated into Americans' everyday life. As new generations mature, the balance of power shifts as members of each generation begin developing their own set of ideals which can alter pre-existing ideals that were developed by past generations. Media, as already stated, is a major contribution to U.S. ideals of female beauty. When U.S. demand for televisions escalated dramatically during the 1950's and 60's, companies saw this as a convenient way to advertise their products more efficiently. Commercials could now be seen by millions of viewers all at once resulting in more capital. The auto industry was prospering around this time as well, and one of the most common techniques used to make automobiles more appealing to audiences was to feature women in their commercials. These women were portrayed not as salespeople, but as objects of acquisition, particularly for straight male audiences. Emphasis was placed on a car's curves and stylish design which pertain to the body image of the woman featured in the commercial. Curves were a desirable characteristic of female role models during that time period.
As time passed, however, U.S. ideals of female beauty altered as influences such as media evolved to better accommodate to current generations. The same body types that exist today existed two or three generations ago. The change that occurs is what is defined as the ideal body image. 25 years ago, the average model weighed 8% less than the average American woman as opposed to today where the average model weighs 23% less than the national average. The focus on ideal body images leads to the exclusion of a diversity of female body images, and instead of celebrating this diversity, women force themselves to fit an unrealistically thin mold.
Today, companies work to promote diet supplements, workout programs, and even garments that are designed to drastically alter a woman's body by constricting her body into a thinner form. During the Victorian Era, women wore corsets as body control garments to alter their bodies into more desirable shapes by progressively shrinking their waists. Now women have access to modernized versions of corsets that can transform their bodies into more desirable shapes without the need to work out or diet, and the only risks that come with these garments are difficulty breathing, breaking of ribs, and realignment of internal organs. Some modeling agencies require their models to wear these body control garments even though these women are already several sizes smaller than the average American woman. Another trend that has been observable over the past few generations is the trend of body mass index (BMI) of “Miss America” pageant winners from 1922 to 1999. In the 1920s, the average BMI of winners was 22 which is now considered to be within the normal BMI range (18.5-24.99). Since then, the average BMI has declined in a linear, downward trajectory that bottomed out in 2000 when the average BMI of pageant winners was 16.9. Many factors contribute to this downward trend as seen in the graph depicted at the beginning of this paragraph. The main factors include magazines' depictions of women. Our survey participants described women in magazines as being depicted as “too skinny,” “too perfect/unrealistic,” “having too much makeup,” “sex objects,” and “idealistic yet unrealistic.” Dolls have a huge influence on women, particularly on preadolescent girls. One post on Tumblr depicts a woman holding a Barbie doll with marker outlines on her body representing Barbie's body proportions in comparison to her own. Basically, if Barbie were life-size, her unrealistic body proportions would not allow her to stand on two legs.
Preteens are exposed to magazines and other influences at times when their own bodies begin to develop, and they are easily influenced by outside dictations about what makes a woman beautiful rather than teaching young girls and young women to admire their bodies and celebrate body positivity. They're taught that if they contort themselves to the ideal image of a women, then their efforts will be rewarded, whether that reward apply to their professional or private life. A woman's image has become linked to her professionality, yet working moms' expectations become conflicted since she is expected to be nurturing yet assertive if she is to succeed at being both a mother and a working woman.
Women, more than men, are subjected to the media’s dictations on what determines whether a woman is beautiful or not, and women are forced to conform to those ideals if they are expected to be taken seriously as workers or to be considered attractive to not only others but to themselves. One of the main factors that helps construct the ideals for female beauty is the media, especially since it is such a far-reaching device.
The media (television, movies, magazines, etc.) has also made a huge impact on beauty and body image. They have created an image of beauty that does not exist in reality and have made men and women believe that the only way to succeed in life is to be attractive in the world’s eyes. On most television shows for example, the majority of the cast will be attractive and thin. The cast members that are unattractive and fat are usually the outcasts of the show or they are depicted as comical. On one of the surveys that we conducted, someone answered that “fat people are usually the losers on the media.” In The Media and Influence on Body Image and Beauty, Timothy Sexton supports the idea that the media is “not an accurate reflection of society.” He contends, “By continuously presenting these false images, the media has created an ideology of attractiveness; a belief that better looking people are better at everything than less attractive people.” In other words, the media looks down on unattractive people as if they are not worth anything valuable. Sexton uses the film, The Princess Diaries, as an example to show the discrimination of unattractive people. The protagonist is first characterized to be a geek that has big hair and big glasses. She is obviously not popular in her school and she constantly gets picked on. Once she gets a makeover, she officially becomes a princess and more people want to be friends with her at school. On one of the surveys, some answered that fat being are “depicted as charity cases for thin people” in the media. In the real world, people a need to be perfect and thin so that they can be accepted. The image that the media creates influences young adults to be insecure and not have confidence with their physical appearance. In Beauty and Body Image in the Media, the Media Awareness Network recognizes that the insecurity that people have from the media leads to serious illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia. They note, “One out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting.” People also invest in diet pills and other weight loss resources that are commercialized directly by the media. Essentially, the media, through television and advertisements, created the idea of beauty. They worked so hard on making the perfect body and perfect face, even though in reality nobody is perfect.
The perfection in beauty also varies greatly depending on gender. An interesting idea about the concept of beauty in today’s culture is that men are not expected to be as “perfect” as women. In a study conducted at Cornell University, it was found that most men considered thinness an important factor when selecting a woman to date. Women had less of a preference for thinness in men. Our survey offers an explanation for this trend. It was stated by an anonymous participant that “fat women are ashamed of their bodies while fat men are not”. Perhaps there is this stigma because of how women and men are each portrayed in the media. Overweight men in TV and movies are often seen as the funny guy, and despite their weight, they are popular and looked up to in the industry. For instance, Jonah Hill, a comedic actor who starred in many films such as Superbad and Get Him to the Greek, was actually criticized when he lost weight because it made him “less funny”. This is not the case with women in media. Many successful actresses fall under this ideal beautiful category and are very thin. It is not often that the main character of a TV show or movie is an overweight woman, unless that movie is based on the fact that she is not thin (Ugly Betty, for example). An important source where this difference in the pressure of beauty for men and women is displayed is in magazines.
In Killing Us Softly 4, Jane Kilbourne analyzes multiple ads of both men and women. She talks about how women are often exploited as objects and their heads are filled with an unrealistic idea of beauty. This is the case with men much less often than with women, and often men featured in ads are the means by which they make women feel insecure. In conclusion, it can be seen that men feel significantly less pressure to fulfill society’s ideals than women.
After examining the different ways beauty has been made a social construct, we have noticed that our survey results match the research that we have found. Most people’s idea of beauty is influenced by their environment and the culture they live in. They also find the superficial aspects of beauty very important, such as physical appearance. People are pressured into looking a certain way because of the expectations of society. It seems that most people are aware of these constructs, but not many do anything to change their ideals and instead adhere to the majority of the views that are fed into their systems throughout their lifetime.
Survey Results:
24 participants- Female- 70.8%- 17 participants
Male- 20.8%- 5 participants
Other- 8.3%- 2 participants- 1 queer; 1 unsure- female born
Age- 15-18- 8.3%- 2 participants
19-22- 70.8%- 17 participants
30+- 20.8%- 5 participants
What factors, if any, would you say influence your idea of beauty?
(most common)
Family
Friends/Peers
Media-
Models/Musicians/Celebtrities
Culture; Western culture
What characteristics are usually associated with being beautiful?
(most common)
Thin body
Long hair
Colored eyes
Smooth skin
Tall
Confidence-
(interesting answer)
Anything, whatever a person finds attractive.
What would YOU define as the "ideal" body for a girl?
Thin
Look Healthy- One particpant wrote that it was about the person respecting themselves than the aesthetic of it
Big Boobs
Toned/Fit
"some meat"
(interesting)-
Unphotoshopped Jennifer Lawrence or Kate Winslet
Anna Nicole Smith before Trim Spa
slightly chubby is "okay"
What is your impression of how women are depicted in magazines?
Too Perfect/Unrealistic
Thin
Sex Objects
Too Much Makeup
Too skinny
(interesting)- "idealistic yet unrealistic"
How do you feel fat people are depicted in the media?
Lazy
In a negative light
Comedic relief/butt of all jokes
Unattractive
Outcast/quiet
Lacking self control
Not often shown
(interesting)- "as charity cases for thin people"
" Fat women are shamed about their bodies while fat men are not."
References:
1) Sexton, Timothy. "The Media and Influence on Body Image and Beauty." Yahoo! Contributor Network. Yahoo! Contributor Network, 6 Apr. 2006. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://voices.yahoo.com/the-media-influence-body-image-beauty-28406.html?cat=5>.
2) "Beauty and Body Image in the Media." Media Awareness Network. 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm>.
3) "Feminism and Women's Studies." : Body Image and "Eating Disorders" Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://feminism.eserver.org/real-and-ideal-body-image.txt>.
4) "Admit It. You Smiled." Web log post. Admit It. You Smiled. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://thatsnotwatyourmomsaid.tumblr.com/post/13435314249/if-barbie-was-an-actual-woman-she-would-be-59>.
5) Martin, Jeanne B. "The Development of Ideal Body Image Perceptions in the United States."NursingCenter. Nutrition Today, May-June 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=1023485>.
6) J., Sobal, Nicolopoulos V., and Lee J. "CAT.INIST." CAT.INIST. Nature Publishing Group, Basingstoke, ROYAUME-UNI (1977) (Revue). Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN>.
7) "Think and Dream in English." : Killing Us Softly 4. 4 Dec. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://dreaminenglish.blogspot.com/2011/12/killing-us-softly-4.html>.
8) "MTV VMAs: Jonah Hill, Nicki Minaj Share Awkward Exchange (Video)." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jonah-hill-mtv-vma-minaj-228734>.
External Links:
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-media-influence-body-image-beauty-28406.html
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm
http://feminism.eserver.org/real-and-ideal-body-image.txt
http://thatsnotwatyourmomsaid.tumblr.com/post/13435314249/if-barbie-was-an-actual-woman-she-would-be-59
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=1023485
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3563503
http://dreaminenglish.blogspot.com/2011/12/killing-us-softly-4.html
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jonah-hill-mtv-vma-minaj-228734
Today, companies work to promote diet supplements, workout programs, and even garments that are designed to drastically alter a woman's body by constricting her body into a thinner form. During the Victorian Era, women wore corsets as body control garments to alter their bodies into more desirable shapes by progressively shrinking their waists. Now women have access to modernized versions of corsets that can transform their bodies into more desirable shapes without the need to work out or diet, and the only risks that come with these garments are difficulty breathing, breaking of ribs, and realignment of internal organs. Some modeling agencies require their models to wear these body control garments even though these women are already several sizes smaller than the average American woman. Another trend that has been observable over the past few generations is the trend of body mass index (BMI) of “Miss America” pageant winners from 1922 to 1999. In the 1920s, the average BMI of winners was 22 which is now considered to be within the normal BMI range (18.5-24.99). Since then, the average BMI has declined in a linear, downward trajectory that bottomed out in 2000 when the average BMI of pageant winners was 16.9. Many factors contribute to this downward trend as seen in the graph depicted at the beginning of this paragraph. The main factors include magazines' depictions of women. Our survey participants described women in magazines as being depicted as “too skinny,” “too perfect/unrealistic,” “having too much makeup,” “sex objects,” and “idealistic yet unrealistic.” Dolls have a huge influence on women, particularly on preadolescent girls. One post on Tumblr depicts a woman holding a Barbie doll with marker outlines on her body representing Barbie's body proportions in comparison to her own. Basically, if Barbie were life-size, her unrealistic body proportions would not allow her to stand on two legs. 
