The Social Concept of Beauty

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The Social Concept of Beauty Everything around us in society seems to contain hidden messages. The media is a main proponent of this, including television shows, magazines, billboard signs, and commercials among others. All of these variations of media have something in common; they depict all woman having thin bodies. Many girls and women are left thinking, "What's wrong with me, my body doesn't look like that?" Unfortunately today we are exposed to the media constantly, which invariably influences girls' self-images, often negatively. I look at myself in the mirror and see a body that can afford to lose ten to fifteen pounds. I frequently find myself comparing my body to all of the models and actresses on television. The media is influencing my self-image and causing me to think I do not look good enough according to our society, when I am average weight in reality. One component of the media is advertisements. Often they not only sell products, but also sell images, values, and concepts of sexuality. They stereotype what we should look like and what is considered "normal." This includes perfect skin, washboard abdomens, tall and thin legs, a big chest, and overall a beautiful, perfect body. Advertisers target young girls because they are very vulnerable and sensitive at the age during adolescence. What the advertiser does not either realize or care about is the fact that girls take it to heart that they are not good enough and are unworthy. I look at an advertisement of Naomi Campbell and think, "How can she be that thin at her height?" What the media neglects to tell us is that her hips are computerized to look smaller than they really are. By laws of physics, if they were actually that small, she would be unab... ... middle of paper ... ...kes time accepting the fact that abusing and depriving your body is not an answer. Fortunately, many girls overcome this obstacle. It takes strength and will power to move on, but in the end the girls will feel like they accomplished something. Advertising companies must terminate the publishing of only beautiful, "perfect" women. In today's society, with the various amounts of individuality expressed, it would be beneficial to girls if they actually turned on the television and saw a girl on a commercial that is a size 10, instead of a size 2. The media should expand its horizons and realize that the world has a lot of people who are not tall and skinny. They can focus a little more on inner beauty and strengths, then maybe when we look in the mirror, we would not just see what we look like on the outside, we would be able to see the person we really are.

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