I feel like the theme of this past week's talk has been centered around magazines and what effects they seem to have on us. During the discussions many people talked about how certain magazines make them feel about themselves through comparison to the beautiful women on the covers. Girls seem to look at the cover woman and think, "I wish I looked like that," or "I need to look like that in order to be famous/liked". We even talked about how when guys look at the covers and smile, their significant other might feel like she needs to look like that in order to please her man. Many times those women on the covers are celebrities and stars that many girls look up to and somewhat strive to look like.
Well that whole discussion got me to thinking about what kind of effect the magazines (many of the times at the end of check-out aisles at stores) that portray the "real" celebrity look have on those same women. I'm sure you all have seen them before (and I even have an example for you at the bottom of the page), celebs with cellulite, photo-shoot cover-ups of their fat, etc. It got me thinking, are these magazines good or bad for the public; I feel like it could go either way. I could support them by saying that they give those women who see the "cover girl" (sometimes celebrities) as normal and flawless, a sense of, "well maybe, those people's bodies aren't perfect after all; maybe they do look just like me". This could give confidence to that woman picking up the magazine, making them less stressed about comparing their looks. On the other hand though, those "cellulite celeb" covers are demeaning to the women they have in them (if the pictures are even real). The portrayal of their bodies in the public might lead them to come up with the eating disorders we've mentioned so many women have today. Which in turn will end up coming out to the public women as "look who lost 50 pounds in 3 months," leading to making those girls in society think they need to do the same.
I don't know what to think. I wish I could simply say no to those "cellulite celeb" magazines, but what if they're that one woman's only hope to feeling better about herself. What if comparing herself to those "real" pictures is just what she needed to think better of her own body? Are the fat pictures of celebs on the covers of the grocery store shelves good for the public or not?
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As much as I hate to admit it, I enjoy reading the tabloids. I just have to remind myself that it is all fabricated information. However, I have had similar thoughts when looking at these pictures. It gives some relief/hope that no one is perfect (although we may know this, its nice to see proof of it). We all have something about ourselves that we are not happy with - if we didn't, we wouldn't be human. But the problem is that we don't just accept those things. We don't just say "OK, I don't like this but I have to accept it" Instead we look for a pill or cream or make-up or diet that will fix it. We are a consumer driven society powered by the media. Back to the main point though - I don't think there is one right answer; like many things it is both helpful and hurtful. However, to make it not harmful to the celebrity, that individual needs to remind themselves the same thing - no one, including myself - is perfect.
ReplyDeleteDylan,
ReplyDeleteI think you picked a really good topic to talk about this week. We are surrounded by these celeb tabloids every day. And as much as we would like to say that it's garbage and we shouldn't believe half of the shit we read in them, it still thrills us. We live our lives through celebs. It is sad how our society has come to that. Little girls aren't looking up to their mothers and grandmothers, but to Hannah Montana and other young sexualized and almost perfect girls. I agree with you and Heather that the way our world strives to be "perfect" and more like these celebs, is unhealthy and unatainable. But why do we take such pleasure in knowing that Rachel Zoe is anorexic or that Hiedi Montag is addicted to plastic surgery? We as a society love to compare ourselves to others. If we read something that puts a person down, it makes us feel like better people. Something that brings them up, makes us try to become more like them. This world is full of comparissons with others and not enough of just working on ourselves and being who we want to be and the best we can be. And believe me, my "best" is not going to look like Cindy Crawford, but I still love myself and think that I too am a beautiful person.
When I read this it really got me thinking whether the tabloids with the celebrities carrying a little extra weight does make me feel better about myself? I started laughing at first because lets be honest when we see Tyra Banks with a couple extra pounds on at the beach in a bikini we don't necessarily think...wow..i want that body! We think more along the lines of hmm...I thought her body was perfect or maybe my body may even be better than hers. I think no matter what we say looking at a magazine with a celebrity carrying a little extra something does make us feel better about ourselves. Im not necessarily asking for magazines to put out more fat pictures of celebrities at the beach but I do wish they would put more pictures of average women who may not have the perfect beach bod but one who we wouldnt mind comparing ourselves to.
ReplyDeleteI feel that these magazines have almost a bitter sweet feel to them. Like you said, on one hand they are hurting the people they are exploiting, while on the other hand they may be helping a girl to feel better about herself. I think that society has in a sense dug itself a hole that we cant get out of in terms of our views on sexuality and attractiveness. These magazines are going along with society's bad side in the way we like to isolate certain popular people, but while doing so they may be giving hope to someone who has a low self esteem. Overall I believe that the problems women or men feel they have with their bodies are a direct reflection on how our society makes people outcasts, or outliers. While magazines exploit the flaws of the outcasts, they in turn may be helping others who feel they share those same flaws.
ReplyDeleteI could see how maybe just simply seeing a picture of a celeb in their "natural state" could be uplifting and definitely refreshing, but when it is paired with text that harps on the celebrity in question it then becomes harmful to readers. I think it's important to be reminded that celebrities and models are real people too and do not have perfect bodies like most magazines try to portray but what would be nice would be a magazine applauding their realness, not punishing them for it. Cellulite is not gross, its pretty common and a makeup-less face is not frightening, its what guys essentially look like at all times.
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