Body Image and Celebrity
by Laura Heffner
Recently, Beyonce Knowles was infuriated when H&M magazine photoshopped her images for publication. She refused to give them the green light until her "curves" were put to rights. Though I do not follow Beyonce's music or career, I have to give her kudos for this move. So many women (and men) young and older, struggle with poor body image, celebrities have an opportunity to have a great impact on the way people view what is considered "attractive".
Back in the early 1990's when I was in my early 20's, I remember watching an episode of Oprah where Jenny McCarthy held up a photoshopped poster of herself in a bathing suit. She was very candid about the fact that photo really did not represent what she truly looked like. To demonstrate, she took a big black marker and started circling areas of her body that had been altered in the poster. I can remember sitting there realizing for the first time that all these models and stars in magazines, posters and the like had most likely been altered. This was also when I discovered that there was such a thing as hair extensions and stopped feeling so poorly about myself. I have to actually BUY that hair. No wonder I could never grow it out to look that beautiful.
That was a turning point for me when I realized these people were as a whole pretty much like anyone else and that with the aid of some computer software, anyone could look "perfect". Julia Bluhm, 14, from Maine peitioned Seventeen magazine to include at least one photo spread of unretouched images of real boys or girls. After collecting 84,000 signatures, the magazine agreed to Bluhm's petitioned request. Now she had turned her attention on Teen Vogue as she widens her crusade.
In past years, girls/women are not the only target. With the advent of "metrosexual" and "manscaping", men are now feeling the pressure to wax, pluck, soften, manicure, and the list goes on just like for women. Eating disorders are now starting to increase in young men and male adults. Watch any action movie and it is easy to see why men are feeling pressure to be "buff" and fit just like these actors.
Yes, perfection sells but to what cost? I hope that more celebrities step up like Beyonce and starting being real.
No comments:
Post a Comment