You are Beautiful

Woman all over the world struggle with self-esteem issues because of the way they look. They think they are too fat, too skinny, too short to tall. They are not as pretty as the girl next to the. Their hair is too curly or too flat. They are too pale or too dark. The idea is trying to be expressed that everyone is beautiful in their own way. Company’s and celebrities have been launching campaigns to enforce this idea. You can see a few of these efforts in my ‘ Beauty Campaigns’ page.

Woman loved to be called beautiful. As a girl, even though I do not show it, I would much rather be called beautiful than ‘hot’ or ‘sexy.’ It is that little bit of self confidence that everyone needs. . It is a universal word that needs to be used more often. Make an effort to call someone beautiful. Whether it be your friend, lover, family or a random stranger, add a little light to that persons day.

The Angels Strike Again

I am sure many of you tuned into the Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last night. I am also sure many of you had the same reaction. As these women strutted half naked down the runway, every guy wanted them and every girl wanted to be them. As I scrolled down my Twitter feed and Facebook page I saw endless posts saying ” I want to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel”  or ” I am so jealous! They are perfect ” or the common male post ” The things I would do for a Victoria’s Secret Model.” You will find girls saying they are going on a diet or going to start exercise more right after the show. They will do these crazy things in order to look like an Angel. Lets face it honey, never going to happen.

There is no denying the beauty of these women. They put a spell on people. I can even admit that I would kill to look like them. But I have more sense than some girls and know that is never going to happen. I am not going to change my ways to look like them. I would hope these girls do not take this show or these models that seriously to actually starve themselves. We need to be realistic here.

“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”

It is said; “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. (Plato) Everyone has a different opinion of what is beautiful. Some may think the models plastered in magazines are the true beauties in this world. Others may think someone with extra weight, or someone with freckles, or even someone tattooed head to toe is beautiful. Some people take what others say about their appearance to heart. They feel the need to feed into the media and look like supermodels because that is what society tells us is beautiful.  In reality, the only opinion that should matter is within the individual. If they believe they are beautiful, then nothing else really matters.

More advertisements need to be put forth not to market a product, but to embrace the real beauty in the individual. Every model walking down the runway is identical to the previous one, and the preceding one. They are all just under six feet tall and stick skinny. Beauty is in the individual. All shapes, sizes and colors hold beauty in them. If this message could be enforced even more than the negative messages put forth by the media, then we could live in a country where individualism is idolized. We cannot be a billion robots all attempting the same flawless image. The media has warped the real meaning of beauty. Individual beauty needs to be embraced.

Give Me Angelina’s Lips and Jen’s Nose: Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery seems to be growing faster in popularity with the desire to be beautiful coming at such a young age. According to recent data from cosmetic surgeons across the United States, over 223,000 cosmetic procedures have been performed on patients 18 years old or younger since 2005. In 2004, U.S. doctors performed almost nine million procedures, which was a 25 percent increase since 2000. In this year, Americans spent more than $12,000,000,000 dollars on surgical and non-surgical procedures to improve their appearance. This included nearly 3,000,000 Botox injections, 300,000 liposuctions more than 250,000 breast augmentations and 300,000 nose jobs.

Cosmetic surgery seems to be growing faster in popularity with the desire to be beautiful coming at such a young age. According to recent data from cosmetic surgeons across the United States, over 223,000 cosmetic procedures have been performed on patients 18 years old or younger since 2005. In 2004, U.S. doctors performed almost nine million procedures, which was a 25 percent increase since 2000. In this year, Americans spent more than $12,000,000,000 dollars on surgical and non-surgical procedures to improve their appearance. This included nearly 3,000,000 Botox injections, 300,000 liposuctions more than 250,000 breast augmentations and 300,000 nose jobs. Check out my next post to see what can be done to stop this frenzy!

                     

 

Let’s Fix This: Solutions to Cosmetic Surgery Nonsense

This is nonsense! Things can be done to stop the uprising of women, even teenagers, obsessed with going under the knife

As a solution, the popularity of plastic surgery needs to decline. Every year, the number of Americans that choose to go under the scalpel in order to improve their looks increases. 89% of cosmetic procedures done are of personal choice and have nothing to do with health needs.In order to solve this individual problem, cosmetic doctors and procedures officers need to regulate the procedures done. Age limits need to be put into effect. Also the amount of surgeries being done one a single human being needs to be limited. The doctors would not approve of the regulations because it would result in loss of profit; a law must be passed to ensure they will be enforced.

The cosmetic regulations must be strict and specific in order to cut down the massive amounts of procedures done each year. Only patients with their health at risk will be given the grant for these cosmetic procedures. For example, if a nose of a patient must be reconstructed because his or her lungs are simple not being fed enough oxygen, then that patient would be given the procedure they need. Also, if a patient’s health is in danger because of the amount of excessive fat on their body, then a liposuction procedure will be preformed. However, patients asking for breast augmentations because they want to resemble Pamela Anderson should be denied.  Surgery is not needed to make someone beautiful.

How The Times Have Changed

What is beautiful? What kind of people fit into the category beautiful? The media has an outrageous effect on what society sees as beautiful.  The models we see on billboards and the celebrities walking the red carpet are the embodiment of beauty in today’s society, but haven’t they always been? In the 1950s model and actress Marilyn Monroe was the soul definition of beautiful. Her curves and bleach blonde hair was the envy of women and the desire of men everywhere.  Today Victoria’s Secret model, Miranda Kerr, is a size zero, with a size D chest. Though her face is beautiful, you can practically see her ribs when you flip though her photographs in Victoria’s Secret’s monthly catalog.The times have certainly changed.

“I Want to Look Like Her”: Models as Idols

Every year millions of people tune into the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show or the coverage of New York’s Fashion week. The models at these events are idols in the fashion industry. Society sees these models as the “perfect human.” Women over the nation strive to look like these women. The models may appear beautiful but it is unfortunately at the risk of their health.

The unhealthy physical appearance of fashion models has become a worldwide issue. High-end fashion companies send girls down the runway with visible rib cages and legs as skinny as a child’s. Psychologists and eating disorder experts say that these women, who are supposed to be icons of beauty, have caused young women to fall into unhealthy habits as a result of trying to emulate these models. You can learn a little bit more about these eating disorders in my  ‘ Eating Disorders’ page.

The Media and Our Everyday Lives

The media has an overwhelming affect on our everyday lives, whether we know it or not.  Every time we turn on the television, or walk through the mall the media is sucking us in. They want society to conform to the ways presented. When the newest iPhone came out, millions of people rush to get it. Commercials tell us that this phone is better than the phone you have. If you do not get it, you will not fit in. Towards the beginning of the year our class was asked if they own a smart phone. There was only one person who did not own one. Little to everyone’s  knowledge, going out and buying a smart phone is conforming to society.

Companies often use celebrities and models to promote their product.  In a 2012 commercial, KIA Motors uses Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima to promote their new car. Viewers are led to believe that if they drive this car, they can land an international super model. Now most people are smart enough to believe this will never happen, but the concept is grasping.

Headlines of many magazines will read “Want to be beautiful and lose belly fat in just two weeks?” Along side the headline is a picture of Gisele Bundchen, sporting a skimpy string bikini. Just by watching TV, a person may be exposed to multiple commercials about the latest skin clearing serum, weight loss pill, or mascara. Although these products are not a necessity, the advertisement strategies portray them to almost be so.

Blog Description/ Purpose

My blog is going to discuss the overall evolving definition of beauty. I am going to focus on aspects of this broad topic. In today’s society, how does the media’s perception of beauty affect the public and individual opinion of what beautiful is? I want to add some wit and fun into a topic that is often taken very seriously. I really want my audience to be able to relate to my topic.

The purpose or goal for this blog is to inform. More specifically, my purpose is to inform about the negative, and some positive, affects of the medias influence on body image and the changing definition of beauty in today’s society. I want people to see that there is beauty in everything not just in what the media shows or tells us is beautiful.

Finally, my exigency is to shine a light on this controversial topic. I want people to see how the media affects their everyday life, even if they do not realize it and again, ensure that beauty is in everything.