Body Image and Objectification in Digital Media
Introduction
Throughout the past ten years or
so, digital media have produced a wave of new, innovative ways to connect its
users to the world around them. This allows us to create and share on a
universal level; everyone has access to this creation and sharing. This is a
monumental step in the growth of media; everything we’ve always had, we now
have with the click of a button on Internet connection. However, these
advancements are not perfect. It’s been forgotten as media have progressed to
robotic levels that we, as its users, are still human, and quite vulnerable to
its harmful effects. One of the most prominent examples of this in today’s
society is the way our body image has been affected by digital media use. Through
the use of digital media, society has been presented with the ideas and images
of the ideal physique; these have tainted the way we see our bodies and our
ability to appreciate them. It would be impossible to backpedal these
effects from here, but one must be aware of this issue to prevent future effects.
I.
Digital Alterations (what may be considered the most
prominent form of digital media that taints body image)
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Photoshop makes it so we can completely change
the picture in front of us; with models in particular, photo editors are no
longer “touching up” the model, but changing him/her entirely
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These changed images are then accessible just
about everywhere: magazine covers, album covers, movie posters, billboards,
advertisements, anywhere on the Internet, etc.
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When we have been presented with so many altered
images, for so long, through so many media platforms, the idea that these
images are not only real, but also the “ideal” way to look, is engrained in our
minds.
-
Someone who may not know the extent to which
images can be digitally altered and how easily this can be done is vulnerable
to seeing these images, perceiving them as real (or more real than they
actually are), viewing them as the “ideal”, forming envy of this image, wishing
they looked like this, eventually forming a lack of acceptance of their own
body, and therefore developing an unhealthy body image based on something that
wasn’t even real in the first place.
II.
Young Girls and Barbie.com/myscene.com
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Childhood projection of physical female ideals
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Forms foundations early on of the idea that the
white-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed, skinny girl is the prettiest one
-
The physical proportions of these
cartoon-girls/dolls are completely impossible in reality
III.
Young Boys and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Power Rangers
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Childhood projection of physical male ideals
-
Forms foundations early on of the idea that the
tall, built man is not only the strongest, but also the most dominant one.
-
Muscles on these cartoon-men/action figures are
impossible to achieve naturally (without steroids or surgical enhancement)
IV.
Adolescent Boys and Videogames
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Halo, Grand Theft Auto, etc. portray men as
objects of strength
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The protagonist/hero is typically an attractive,
fit man, whereas the antagonist/“bad guy” is typically an unattractive, man who
is visibly out of shape.
-
Projected idea that size + strength + violence=
dominance, superiority, and success
-
Images projected in childhood carry over, but
are taken to the next level with violence and sexualizing added into the mix.
V.
Adolescent Girls and Videogames
-
Halo, Grand Theft Auto, etc. portray women as
the “prize” and “accessory” of men
-
Women that do appear in videogames are highly
sexualized and portrayed as inferior to men
-
Videogames rarely
have a female protagonist/main character, and when they do, they are still highly
sexualized
o
Laura Croft, Tomb Raider (game with female main
character)
§
Large breasts and butt, waist with the width of
her face
§
Dressed in cutoff, V-neck shirt and tiny shorts
§
Grunts sexually through obstacles
§
Sends the message to any girls who play this
predominantly “boy game” (or see boys play it) that this is the physique that
men look for and lust after in a woman
-
Images projected in childhood carry over, but
are taken to the next level with intense sexualizing added into the mix
VI.
#AerieReal: an attempt at backpedaling
-
Aerie, the Victoria’s Secret-esque lingerie
company for teen girls-women in their mid-twenties, has recently launched their
“Aerie Real” campaign, vowing to stop retouching their models, and to stop
using “supermodels”.
-
All over Instagram (for those who follow Aerie)
-
They project inspirational quotes, empowering
natural beauty
-
Tagline: “The real you is sexy.”
-
Even though they have vowed to stop retouching
and using supermodels, the girls in their photos are still skinny with perfect
skin.
o
The furthest from “supermodel” that they go is
the one “plus-sized” girl they have featured so far, who may be considered
“plus-sized” in the modeling industry, but is average-sized in reality. (Of all
the plus-sized models I’ve seen in magazines, ads, etc., this girl is one of
the skinniest of them)
-
The entire campaign seems like nothing more than
a petty attempt to get more publicity and money: they have projected the
lingerie-model-ideal that drives girls to hating their own bodies for years,
and now they are backpedaling.
VII.
Dove “Real Beauty” Campaign
-
Youtube videos of sketch artist and random women
o
Women will describe themselves as less
attractive than others will describe them
-
Youtube video “Dove Evolution”
o
Shows the hair, makeup, lighting, photography,
and Photoshopping process of a billboard ad
§
The woman looks nothing like herself in the finished product
-
Photos online show a lineup of women of all ages
and races in their underwear
o
They all look happy, and more importantly, happy
with themselves
-
Other photos online show a woman and pose a
question:
o
Flawed or flawless?
o
Wrinkled or wonderful?
o
Grey or gorgeous?
o
Boy or babe? (image of a tomboy physique/short
hair)
o
44 and hot or 44 and not?
o
Flat or flattering?
-
Campaign not only exposes the truth, but really
empowers women with messages with messages of true substance (even though the
images are retouched, they are still accurately and effectively portraying
women from reality and empowering them with their messages)
-
Aerie vs. Dove: Dove is more powerful
VIII.
What We Do to Ourselves Using Digital Media
-
Aside from everything projected to us and
perceived ideals that have been pushed on us, there is a degree to which we
torture ourselves and worsen the issue
-
We may choose to follow users of Instagram whose
accounts are dedicated entirely to pictures of half naked girls or shirtless,
buff men
-
We may choose to visit the swim section of
victoriassecret.com just so we can drool over the models and hate ourselves
o
Why do we do this to ourselves?
o
Do we do this to inspire ourselves? We may try
and tell ourselves this, but it’s more than likely not the truth.
o
Digital
media have developed in us an incurable desire to lust after the unattainable.
Conclusion
This issue is only helped with confidence grown from
awareness of reality amongst all the lies and alterations: most of what we see
isn’t real. Our insecurities and vulnerabilities have been spoken to, taken
advantage of, and amplified by digital media. If we had the chance earlier on
to step back and realize this, reminding ourselves of what was actually real,
attainable, acceptable, and desired, maybe these issues wouldn’t have taken
effect. But we didn’t have the chance. A terrifyingly inevitable process has
taken our body image into its own hands. We cannot backpedal, but we can
educate ourselves and become more aware of how we’re being manipulated. Then,
and only then, can we attempt to fully appreciate what we have.
New Photos:
A photo from the Dove "Real Beauty" campaign.
Retouched photo: I'm using this to compare to the "Aerie Real" campaign
A so-called "real life Barbie"...a woman who has undergone extensive surgical procedures with the aim of becoming a real life version of Barbie.
Two photos of the male and female portrayals in Grand Theft Auto.
A Redbook magazine cover, before and after digital alteration.
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