Women Studies: Beauty Myth and the Contemporary Woman - Term Paper Example

Women Studies: Beauty Myth and the Contemporary Woman Introduction The quest for that perfect female beauty has been the preoccupation of humankind since time immemorial. Venus of Willendorf defines beauty of the female form as having large breasts, with proportionately large stomach and wide hips exuding maternal air; while ancient Egyptians portray beauty through lean yet shapely females, including women who already had given birth. Throughout history, it can be gleaned that central to the concept of beauty has been the form and weight of the female figure, changing from plump, well-endowed breasts and hips mother to the lean and well-contoured young woman. What brings about this trend in the concept of beauty? Could it be that the standards of female beauty have been used by male-dominated societies to manipulate and oppress? Is it all about fulfilling the male’s imagination about the ideal form and figure of a woman? Naomi Wolf, in her book The Beauty Myth (1991), provides eye-opening assertions in her attempt to understand this trend. She writes that indeed, there is a strong cultural conspiracy to ensure women’s preoccupation and undivided focus over their appearance so that they are unable to explore on more productive matters in their lives. Wolf explains that the beauty myth has continued to blind women of their true value in society. She thus provides analysis of such assertion in eight chapters, which actually are interrelated: (1) The Beauty Myth, (2) Work, (3) Culture, (4) Religion, (5) Sex, (6) Hunger, (7) Violence, and (8) Beyond the Beauty Myth. This paper focuses on the 6th Chapter, which is on Hunger. According to Wolf, hunger is the best and most effective way to oppress and subdue people. This can be achieved not only by making food physically unavailable, but also and most effectively, by shaping the mindset of the people so that they voluntarily submit to hunger. And this is how the beauty myth works: thinness is upheld as the best, the only beautiful and desirable, and to not be thin is to be a dismal failure in life in general. With this shaping of women’s mindset, they eventually, in one way or the other, submit to hunger in order to fulfill the beauty myth. As Wolf argues that there is a serious conspiratorial force behind this indoctrination of women, which goes beyond a sick self-image, this paper will attempt to explore the current situation, in the economic as well as in the political aspects of it. As controversies revolving around this very same interesting facet of the beauty myth arise in the fashion industry capital of the world which is Europe (Milan in Italy, Pao Saulo in Brazil, London in the United Kingdom, Paris in France, and Madrid in Spain), the economic as well as the political perspectives will be tackled. Analysis The Beauty Myth and Today’s Women The women of today, although a little bit empowered and slowly awakening, are still helplessly pressured into conforming with the standards of beauty as imposed by society through the powerful media. Wolf’s Beauty Myth explains that images of the perfect woman are being bombarded to the public consistently – usually gorgeous blonde, tall and willowy, weighs about 20% less than proportionate to their heights, doesn’t look older than 25 years old, and with no flaws on her skin or hair. These images of female beauty are everywhere, selling everything and anything that the human mind can think of. As objects of beauty, women and their perfectly sculpted body and body parts, are used to lend attractiveness to ads, especially those targeted for men, primarily cigarettes, cars and liquors. Even the well-known celebrities have revolutionized themselves to fit and have consequently become younger, taller and thinner, to the extent that some faint from lack of food. Society strengthens the pressure on women, judging them against these standards of the perfect beauty. Subsequently, women judge themselves against the same standards. Thus contemporary women find themselves trying so hard to forcefully shape their bodies into a more “pleasing” and aesthetically conforming shape. Wolf calls this “beauty pornography” where the pictures bombarded to the public are nothing but flawless works of professional make-up artists and photographers. Besides, they feature all underweight models, and young not beyond 25 years old. The Economics of Beauty Myth There is a lot of media hype about losing weight and the benefits of it - articles persuading women to lose weight in order for them to achieve their dreams: career, great home, great marriage, etc. In fact, researches and studies report that women’s magazines come up with ten and a half times more articles and advertisements upholding and promoting weight loss as compared to men’s magazines, and more than three-fourths of women’s magazines’ covers include at least one message on reshaping or re-contouring a woman’s body through diet, cosmetic surgery or exercise regimens. These are even reinforced by television and movies that show the importance of a thin body being the yardstick of a woman’s value. In most shows, the successful and therefore the most desirable women are the lean and thin ones, while the heavier or average-sized actresses are often the laughingstock or the poor losers. Why the obvious overplay and vigorous campaign by the media and those behind these ads and shows? What is at stake and who gains from it? The media is a powerful marketing tool of the growing and very lucrative fashion and beauty industry. The economic gains of the industry is enormous and assured with the unattainable beauty myth imposed upon women, the never-ending insecurities develop within every woman, which drives them to the never-ending pursuit of the best way to attain the shape, size and overall mold of the perfect beauty. Women insecure about their bodies tend to shop more for beauty products, for more clothes and accessories, for diet pills and other such items. They are always on the lookout for what is new, what is the trend, and what is the best product to lose and maintain weight and enhance youth. For an industry that has proven to be lucrative and more potentially so, the fashion and beauty industry understandably would keep the very reason for its growth: women’s insecurity about their bodies as brought about by the beauty myth. The stakes are too huge for the industry to be lax and downplay on this. The diet industry (which is essentially a part of the fashion and beauty industry) in the United States alone, for instance, is claimed to be worth at least 40 to 100 billion US dollars a year. The Politics of the Beauty Myth The political aspect of the beauty myth is less obvious than the economic aspect of it. However, Wolf argues that the beauty myth goes beyond the mere economic reasons. Wolf explains that, logically, the economic aspect can still be fueled by selling food, with an extremely opposite mantra of eating in order to fill the void, etc. The same companies that sell the diet pills, the sugar-free food, can still sell and gain by selling food and bombarding messages that eating is not harmful, that food binging is the trend, etc. In other words, what Wolf is saying is that there is a force stronger behind the beauty myth than the economic force. As Wolf points out, the main reason for women being kept hungry through subjection to the beauty myth is to make them apathetic, submissive, compliant and self-absorbed, therefore unable to involve in anything that would threaten social order. It is no coincidence that the “thin beauty” was introduced when women’s political and legal emancipation was starting, along with the realization of women’s other freedoms. Wolf strongly asserts that it can be concluded, therefore, that the beauty myth is purposely to keep women from being a threat to the male-dominated society. Hunger Takes Its Toll on Women The most alarming negative effect of the Beauty Myth has been on women’s health. Around 90-95% of people with eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are women. In America alone, about 150,000 American women die of the disorders each year. Anorexia Nervosa, according to the experts, is a condition where a person, having an intense fear of gaining weight from eating “fattening” foods, exerts much effort to maintain a weight that is way below what is the healthy and normal. On the average, anorexics maintain at least 15% below their normal weight. They do this by intense exercises, or by some form of purging whenever they get to eat. The most difficult part of the condition is the fact that the anorexic does not acknowledge low weight as a problem, seeing herself as much bigger and heavier as she really is. On the other hand, Bulimia is a condition where a person has recurrent episodes of binge eating, or eating too much food at a short span of time, which is later on vomited out or purged out through the use of laxatives, intense exercise or even fasting. Cases of Anorexia and Bulimia have risen, especially notable among the catwalk models, who are understandably the most pressured to maintain their thinness, as they are supposed to be the epitome of beauty for the rest of womankind to emulate. Many models have consequently died of the disorders. The death of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston in 2006 due to anorexia-linked causes somehow awakened legislators and even the fashion industry, pushing them to address the health repercussions of ultra-thin models. Measures to Mitigate Recognizing the ill effects of upholding thin or underweight models in the fashion industry, pressure groups as well as legislators in the fashion capitals of Milan, Sao Paulo, Madrid, London and Paris have proposed mitigating measures. In Milan, Italy, woman mayor Letizia Moratti has backed the new code requiring catwalk models to submit medical certificate proving that they are healthy and not suffering from any eating disorders, while younger models need to be with their guardians (BBC News 2006). In Paris, Italy, a bill was adopted by the French Parliament’s Lower House to crack down web sites advising anorexics how to starve, with a recommendation for fines up to $71,000 and three years imprisonment. Madrid’s Regional Government has demanded models to present a healthy image with at least 18% Body Mass Index (BMI), following standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Sao Paulo, Brazil, girls younger than 16 are banned, while those qualified by age are asked to show medical certificates. This is regulated mainly by the fashion industry as part of its corporate social responsibility. In London, Women’s Minister Tessa Jowell spearheaded a multi-stakeholder summit to craft a law or any measure to address the problem. Conclusion While there have been moves by the governments as well as the fashion industry to mitigate the ill effects of the beauty myth as it has encroached on the health of women, there is still much to be expected. It is not only the industry or the governments that have the responsibility to educate women and to liberate them from this bondage that is beauty myth. The society, starting from the parents, the community, as well as the educational systems must all work together to provide a realistic and healthy concept of beauty among women. Read More