Media, the negative body image scape goat for those with low self esteem

[nova_usagi]

[Disclaimer: ...Any generic male pronouns are for both sexes. Writing he/she gets old and even though I'm female, I prefer to use male pronouns when referring to everyone. It's an English lit and paper writing habit

Comments

[moonkisu]

i agree, it isn't just the fault of the media, it's the fault of low self-esteem and insecurity. People who are secure with themselves aren't really as easily swayed by the TV and magazines and everything else.

And the Dove Real Beauty Campaign is a farce. They only care about themselves and selling their product, no one else.

[nova_usagi]

Well they are just trying to make money... The idea is good until you think a about what the motto is saying and whatnot (which only takes like 45 seconds). EDs and body image disorders have existed since before being thin was the thing.

Appearence is just something visible/physical for a person with low self esteem to pin their problems on. They're unhappy, depressed, feel worthless and blame it on their looks, because it's staring them right there in the mirror every time they look. It's much easier to blame it on looking too-something than trying to confront personal psychological/sociological problems. And it's even easier (and self satisfying) to blame not looking good on society that dictates what is attractive than one's self.

[moonkisu]

"And it's even easier (and self satisfying) to blame not looking good on society that dictates what is attractive than one's self."

Really, is it?

[nova_usagi]

Sure. Wouldn't it be easier to think, "I am unhappy because I am not pretty... If my nose looked better and I my boobs were bigger, I'd be pretty and thus happier," over "I am unhappy... Perhaps I am unsatisfied with my current relationships with my families and friends or perhaps it is my own insecurities that are putting me into this slump? I should toughen up and snap out of it," no? Yeah, it sounds easier to me.

I think a person would rather consider getting some cosmetic surgery over admitting to people that he needs professional help from a shrink or is suffering from some psychological issues. If it's just a problem of how one's nose looks, that seems like something that is less personal and the fault of the individual. It can be a easy/cheap/quick fix, like going for pills instead of therapy and/or trying to work through the problem.

[morriganslair]

Japanese women tend to be smaller than the melting-pot milleu of women in the United States, ergo the women in the US Dove ad are going to be a bit larger to reflect the average-sized woman relative to that country.

I understand that it IS up to the individual to accept responsibilities for their own problems and feelings, but we are a visual species, and certain images can act as triggers to those who already have a body-image illness (such as body dysmorphia or an eating disorder)

And while the paradigm has changed from voluptuous to rail-thin to curvy to tan to whatever, the fact is the PARADIGM itself still exists. Creating such paradigms is a part of human nature, but we must keep this innate idolization in check if we are to have a healthy CULTure. I'm not saying we should become blind, but this whole cult of the celebrity is getting a bit old, considering we've been doing it for thousands of years.

[nova_usagi]

Japanese women tend to be smaller than the melting-pot milleu of women in the United States, ergo the women in the US Dove ad are going to be a bit larger to reflect the average-sized woman relative to that country.In Japan eating is different. There aren't cafeterias in high school, their donut chain doesn't serve as large or sweet donuts. Cola isn't as popular. PE is all the way through high school, every semester. There are after school sport clubs all the way through college. They eat smaller portions and they take more personal responsibility for self. Seeing an obese person is very, very rare there. Since over 60% of Japanese women are not overweight, the whole "Real women have real curves" line just won't work

[nova_usagi]

Hah! I had a brainfart and wrote, "And the belief that it is more prevalent is perpetuated by self dragonesses." Classic. It should be, "And the belief that it is more prevalent is perpetuated by self diagnosises." I don't know what I was thinking... About dragons I guess.

[moonkisu]

The society in japan is different then that of the US.

[moropus]

A bazillion years ago, people could live a cloistered life, live on bread and water, fast for ages, whip themselves until they bled and passed out, and be praised for their religious dedication.

Now we know these urges are diseases, but they aren't new. Those urges have always been in some people, they just used to have a place to go to do it and it was considered religious devotion and good.

When people talk about kids cutting themselves to let the bad feelings run out, I think of the Dark Ages clerics whipping themselves to let the evil run out. What has changed?

[nova_usagi]

...People still do whip themselves... Try studying up on Easter traditions/rituals in certain parts of the Philippines. (^_^)

[moropus]

I'm not at all surprised.

[nova_usagi]

What I was talking about is called self-flagellation and other forms of self-inflicting pain/punishment on the body is known as mortification.

Native Americans have done it, indigenous people still have various ceremonies where it takes places, people hang themselves from hooks to get a sort of high, some Philippines in small towns will mock crucify themselves during East and take part in self-flagellation. People will still fast and starve themselves. Janists will commit suicide via starvation. Some sects of Buddhism are for self abuse and starvation as well.

[syrendelalune]

Although I agree with select portions of what you explain in your post, I think it's a rather brazen exaggeration that you bring up (what mostly consists of) works dating back from the 18th/19th century & familiarize that with the current images of ideal beauty in the media. For the purposes of friendly debate, I will put my emphasis here on the paintings,~ because with the exception of the statue of Michelangelo's David [long been considered as one of the most perfect depictions of male beauty due to his athletic build], please forgive (and feel free to correct) my short-sighted ignorance of why I fail to understand why you chose the two remaining statues to back up your point. Haha.. to me they appear just quite ordinary

[nova_usagi]

No way, you're putting far too much weight on the media. This post talks about what studies commonly find.

Girls also reported a greater drive for thinness and a higher level of family history of eating concerns than did boys. Correlations suggested that girls' experiences of body image concerns (body dissatisfaction, bulimia, and drive for thinness) were related to a number of factors (such as family history of eating concerns, peer influences, teasing, depression, and global self-worth)... -study abstract

Any studies on the influence of media, family, and peers on a person's self esteem or understanding of body image will show that media is the least important and that it's family and peers that are the most influential.

[syrendelalune]

Interesting, thank you for the links; and yes ~ it all sounds pretty valid. While I still keep to my belief on how strong the media can influence society in general, the subject of the development of actual mental disorders and psychological illnesses are perhaps something entirely different. I think definitely the sway from such close roots as a person's own family can have a huge impact: especially if - as you say - one or both of the parents are dieting, or dissproval for their child's body weight is shown.
But from there, it is impossible to ignore the "triggers" common of a person with an eating disorder to see the reliance there is on the media. Although a relatively new term, such a dependancy has been uncovered that a new word has been coined for it: Thinspiration.

[nova_usagi]

People who actually suffer from EDs or BDD don't need/use thinsiration though. They are psychological disorders based on warped perception of body image. Have you ever seen the program Thin? All of the girls had family and social problems... It wasn't the media or thinspiration pictures. The video below kind of makes a point about that I think.

And I posted in response: I think "wanna-be's" get into it because they have low self-esteem and desire to be interesting or "special." For example, female writers will glamorize abuse, rape, or diseases for their original character (that represents them) in fanfiction. They do it because they think it makes their character interesting and more likable. They don't actually understand how bad it is, so they romanticize it. These wannabe's are doing something similar with themselves.If you've ever seen a bunch of thinspiration images, you know that many are doctored to make the women look much, much more thin than they really are. That's because most normal idol pictures from the media aren't