For years now, the fashion industry has been ridiculed for creating body image-obsessed girls who are prone to eating disorders.
In many cases, the ideals created by the industry have made it nearly impossible for a woman to accept and be happy with herself. Self-confidence has been replaced with self-destruction as girls flip through magazines and TV channels wondering why they aren’t as thin or perfectly proportioned as the airbrushed models and celebrities they admire.
What would happen if we started to stand up to the fashion industry and Hollywood, and stop succumbing to the superficial standards they’ve set for us? Would they continue to behave as an elite society of flawless individuals, or might we open their eyes to what they are doing to women both young and old across the world? Though it has taken a while to get here, it seems the media and marketers are starting to listen, and are advertising their lines in a much healthier and realistic way.
In 2004, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty sparked this movement when the company dared to do what no other company targeting women would do. They used women of all different shapes and sizes to grab the attention of their target market, after research showed that the definition of beauty had become very narrow and unattainable, according to Dove’s website. The goal of the campaign was to show women that they don’t have to be a size zero or have a mile-long torso to be beautiful. In addition to the Real Beauty campaign, Dove released a documentary this year called “Selfie,” which seeks to prevent mothers from passing down insecurities to their daughters by encouraging women to be confident in their own skin.
Dove seems to have inspired more and more companies to help females find body peace. Aerie, a lingerie company, recently launched a campaign similar to Dove’s. This promotion features girls who are not professional models, and whose bodies have not been retouched. The company targets girls between the ages of 15 and 21, a group that is believed to be the most likely to develop eating disorders as a result of a negative body image.
Not only are companies concerned with correcting the unhealthy idea of a so-called “perfect” body, but many companies are also working to remind us that age is just a number. In 2012, MAC Cosmetics used 90-year-old Iris Apple as the face of their brand. Ellen Degeneres served as a spokesperson for Covergirl, and Meryl Streep was pictured on the cover of Vogue.
“For MAC to use a 90-year-old woman, it says that we’re not afraid to say that a women at any age can be really, really beautiful,” said a MAC spokesperson in an interview with the Today show in 2012.
Even high-fashion designers and celebrities are striving to broaden society’s perception of beauty. Many designers are using models without makeup, for instance. An online clothing company called Betabrand chose only women with Ph. D’s to model their latest line, redirecting their customers’ attention to the value of an educated woman.
Actress Cameron Diaz put her writing skills to the test in "The Body Book," in which she stresses the importance of being healthy and natural. Her famous friends seem to agree with this message, as the new diet craze in Hollywood does not involve fasting or juicing but simply eating clean and wholesome meals.
Younger celebrities are working to inspire confidence in young girls, too. Last week Lorde tweeted the real, unedited version of a photo from one of her concerts to reveal acne that the media had removed from the image.
“Remember flaws are O.K.,” she told fans.
Lorde isn’t the only girl flaunting her flaws. This past month, Facebook has been exploding with “no makeup selfies,” a viral trend that was started to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness. Girls post a selfie without makeup, and then tag a friend to encourage her to do the same. This endless selfie chain is inspiring girls everywhere to be confident and embrace their imperfections.
The media is extremely pervasive in our lives. In our world, we are constantly refreshing social media on our smartphones, catching up on the latest trends by flipping through magazines, or are busy "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." The fashion industry and Hollywood have used their influence in our lives to set unrealistic expectations to try and define what beauty is. By fighting back, we were able to prevent the media from creating their idea of the “perfect race.”
