Attractiveness over Intelligence :: American Culture, Beauty

Obsessed with witness, the Ameri locoweed culture plainly values attraction over intelligence. Different media outlets serve to reinforce certain societal feminine ideologies (i.e. thin, tall, upstart, beautiful, etc.). The overwhelming pressure to conform to cultural standards of beauty and the importance of attaining these ideals of thinness and perfection argon commonly displayed in advertising. However, in 2004 Dove launched a campaign that promised to redefine such stereotypes.Researchers agree that a medium that depicts cultural norms and beliefs of ideal beauty have a deal negative impact on the perceptions of young womens self-image. According to Bissell and Rask (2010), women who are exposed to mediated images, which portray passing thin models result in negative body image, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and overall dissatisfaction. The overwhelming pressures to be young, thin, and beautiful are the twisted expectations of the American culture. Kilbourne (1999) a rgues that, advertising is one of the approximately potent messengers in a culture that can be toxic for girls self-esteem she further argues that advertisements contain glossy images of flawlessly beautiful and extremely thin women (as cited in Bissell & Rask, 2010). As a result of such advertising, umpteen young women and teens have a manipulated perception of beauty. Research supports this claim by showing that the average US model portrayed in advertisements is 511 and weighs 117 pounds when in reality, the average US women is only 54 and weighs 140 pounds (Media and eating disorders 2006 as cited in Bissell & Rask 2010). Scholars claim that, mass media can reflect basic beliefs, attitudes, and values toward female beauty and can pull down affect changes in cultures when others are exposed to images of ideal beauty and attractiveness (Bissell & Chung, 2009). However, the beliefs and attitudes that have been adopted by the American culture are non creating a positive percept ion of true and healthy beauty, but sooner a perception of shame and disappointment (Bissell & Rask, 2010 Bissell & Young, 2009). Both articles agree that ever neting exposure to these false perceptions of ideal beauty not only misguides young women into believing that this is in fact the cultural norm, but eventually leads them to comply that they must find a way to live up to these impossible standards, ultimately leaving them feeling inadequate and unacceptable (Bissell & Young, 2009 Bissell & Rask, 2010). In the last decade, some advertising companies have made an attempt to challenge or change such standards by choosing to use models that dont usually fit into this ideal construct of beauty (Bissell & Rask, 2010).