Negative and positives effects mass media has on body image.
Over the years, ideas of beauty have evolved in many ways. I have never really paid attention to what the media thinks when it comes to body image, but over the past year I have seen and read about the many positive and negative effects that mass media has made on the American idea of beauty. Here are some of the negatives and positive effects that the media has on body image.
NEGATIVES:
1) Calvin Klein: Myla Dalbesio is Calvin Klein’s new plus size model. She is a size 10, and I’m so blown away to see that she was considered plus size. Being plus sized myself, I giggled at the fact that this is what Calvin Klein thanks plus size is. Myla is beautiful, but she’s definitely in no way near being a plus size model.
2) Victoria’s Secret: Known as angels, Victoria’s secret models are well-known as some of the most beautiful women in the world, but they have stringent requirements on what it is to be a model and oftentimes promote unrealistic ideas about what body image should be.
3) Children’s Dolls: Growing up I played with Bratz dolls and Barbie’s. Back then, they just looked like normal dolls to me, but almost all of them promote an unrealistic body image. Mattel has recently made an average size Barbie.
POSITIVES:
Tess Taylor: Tess Munster, who also goes by Tess holiday, is making history. She is the first plus sized model to be signed to a major model agency — she’s a size 24 and is 5″5’, and she is signed to milk model agency. Tess shows us that beauty comes in any size. Being plus size I look up to Tess, because she broke the barrier for plus sized women and made her own mold. She created a movement on social media called #Effyourbeautystandards. I have joined the movement, and I believe all women should.
MTV movie awards: A lot of you may know Rebel Wilson as fat Amy in pitch perfect. Rebel did something pretty hilarious at the MTV Movie Awards. She poked fun at Victoria’s Secret Angels. Rebel came out dressed like an angel right off the runway. When she bent down, the pants read “THINK” mocking Victoria secret “PINK.” In an interview, Rebel explained that she put “THINK” on her pants because she wants girls think about what is beauty and that there are no limits when it comes to beauty and size.
