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behaviour, body images, Experience, images of men, life, musings, rants, self consciousness, Self-control, self-esteem, self-image, Skegness Latest News, skinny models, thought processes, thoughts
I recall Frank Zappa asking his audience “Is there anyone out there who thinks they’re good looking, y’know: you think you’re kinda cute? Well, you’d better watch out, ‘cos there are a hell of lot more of us ugly motherfuckers about.”
Broadblogs responded to my post “Naked Men” suggesting that the self-consciousness I was witnessing was a result of the idealised body images of men portrayed in the media. This is a problem more commonly associated and discussed in relation to women. The skinny models/anorexia/young women’s suicides debate has been raging for decades.
I understand that positive self-image and self-esteem are a large component of mental health. We need to feel good about ourselves in order to be able to function as “normal” human beings.
The natural progression of these arguements is to say that the media are making us ill. If that’s true, why do we let it happen? “The media” are people too: do they suffer the same fate? Who has anything to gain from creating a narrow tolerance of what a body should look like? It’s hard to believe that the models are responsible for its promotion, since they seem to suffer their own torture to maintain the way they look. Is this trend bigger than its players and impossible to deflect or stop? Is there a way to break the cycle?
I do not know why we are letting the media affect us so but we do and the victims are growing and getting younger. I wrote a post on the subject. http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/the-mirror-lies/ Thank you for visiting my blog and subscribing. Have a good day.
Hi Willow,
I read “the mirror lies” and concur entirely. I don’t have a solution. We seem to be paying these people to destroy us!
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
it’s an intersting thought; it nedds to be examined at more length; I think men in general — and this is a broad generalisation — are treated negatively in the media: we are always the villains, for instance, and walloped accordingly while women …..
btw thanks for subscribing to my blog
Hello again,
We’re both bound by generalisation: we could write ad infinitum on this subject. I think you’re quite right about the gender division on this. I think men are shown as the villains but I think women feel the body image thing much more keenly, so maybe it evens up in the long run.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Rob.
Well, what’s to be gained by creating narrow notions of beauty is a huge and unending market of people trying to attain impossible perfection. (If a look can’t actually be gained, but you don’t realze it, you keep trying.) And then you have apparent photograhpic “proof” that perfection is attainable — if you ignore, or are unaware of, the starvation, photoshopping, etc.
Yes, I agree. Also, I think that the media effectively define what perfection is by choosing a body shape and globalising it. There was a time when definitions of beauty were very much regional (can you remember the Miss World competitions from the early sixties?). Now if a celeb puts gains three kilos, they’re calling her “past it”!
Many thanks for your feedback
Rob.
“Who has anything to gain from creating a narrow tolerance of what a body should look like?” My thinking is similar to BroadBlogs.
There is economic gain to be had everywhere brought about by this constant bombardment from the media of how an attractive body should look. The multi billion dollar diet and exercise industry, fashion industry, tanning, surgerys, magazines sold with skiny models on the cover with diet tips and cake recipes all mixed together on their covers.
It all seems to feed on itself with plenty of spending options to help you achieve that perfect body that’s being sold to you from every direction
Yes, I think you’re right. So how do we fight back? We should be voting with our wallets and saying we won’t put up with this treatment. But we don’t. We sign up for it and pay over and over again. Maybe we only get the treatment we deserve?
Many thanks for your feedback
Rob.
Hollywood has tortured many of us. Your model in the pic looks happy enough. (altho I personally fine her hard to look at). You know what I used to really enjoy (circa 9 years ago) when I had access? BBC. Because I loved seeing normal folk on TV – including chubby or regular imperfect guys and gals with crooked teeth. But think about it – how long do most of the chubby actors on Hollywood TV last before they get a cosmetic surgeuon, personal trainer and start dieting? Unless of course they are big players like DeVito or Goodman (no pun intended).
cheers, great post!
I find her hard to look at as well. I may be doing her a disservice: her body shape could be genetic, or hormonal, but my guess is she’s anorexic.
There are loads of BBC programmes available on their iplayer – check it out.
Not much comes out of Hollywood worth watching IMHO. I know I’m biased but I think the Brits make far better films.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
For the most part, I have done away with gluing my eyes to the television screen. I haven’t bought a gossip magazine or fashion magazine either. I agree with the above statements, I also think we as a consumer need to learn moderation. We act as if we’re at a buffet table, even though we’re full, we continue to shove fistfuls of food into our mouths.
Hi Megan,
I think that’s a good analogy: equating indulgence in imagery with gluttony. I had not considered that.
Many thanks for your reply.
Rob.
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Hi Wobsy thanks for the like and the following
Interesting blog, will follow!
You are most welcome. Thanks for your interest.
Your welcome
It’s not quite the same thing, but I had a discussion about beauty, in a comment thread following one of my poems.
You might find some of it interesting. Not the poem, it’s not apt, but the fourth comment from the end is sort of relevant, even though it’s about the perception of external beauty and not feelings of comfort within.
http://misfitsmiscellany.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/the-remnants-of-leather/
Sorry, I was so taken by the poem, I forgot I was supposed to be checking out the comments.
The poem is bloody amazing!
Thanks. She was bloody amazing.