Air-brushed and Ultra Thin Models

In reaction to the article about models being air-brushed to look ultra thin (found at: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/fallbeauty/image-of-ultra-thin-ralph-lauren-model-sparks-outrage-521480/) I can really agree with both viewpoints.

The first viewpoint, that air-brushing models to such unrealistic extremes has a negative impact on young women, does have some valid points. I myself can even attest that I have looked at an ad in a magazine and have thought, "If only I could look like her..." We all become victim of that game. We see what is projected to be the pinnacle of beauty and what one should look like and then we think of all the reasons why we don't measure up. "My hips are too big, my nose is too round, my hair is too flat..." All of that inner dialogue that we create based on our longing to look like an advertisers depiction of beauty is detrimental to our self esteem.

But I also agree with the other viewpoint that it's just the fashion industry and, well, that's just what they do. Most aware adults and teenagers are alert to the fact that most of the skinny models we see in advertisements are most likely coiffed, tweaked, blow-dried, done-up and air-brushed to the most extreme levels. I know this, and even though despite that I sometimes wish my hair was a little thicker, or bouncier, it doesn't cause severe detrimental effects to me. I don't wallow in my room because my eyelashes aren't as long as the girl in the Marc Jacobs ad. I don't seek help for depression because my hair isn't as full and bouncy as the woman in the Gucci ad. Sure, it'd be nice to have that kind of hair, but I have what I have and, well, I can't do much about it. My point is that though there might be some sort of internal, self-depricating dialogue that occurs within me due to such ads, it is not done on an extreme level.

Meaning

The whole chapter on meaning was very interesting to me, certainly because I had never seen the term "meaning" broken down so minutely. I will agree that meaning is based on a variety of different factors: cultural codes, who sends the message, the receiver's personal experiences, etc. The book states, "The codes of meaning that make up our common culture produce the very reality they represent" (p. 160). I find this interesting because it is very true. How we interpret meaning ends up becoming our reality. If we understand the meaning of X to be that yellow shirts are out of style, then that is our reality, when really there is no meaning of style embedded in the color yellow.

This chapter was definitely something that made you think about how you (individually) understand meaning. It's eye opening because now when I view a message produced by the mass media, I am more focused on what meaning I am getting from it and what factors have caused me to understand such messages to be that way.