What is Beauty?
Can you actually give a definition to the word beauty? Beauty has so many
different shapes and sizes. I don’t think you can really give a solid definition to many
abstract words. The media tends to portray beauty in so many different ways. Some
people may see beauty as being tall and skinny, a body like that of a Barbie doll. Others
may see beauty as “a battered and abused woman”(Forest 2). The media and advertising
give beauty a variety of definitions—both negative and positive.
When you think of the word beauty, and then think back to your childhood,
Barbie may come to your mind. Would you believe that a man created the Barbie doll?
It’s true. Emily Prager wrote an article called, “Our Barbies, Ourselves.” In this article
she discusses the creation of Barbie and her thoughts as to why Barbie was created. Mr.
Jack Ryan is the designer of the Barbie doll. No wonder she has such a perfect fictional
body. Every young girl dreamed of growing up to look like her. I know I did. Barbie
was perfect with long blonde hair, a huge rack, a tiny waist, and a dreamboat of a
boyfriend, Ken. It makes sense that a woman did not create such an impossible image to
achieve. Prager states, “Before Barbie, American dolls were flatfooted and breastless,
and ineffably dignified” (6). Why did Mr. Ryan invent such a new doll image?
This new item for advertisement had such an influence over young people. Some
people even think that because of Barbie’s image, many young women have developed
eating disorders. Could Barbie be the reason many women get plastic surgery and breast
implants? What or whose image are these women trying to obtain?
So yes, we know that Barbie is “beautiful.” But she is not the only vision of
beauty that the media has. In this modern world, beauty is also viewed through women
who look as if they’ve been abused. The TIGI Bed Head beauty product company is
using violence to advertise and help sell their products. Adam Forest wrote an article
about this company titled, “Beauty and Violence.” In his article he describes how the
TIGI Bed Head Company is using violence in their commercials and their products.
TIGI Bed Head has given their products violent names: “Fat Lip,” “Get Whipped” and
“Dominatrix” (3). So is violence also an image of beauty and sexiness? Aren’t models
supposed to be beautiful? The models in the commercials for TIGI Bed Head beauty
products are wearing makeup that makes them look like they have been beaten. The
models are wearing dark circles of eye makeup, making it look as though they have a
black eye. They are also wearing lip products by the name “Fat Lip.” Is this really
beauty? Such a contrast of the Barbie doll.
If some say that the Barbie doll is to thank for the increase in eating disorders,
than is TIGI Bed Head to thank for the increase in violence? TIGI Bed Head does not
think that these advertisements will have a direct effect on the actions of individuals.
What about further down the road? If the images of “battered and abused women” are
viewed as being sexy, than it might affect the relationships and views that men and
women have with one another. Couples may start to abuse one another. What is the
purpose of creating this image of beauty? Was TIGI Bed Head sick of the Barbie image?
Using violence to sell beauty products—who would have thought? In Forest’s article he
states, “Women are indeed being bludgeoned by the currently surfacing shock ‘fashion’
trends in American culture” (4). In today’s culture, violence is influencing fashion and
beauty trends. However, few people realize that “sexual violence is a more serious
problem than is often realized” (Forest 9).
So let’s get this straight—we have an anorexic doll and bruised models. Both of
these images of beauty are quite negative. Why is it that only negative images sell? If
Barbie was beautiful on the inside, I’m sure not very many little girls would want to play
with her. On the other hand, I am still beside myself as to why violence is helping to sell
make-up products. I know that I wouldn’t want to be going out to a party with friends
looking like I had a black eye or “Fat Lip.” It’s not that positive images don’t sell—so
why are companies turning to negative ones?
We have two totally different views of beauty displayed by the media and
advertisements. There is the perfect bodied Barbie doll with her long blonde hair, perfect
body and makeup. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are the models for TIGI
Bed Head beauty product commercials. These women have dark makeup on that makes
them look like they have been beaten and abused. Both of these images are quite
negative. Some say might say they are promoting eating disorders, plastic surgery,
abuse, and violence. Is one of these images of beauty better to advertise than the other?
Both techniques seem to have been very affective in selling the products. Maybe beauty
is neither of these images. I believe that beauty is what you make of it. Don’t let the
media put the image out there for you. Beauty may be on the inside and have nothing to
do with physical appearance at all. It has so many different shapes and sizes. Just
remember—beauty is a positive thing.