Welcome to the modern world of entertainment where fashion, bright lights and big names are what it's all about. The spotlight of fame and riches has been an attractive luxury for many would-be stars, the ones who make it to the top of the food chain become celebrities that gain a permanent foothold on the centre stage, where the media publicity spreads to the vicarious lives of the the public. People magazine, a predominant leader of pop culture media focusing on celebrity news and gossip, had an expected revenue of $1.5 billion in 2006, whilst the film industry in Hollywood brought in a record $10 billion of revenue in 2009. With figures this large it's simple to imagine the sheer volume of viewers that follow the lives of celebrities on and off camera and with this amount of attention it's no accident that their lives are dictated by the viewers as much as ours is dictated by theirs.
Young people of this generation are consistently and progressively bombarded with images and videos of film stars, supermodels and music artists, where everything they wear and everything they do is an advertisement to promote themselves and the products that surround them. Simply put; they become very effective marketing tools. Celebrity endorsements make a huge impact on consumer buying behaviour, but is this necessarily a bad thing? Perhaps not, but what it does mean is that a consumer may associate known characteristics of the celebrity with attributes of the product and most importantly be influenced by the desire to emulate the celebrity. The very way think about style and and fashion is completely shaped by the media and its tools however this doesn't just stop at clothing, the fame and success of Justin Bieber has even prompted many young males to mimic his now iconic hair style; anything to get a taste of their lives.
People are easily influenced by what the masses do and how other people react to certain things; if everyone is doing something then it must be right. The media understands this theory and they know exactly how to apply it to appeal to the viewers, this is why you'll often see many people on screen that match the 'conventional beauty' standards set by the majority of the public. Thin, young, pretty and... healthy? USA TODAY featured an article that quoted host of Cover Shot on TLC, van der Wal, as saying "This unnatural thinness is a terrible message to send out. The people watching the fashion shows are young, impressionable women,". Often we hear tales about people suffering from malnutrition and in the most extreme cases; there have been reports on models that have died from starvation. So just what kind of message is this sending out to the public? Young women are are commonly susceptible to influence from the media's portrayal of other females which are viewed by most as role models, of whom many are at risk of major health problems. Some statistics recorded have outlined that as many as on out of four college-aged women use unhealthy methods of weight control such as; fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. Up to 35% of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, 50% to 70% of normal weight girls believe they are overweight and overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way.
The beauty standards of today promote an image that is not only misleading but in many cases, is entirely impossible to achieve. The media's portrayal of icons that are heavily in the public eye make for a good opportunity to promote the media source. By presenting an ideal that is difficult to achieve and maintain, industries such as cosmetics and diet are assured growth and profits. Researchers report that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. The barrage of messages about thiness, dieting and beauty tell women that they are constantly in need of improvement and that their body is an object to be perfected. For many, there are no limitations in finding a way to achieve their physical goals, and in these cases many will seek cosmetic surgery as a quick fix in an attempt to gain perfection. For some however who have been refused by surgeons, no isn't an answer they're willing to accept with few going as far as attempting 'do it yourself' procedures in their own homes often leading to disastrous results.
For some looking into the lives of the rich and famous can push you into wanting to achieve the most out of life, for others this could lead down a road of disaster and a lifetime of ruin. People such as Lindsay Lohan and Heidi Montag are the observed and we are the observers, and as the observers it's simple to be consumed by the lives of those we observe through the eyes of the media. It's not easy to uncover the truth behind that thick veil, although often a simple Youtube clip gives all the insight that's needed. No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.
References
Beauty and Body Image in the Media. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2010, from Media Awareness Network: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm
Canning, A., & Hoffman, J. (2009, July 20). Woman's DIY Plastic Surgery 'Nightmare'. Retrieved September 25, 2010, from abc News: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8080723&page=1
Everyone Wants Justin Beiber’s Hair. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2010, from Kidzworld: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/22583-everyone-wants-justin-beibers-hair
Goldsmith, J. (n.d.). People who need People. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117946434.html?categoryid=18&cs=1&s=h&p=0
Hellmich, N. (2006, September 26). Do thin models warp girls' body image? Retrieved September 23, 2010, from USA TODAY: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-thin-models_x.htm
Kellett, C. (2010, August 19). Doco asks: 'Is Heidi Montag a mutant monster?'. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/doco-asks-is-heidi-montag-a-mutant-monster-20100818-12ewf.html?autostart=1
Lindsay Lohan gets jail sentence. (2010, July 7). Retrieved September 19, 2010, from Stuff.co.nz: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/3892053/Lindsay-Lohan-gets-jail-sentence
The Associated Press. (2009, December 10). Hollywood breaks revenue record of $9.68 billion. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from USA TODAY: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-12-09-hollywood_N.htm
Yaqoob, T., & Mitchell, J. (2007, February 15). Catwalk girl, 18, dies six months after her model sister starved herself to death. Retrieved September 22, 2010, from Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-436277/Catwalk-girl-18-dies-months-model-sister-starved-death.html
