This post is directed toward an in-class assignment in which we categorized magazine advertisements. From those categories, we were to develop themes or identify themes conveyed by these ads. The magazine I used for my analysis was the September 2007 issue of Shape. I would classify Shape as a women’s self-help magazine generally centered on fitness for women, healthy eating, and related articles.
The results of my analysis reveal the categories with the most advertisements were cosmetics (39/130), dietary supplements (33/130), and “other” (39/130). The cosmetics category consisted of make-up, hygiene, and hair products. Dietary supplements included weight-loss pills, diet drinks, vitamins, and healthier eating options. The “other” category consisted mostly of car ads and organizational ads. The main theme I developed and want to focus on, I called “flawlessness”.
“Flawlessness” is what seemed to be presented with in the cosmetic ads. The flawlessness is promoted by these cosmetic ads by having enlarged and probably photo shopped head shots of models and celebrities. When you see these images, there is not a blemish, shiny spot, or wrinkle to be found. It is blatantly clear these women are epitomized as beautiful in our society but is a perfect face the only type of beauty? No! Of course it isn't but looking through this magazine all I could think is that wow I need my teeth to be straighter and whiter, my skin to be less blotchy, my hair to be silkier, and my face to be toned and smooth...then I'll be pretty. I don't know if that was the intent of the magazine but those are the feelings I get while looking at the ads. My question is what does the magazine want to 'shape' exactly? Shape us into women who are strong, healthy, and beautiful in our own way? Or, Shape us into a socially accepted view of perfection that women should look like?
It is hard to tell what they want to Shape us into exactly. I sometimes wonder whether the magazines are afraid to put anyone over 120 pounds inside their pages unless that person has recently lost half their weight! It is hard for me to imagine looking anything like any of the people in the magazines. Looking at the magazines makes me want to find any way possible to look like them. But have you ever tried to follow their exercise regimines or "easy" diets? They work if you have absolutely nothing else to do with your life but focus on your workouts and eating. Also, you better make good money too and not have any friends because going out for some fun will not consist of having any food at a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that we need to think that way. I know that a lot of girls in college work out to lose weight. But what happens when a girl who had never worked out before does not lose weight initially? It may be that she is actually gaining muscle that she has never had. She may be more fit and losing fat content, but does not specifically lose much weight. The idea behind "losing weight" and being thin is not what we should strive for. I think that magazines should focus more on being healthy and fit, not exactly being thin and losing weight.
I never thought about the intent of the title "Shape," but I guess if it is published by the Weider stable of magazines, then it probably refers to an unobtainable societal ideal. As I was reading what both of you wrote, I was reminded of an Entertainment Tonight segment in which they were saying how busy the plastic surgeons were in Hollywood right before Oscars--doing botox, liposuction, and a variety of other surgeries. I cannot imagine living with such an obsession about appearance that someone would put themselves through that!
ReplyDeleteI also analyzed a SHAPE magazine, and it is sad to see that it is not just one month of this magazine that makes women feel flawed, but it is every month. My magazine was about the same breakdown as yours: mostly consisting of cosmetics like makeup, hair color, and wrinkle solutions and car ads. I do find it odd that a self-help magazine is portraying a sense of self-consciousness in women that read it. If us as students who do not normally read this magazine can feel this way from just one interaction with it, I can not even imagine how the women that read this magazine every month feel about themselves after seeing all the beautiful models and cosmetic ads.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that these magizines are trying to conform people to a socially accepted image of beauty. I feel that these magizines are incredibly mis-guided though. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Magazines sole purpose in to make money. They unfortunately do this by making people feel not worthy or good enough. They exploit common areas about people physique that they may be already self conscious about for the sole purpose of selling products. It is a very effective tactic but at the same time is wrong. These magazines can cause so many negative psychological and self-confidence issues and I feel that it is important for people to speak out against these magazines and help develop and new image for beauty.
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