Ideal Experience

Corporations such as the cosmetic industry, diet industry, fashion industry, cosmetic surgery and pornography have helped create a culture where women are judged based on their appearance. In today's society, the ideal meaning of beautiful is being young, slim, blond, having a mild tan, large breasts, mild muscle definition and wearing make-up and clothes that bring out all of these above features. Women have increasing pressure by society to look beautiful and attractive to men.

Women are positioned as symbolic objects. Primarily existing through and for the gaze of others. Fashion and beauty practices reflect and maintain female subordination and deference. The fashion and beauty industries reflect the image of "if you wear our clothes or wear your make-up this particular way" it is considered attractive.  The question is 'is media reinforcing or creating'?

With the rapid growth of mass media in our society, question have been raised on concerning the effects various media might have on society and individuals. One aspect of the concern is focused on the photo manipulation, or retouching, of images presented to the public.  Photo manipulation creates a constructed reality where it can be hard to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Photo manipulation has become a major part of the beauty industry in our society. It does not just define beauty in our culture, but also race, gender, and what it means to be masculine or feminine. Since the manipulation of images creates a constructed reality, it is important to break the barrier between what is realistic and what is unattainable.

Society debates on whether or not the retouched images contribute to the eating disorders and body dissatisfaction among the women in society. Media images and emphasis on thin-depicting has been a major factor in the development of body dissatisfaction among young women. Young women focus severely on the thin body ideal that leads to idealization and body dissatisfaction on count of it being unattainable.

On the other hand, men are not as harshly judged on their body image as women, but they still are. The media images of men focus o muscle definition. Also, with the concept of photo manipulation, men only receive minor details fixed, such as blemishes or bags under their eyes. Women receive many more manipulations in the areas of their waist, arms, legs, neck, eyes, breast, skin tone and even their hair is fixed. Photo manipulation can lead to misconceptions on how women, children, and even men should, or try to, obtain the "ideal body" image.