Advertising, the media and body image

Airbrushed to perfection So you think those models in that ad have just been airbrushed? Hahahahahaha. Excuse my laughter because you are way behind the times — they can do sooooo much more than that. Basically any part of a body can be digitally enhanced or computer blahhhed to get rid of anything that's not wanted — from a zit on the chin to a broken nail to a wrinkle around the mouth to a bulge on the bum that's juhhhhst a teensy-weensy bit in the way, dahhhhling.

And there we have it. Perfection on the page, the telly, the billboard,

Back in the real world

So, what chance for you n I, hmm? Because we're the ones in the real world - the world full of normal bodies, of chunky thighs and major zits, of truly bad hair days and piggy-squinty eye days, of I-can't-be-bothered-to-shave-my-legs-days … all of which happen, of course, on the morning when you sleep through the alarm clock and have to hurtle out of bed and out of the house, within ten minutes flat, looking very au-natural. You have to sprint 100 metres to catch the bus which causes your complexion to go an incredible livid red and end up reading a magazine that is full, of course, of glowing, healthy, clean, clear-skinned, smooth, polished and UNNATURALLY ENHANCED models, who, in real life, probably have days just like the rest of us … or is it just a vicious rumour about Cameron Diaz's acne and don't you just lurrrve those shots of celebs caught in baggy trackpants looking like something the cat sicked up in the night?

Blurring the lines

Bad hair day What's going down in the advertising world, then? What advertisers are trying to do is blur the lines between fantasy and reality. They want us believe that what is perceived as perfect is actually possible with just things like the correct diet or the right beauty products or the right toothpaste … but the truth is, these advertisements aren't based on reality, which means being able to achieve the promised result is highly unlikely. Yet, sadly, these images that are constantly bombarded at us through the mass media ARE being perceived as realistic and our culture has now set certain standards - and they're certainly ones that don't reflect what's normal for you and me.

So how can we get things back into perspective? Maybe a good place to start is trying to look objectively at advertisements and realising just what they're up to.

Keep reminding yourself that:

Media images and messages aren't real. They're made up and they are not reflections of reality and, what's more, they've been designed to send a very specific message
Ads are made for one sole purpose - to persuade you to buy or to support a particular product or service. After all, they're not being paid a fortune just to entertain us.
To convince consumers to buy, advertisers will often produce an emotional experience that looks like reality - you know the ones … where before you know it you're snivelling into a tissue muttering to yourself ‘It's only an AD for Chrissakes!' And then there are those others that evoke a sense of patriotic pride in you - duhhhh???
You are always seeing exactly what the advertisers want you to see - no other interpretation is available.
It's time to stop acting like a load of sheep. Ads are based on what the advertisers think you will want to see and what will affect you - the end result being that you want to buy the product - but if we all react as INDIVIDUALS and really think about what is being shown, it doesn't necessarily have to work
As an individual, we can then analyse the ads we're bombarded with, see the reality and then CHOOSE whether we want to believe that message.
Once you start practising this, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can see through the gloss on so many of the ads in today's media

Flock of sheep

Here are a few things to watch out for:

Positive ads are:

Ones that display a range of natural body shapes and sizes
Ones that portray positive characteristics to both thin and heavy people
Ones that display people eating balanced meals (including cheesecake and chips!!) as part of a normal, healthy lifestyle
Ones that don't just depict women as objects of beauty but also as people with equal social power

Offensive Ads are:

Ones that include emaciated models or models whose body parts have been computer-enhanced
Ones that show a large person whose attributes or character have been portrayed negatively
Ones that glamorize images of people on diets or that show people relying on food as a way to respond to stress, frustration or loneliness - But don't take that the wrong way because there's surely nothing wrong with curling up, home alone, in front of a great movie with a packet of your favourite bickies or chocky bar.

Taking Action:

Stop buying fashion magz - or else tear out the ads & articles you find offensive and bin them
Write a letter to an advertiser you think is sending out positive messages
Boycott companies who consistently send out negative body image messages by not buying their products and maybe even drop them a line or two explaining why you've decided to do this
Have a bit of a session with friends about media messages and how unrealistic they are
Take a good honest look at yourself - are you inadvertently being sucked in by negative media messages? Is this reflected at all in the way you talk to yourself, your friends or the types of pictures you've got stuck on the fridge or your bedroom walls or even your note-books or files?

AND FINALLY, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, it's pretty damn simple

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent

Updated Feb 2008

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