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Image has become the yardstick
Why do we keep measuring ourselves?!
For decades now, women have been subjected to an intense bombardment of images of how the perfect woman should look. From magazine covers, to TV programmes, to films; the image of the perfectly proportioned, unblemished, attractive woman is constantly on display.
Inevitably, the image becomes the yardstick by which many women measure themselves in a futile, impossible task to live up to 'perfection'. The perfect image is purely a construction – a creation of the fashion and cosmetic industries. It is a cynical attempt to convince all women (and men) that they too must strive to achieve this perfect goddess-like appearance.
And how does one achieve this perfection? By purchasing the cosmetic companies' products and signing up to the latest health-crazes and fads. What is never mentioned by these companies is the air-brushings, the tonnes of make-up, the diet pills, the starvation efforts and the extreme exercise regimes that a person must submit to in order to reach the stratosphere of perceived sexiness.
So, in effect, one would have to sacrifice living in place of merely existing. Suddenly, the famous tag-line “Because you're worth it”, seems rather worthless.
The pressure is not reserved for women however. Today, more and more men report feeling inadequate next to the image of ‘the perfect man’. The sun-tan, the perfect abs, the gym-fit body are now all associated with society's idea of the perfect male figure. The explosion in male grooming and anti-ageing products is nothing short of revolutionary.
The marketing departments of the businesses behind this revolution are well aware that more efforts may need to be devoted to convince men of the need to buy products – products which seemed unimaginable a few short years ago. So, the advertising campaigns cultivate the false idea that women expect their man to maintain his image by using the various products on sale.
However, there appears to be a growing resistance and backlash against the pre-defined, artificially constructed images of the perfect man or women. One company has led a 'campaign for real beauty', promoting woman of all shapes, sizes and ages to be happy with their bodies the way they are.
Perhaps, it's no more than a new marketing direction for that company but one would like to think it's part of a genuine desire to show people that image isn't everything.
Ultimately, we need to not only accept how we look, but also realise that the perfect man or woman doesn't exist.
True beauty is far more than appearance and always has been.
By: Peter Harper
