Eating Disorders in the Beauty Pageant World

We are currently working on research papers in WRTC and one students topic caught my eye. She is doing research on eating disorders and the cause of root of their existence. This led my mind to wonder even further to one of the most physically judgmental hobbies I can think of, especially for young women, beauty pageants. Views and opinions of the effect of beauty pageants on young women vary vastly from person to person. There are those who feel that beauty pageant do not encourage self esteem but torment girls and destroy their self esteem due to the fact that they are being judged merely on their physical appearance. There are also those who feel that the judgement the young girls are getting is a way to gain self confidence merely because of their physical appearance.

I personally do not completely disagree with young girls competing in beauty pageants, however, I do feel that beauty pageants are a definite cause for the demise of certain young women and their health due to eating disorders. In some cases, if a certain girl were to win a title based on her physical appearance, then that experience would most likely boost her self confidence therefore helping with her internal issues with herself. Although this is true for some young women, not every girl can win in a beauty pageant which leads to my opinion that beauty pageants are the not the sole root or cause of eating disorders in some cases, however they do not help in preventing them and in many cases lower self esteem that may lead to the development of an eating disorder.

Feedback

I have dedicated the content of this blog to be left up to you... the reader. I want your feedback. Do you agree with  my accusations of society and the media and their negative influence on youth? Do you think that there is something that can be done to help lessen this painful burden on individuals? If so, what? And finally, Do you think that the media and society's definitino of beauty and the way they portray it to the public a direct influence on the multiple eating disorders, body dismorphia issues, and countless plastic surgeries going on in todays society? Please let me know what you think.

Is Outer Beauty More Important Than Inner Beauty? Olay Seems To think So

It was a day jus like any other, I was watching my daily "programs" and enjoying the chance to finally relax after a long day of stressful classes. It was during the dreaded commercial break that an even more dreaded message was relayed to me...what appeared to be a harmless Olay beauty product advertisement quickly became evidence in my case against the media and its perception of beauty. It was only about five seconds out of the thirty second commericial that caught my attention, five seconds of pure societal bias that I got out of that thirty second advertisement that played over and over in my mind like a broken record. The message "Inner beauty is important, but not nearly as important as outer beauty" sprinted through my head like a marathon runner, taunting and plaguing my brain with the thought that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty; A message infecting the minds of youth constantly and with no remorce. I have always been aware of the subliminal beauty messages in advertisements, but never have I heard such a straight forward negative perception of the definition of beauty in such a proud and humorous manner. Is this what our world has come to? Our society has no regard for the struggling individuals of bulimia and anorexia nervosa, unecessary body distortion, and the people who have died as a direct result of them. Outer beauty is more important than inner beauty. You can't be muh more blunt than that. Well here is me being blunt, You're wrong. Outer beauty is most definitely not more important than inner beauty, and who are you to define what outer and inner beauty is? Seems like a research paper with no works cited to me, a sentence without a period, a conviction without substantial evidence, I could go on and on. Inner beauty in every sense is exponentially more important and respectable than containing minature silicone-filled water beds in your breasts an the ability to apply makeup.
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Plastic Surgery Epidemic

One undeniable influence of the media and society's description of beauty is the overwhelming number of plastic surgeries that has been consistently and vastly increasing for the past few years. In today's society plastic surgery is perceived as a normal "daily" activity, it is  spoken almost as frequently as one proclaiming they are getting their nails done. Such procedures are exhibited as the average "norm;" this  nonchalant perception of such a health-threatening procedure exist nearly everywhere in today's society. For example, shows such as Bridalplasty, Nip Tuck, and Dr. 90210 focus primarily on the matter. TV networks have resorted to creating a competition which awards success with multiple plastic surgeries, exposing the actual real life of a plastic surgeon and the countless already-beautiful women that appear in his office daily in hopes of receiving one more surgery in the efforts to become "perfect," and finally, on the contrary, a television series that displays the  not-so-glamorous side of plastic surgery. Such shows promote mixed emotions as well as aspects of the topic, however, more series promote the life changing alteration rather than illustrate the negative aspects of it. A recent ASPS, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, study has proven that such reality television shows have a direct influence on patients to have surgery. From television, to the big screen and back the life threatening procedure of plastic surgery is being portrayed in ways of which we might now be aware, although there are few that display the dangers, there are far more that exhibit a sense of normality in the matter; if this outstanding imbalance of numbers do not change, we will soon be living amongst a world full what is commonly known as "plastics," is this what our world has come to? Or is it not too late to make a change?

Fact or Fiction?

"The average person sees up to eight thousand advertisements every day." Whether it be in movies, on television, in a magazine, or even toys, you cannot escape it. Most sources agree with the opinion that media defines beauty in almost one-dimensional way to girls of all ages, and to those that do not agree, similarly believe that media and society greatly influence the way people perceive beauty; whether that be positive or negative is the ultimate question. Although there might be people that completely disagree with my stand point on this issue, there is an overwhelmingly parallel view of the matter as well. Some express sympathetically to viewers and the influence they encounter from the countless sources of skewed beauty while others are asking why we as a society are so dependent on the media's "sacrificial images."  So ask yourself this one question, what exactly is beauty? It is having long flowing hair, a "perfect" 36" 26" 36" body, or is it deeper than that? You decide.

"Black Swan" Causes Controversy About Influence on Teen Girls

The newly released film, Black Swan, has caused much controversy and argument about the message it has sent to teen girls. An interesting article on a website that embraces plus size beauty, plus-size-tall.com, expresses outrage at the new film and even goes as far as to refer to the plot as "eating disorder porn." This contents and opinions of this article are a prime example of how the media can deeply affect the mind set of teenage girls when it comes to perceived beauty. The film describes a story about a woman striving to become a ballerina, something merely all of us girls once destined to be; this aspect of the movie creates a situation which one can relate to which further deepens the influence on girls. The article infers that "the glamorous life of the ballerina portrayed on the screen who is anorexic and bulimic could add one more trigger to the pressure of teen girls to be a certain size." Starring actress, Natalie Portman, confesses she was asked to lose a whopping twenty extra pounds off of her already thing figure and states that she does not recommend such extremes. Natalie explains that such eating patterns are common among ballerinas and goes on to address this issue, however, her featured movie has already caused enough damage. So now I am going to ask you, do you think the newly released film Black Swan is a negative influence on teen girls? Or even further, do you think this film goes as far as being classified as "eating disorder porn?"  

Twisted Beauty

The topic I have chosen to dedicate my blog to has to do with the media's as well as peoples', mostly women, perception of beauty. Not only will I be discussing these aspects of beauty but I will also be dissecting every aspect of the subject to reveal every resource, effect, perception, example, issue, and meaning of the word. This issue, the issue of beauty perception and reality, is continuously growing and becoming a serious epidemic in today's society. Targeting mainly females, the perception of beauty and the negative effects that follow are indefinitely destructing the minds of already beautiful human beings. Endless plastic surgery, horrific eating disorders, and even suicide have resulted in the obsession with the thought of being what society claims is "beautiful." How much more self abuse can one take before a breaking point is reached and how much food will have to be forcefully forced out of ones stomach for the media and society to attempt to mend this issue?