The Retouched Face of Perfection

Today in the media, with the advancement of technology in our world, the way young women are being portrayed is becoming less and less realistic. The reason for this is mostly due to photoshop and drastic alterations that are made to images of women that get put out to the public, such as magazine covers and advertisements.

Basically ALL images in magazines nowadays are edited to SOME extent to portray what is supposedly the definition of female perfection.

“the feminine ideal is tanned, healthy slenderness, with no unsightly bumps, bulges or cellulite, and bodily and facial perfection that results from hours of labour: exercise, makeup and hair care” - Coward, 1985

The more that females are openly falsely represented like this, the more this supposedly 'perfect' image becomes accepted to be the norm.

The consequences for teenage girls viewing these standards of fake and altered beauty, is that they think that they should strive to be just as perfect as the women they see in these magazines, when in reality they will only end up failing because the images they're seeing aren't even real! The goals they set for themselves to look like the women they see in magazines are unachievable because they're fake, so the girls will only end up disappointed.

YOLO

The way girls are represented in the media often show them doing stereotypical things that girls do during their teenage years to rebel and ‘have fun’, when in reality, the things they’re doing is an extremity but it still puts pressure on girls seeing this representation to do these things as well in order to experience what is often shown to be ‘rites of passages’  during these short years as a teenager.

This type of representation occurs in the film “ Thirteen” , which follows two young girls of thirteen who are just entering their teenage years and beginning to experiment different things and go through what is often reffered to as “ typical teenage rebellion” .

The two main girls in the film, Tracy and Evie, experiment with petty crime such as shop-lifting, alcohol and drug use, sex and getting piercings and their mothers barely react to it because its seen to be just a ‘ girls will be girls’ situation and that they should just be ‘ allowed freedom to grow up’.

Along with these rebellious actions, the director has also shown the girls and their friends to be dressed in low cut tops baring cleavage and midriff to accentuate the fact that they are expressing themselves to be rebellious and a bit slutty, but the fact that so many girls in the movie are dressing in this way sends the message that this is the norm for girls of this age when they are experiencing this rebellious rite of passage.

The message that this representation sends us is that teenage girls should be allowed to rebel, to go through a stage of ‘ experiencing’ different aspects of life and discovering their persona, no matter how dangerous or harmful these experiences could be even if they’re just doing them once. This fits in with the typical saying in teenage society today “ yolo”  - “ you only live once”. It refers to the idea that young people should experience everything they want to because they only have one life to live.

The affect that making this idea and representation a ‘ typical’ one through media such as the movie “ Thirteen”, is that teenage girls think it is ok to do all of those rebellious things like shoplift and underage drink etc, because if its being represented in the media like that, to them it seems like the norm. This is a negative thing because real life is not a movie, there is no rewind buttons, and sometimes doing something rebellious just to have a supposedly ‘ rite of passage’  experience may not be worth the consequences that come with it.

Mean Girls?

In the 2004 film “Mean Girls”, directed by Mark Waters, the main focus is teenage girls and what happens when many different ‘types’ are thrown together into one common environment (aka high school).

The way the director effectively portrays this and creates a dramatic setting in the movie with entertaining characters, is by portraying all of the teenage girls in the movie as really general stereotypes of teenage girls, putting them into certain boxes and stereotypes in the way they dress, talk and act, so that they are easier to identify with as being that stereotype, eg a ‘popular’ or a ‘nerd’.

A scene in with this representation of teenage girls is most evident is when Cady (played by Lindsay Lohan) first arrives at the High School and her new friend Janice gives her the basic outline of how the students are grouped together via a map to where everyone sits in the cafeteria.

"You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity jocks Unfriendly black hotties, Girls who eat their feelings, Girls who don't eat anything, Desperate wannabes, Burnouts, Sexually active band geeks, the greatest people you will ever meet, and the worst. Beware of plastics."

These groups each show their collective stereotypical personas very clearly through their actions and costuming choices by the directors. For example, as Janice says “Girls who eat their feelings” the obviously, ‘unpopular’ group is shown onscreen, all looking really delighted over the burgers they are eating. They all are wearing unfashionable, unflattering clothes, are relatively unattractive, overweight, wither greasy, unstyled hair and what looks like no makeup at all. Then, the Plastics (aka the popular girls) , are all stunningly beautiful, sitting there nibbling at their lunches with snobby expressions. Each one is costumed extremely similarly to be in stylish, semi-revealing clothes with impeccable hair and makeup.

This representation isn’t very realistic at all as it stereotypes teenage girls to fall neatly into one social category, displaying all traits of this stereotype very clearly when in reality, even if they are stereotyped into a certain group, girls still usually display certain qualities that other group members may not possess. This is what makes them an individual!

This kind of representation of girls in the media can be blamed for the social attitude of teenage girls themselves. When they see this kind of portrayal, it is easier for them too to stereotype other girls like this as well; judging them and classifying them into certain groups just because they display some qualities of the stereotype. Once girls are identified as a certain stereotype, it makes it hard for them to break out of it and show individuality and embrace their own uniqueness.

When Sexiness Stops Being Sexy

In our society today, young girls are blessed with the free will to dress as they choose; but are they really that free in the decisions they make regarding their appearance? With all of the role models around the age of 17 - 23 being splashed across the media in trashy outfits and 10 inches of make up on their face, teenage girls really have no choice but to dress in this wildly inappropriate manner in order to fit in.

The opinion piece "When Sexiness Stops Being Sexy" , written by Paula Joye for the Sunday Morning Herald, discusses how the way older teenage girls begin to dress as they come out of high school is becoming progressively trashier, due to the influx of role models thrust upon them who dress like ' soft porn barbie dolls', such as the women on the TV show " Jersey Shore".

Paula talks about seeing a group of women hobbling down the street one night, the way she describes them, they were dressed in basically matching bandage tight dresses, heels, and fake nails and their tacky hair and smeary make up sounding like it looked like it was styled straight from a ' How to look like a hungover prostitute' make up tutorial.

" These outfits were aggressively suggestive and sexual. There was no nuance, mystery or prettiness. From a distance they looked like a low-budget video shoot and up close it looked like they were open for business - business of the wrong kind. "

 The way teenage girls are represented in this article is actually disturbingly realistic. Today, girls do seem to respect themselves less and less through the way they dress when going out to parties. It sends the message to people who seem them in public that they're skanky and easy! When in reality, this way in which they dress isn't initially intended to send this message out about who they are, girls just start dressing like this because they see their friends doing it and they want to fit in.

 The consequences of girls representing themselves in this way goes far beyond being perceived by the general public as 'skanky' and 'trashy', but it sends this message to guys of about the same age that they are this way too; even though they may not actually be and are just dressing like this for the sake of conforming. If guys see teenage girls dressing in this way, in a way that is flashing so much skin and barely leaving anything to the imagination, it is obvious to them that they don't respect themselves enough to maintain their dignity; and if these girls don't respect themselves, why should they respect them? The outcome of this perception from teenage boys on these girls, is that they cannot possibly build healthy relationships with guys when they are dressing like this, as they guys will not be able to look past the fact that they're flashing most of their boobs over town and portraying themselves as copy-cats of the 'sex symbols' on shows like Jersey Shore, which means that all the guys are going to end up wanting from the girls is just that: sex.

All in all, when girls are represented in the media in this way: trashy, fake and slutty, it kickstarts a negative trend in the fashion choices of young girls in real life society, one that can be dangerous for teenage girls copying it because it causes them to portray themselves to everyone around them in a way that is possibly not true to who they actually are.





The Pressure To Be Perfect; Role Models For Girls Today

In a recent interview with Daybreak, pop icon Demi Lovato opens up about her struggles with eating disorders and the depression that sprung from it, and how it was a result of pressure of the media and entertainment that was telling her that to be perfect and successful she had to be thin and flawless.

She goes on and discusses how this is not a problem individual to her and that many girls feel this pressure from the media:

”I feel as if television and movies are now glorifying an unhealthy body image which puts a lot of pressure on young girls – and especially girls that are growing up and trying to find themselves. A lot of girls who are young are insecure, and they look to the media and what they see in magazines and everything else to see what they should look like. And I think that the film industry and the television industry should take more responsibility.”

 Demi has an excellent point. The way that Demi represents teenage girls in this interview is that they can be victimised through the media's portrayal of how young women today should be. The main way that Demi refers to teenage girls being pressurised by the media, is through the way a 'perfect' female body should be, such as in images in advertisements and magazines. As you can see above in the image from a Victorias Secret Angels Underwear photo shoot, all of the models are not only covered in make up with perfect hair, but also all have perfect, thin figures and impressive features.

 These models are then referred to as 'Victoria's Secret Angels' in the ad campaign, sending out the message to everyone that they are heavenly, they are PERFECTION.

This reference of these models being 'angels' tells impressionable teenage girls viewing the ad that, as this is what a perfect woman looks like, this is what they should strive to look like too, because nobody wants to be anything less than perfect, especially not teenage girls who already are generally pretty insecure about their bodies to begin with.

The sad thing about the message of perfection that girls receive from these 'angels' is that it is realistically almost totally unachievable to the average girl. The models are all paid to do crazy exercise routines for long periods of time each day with their personal trainers, eat small amounts of expensive, low calorie foods and are not allowed to engage in activities that could scar, bruise or flaw them in any way while they are in the spotlight. In general, these models that girls are meant to aspire to look like live lives that revolve around keeping their bodies in pristine condition, something that realistically, no average girl can afford or do all the time as well as living a balanced and enjoyable lifestyle!

On top of all of this, in basically all photoshoots these models are in, the images are dramatically modified, fixing every tiny imperfection on their faces, every spot of cellulite left over even after the insane diet and exercises, and enhancing their features to even more perfection than they are blessed with genetically!

The reason for these models needing to be represented as appearing so flawless is so that Victoria's Secret will sell more of their product, as showing the lingerie on a flawless model is sending the subliminal message to their potential customers that in wearing their underwear, they will become equally as sexy as the models. This ploy works initially, but once young women realise that this isn't the magic way to become as perfect as an Angel, it can cause even bigger consequences than them just not being happy with the lingerie they've purchased; it can cause them to be unhappy with themselves.

So what is the result of all of this portrayal of young girls for the average teenage girls of today?  When this level of  female 'perfection' that the Angels (and in fact, most models seen today) represent cannot be achieved by the average teenage girl, it can be incredibly disheartening and creates the feeling that they simply aren't good enough. The strive for a level of perfection physically can lead to an obsession for teenage girls, in the form of eating disorders, depression and even in extreme cases, girls wanting to get breast implants or plastic surgery to enhance their features to perfection.

You Know You Love Me... xoxo

The It-Girl

Serena van Der Woodsen is a main character in the series Gossip Girl, often being described as 'the It Girl' of Upper East side New York. She's rich, she's blonde, she's gorgeous, she's got the figure of a supermodel and to top it all off, she's smart and a total sweetheart!

Equally pretty on the inside AND the outside!? Sounds too good to be true, right? Exactly. This golden girl has a past...

In the first part of Gossip Girl's Pilot, it's established that Serena has returned from her boarding school, but the reason why? No one knows. Another mystery is why she left in the first place, a little detail that not even her bff Blair Waldorf was informed of, since one day she just " came over to your [Serena's] house and you were gone! No goodbye, nothing."

What we do know however, is that S used to be kind of a bad girl. Flashbacks show us of her crazy partying antics; she even slept with Blair's boyfriend, Nate, at a wedding just before leaving for boarding school! Uh oh! Maybe this is the reason she left.... The audience isn't told yet but they sure are left wondering.

But S insists she's trying to change her ways and become " a better person"  now that she's back in town.

We'll see about that....


The S and B showdown..

In the pilot, a scene packed with tension is when Serena and Blair have a passive agressive power struggle on the steps of the Met during school lunch break. Despite being totally gossip-worthy, it was also a great oppurtunty for the director to show a lot about Serena's character.

To start with, she's been dressed in a cute, preppy blazer and shirt which is the epitome of a ' good girl' image. But she's paired it with a skirt that barely covers her underwear. This basically symbolises the fact that Serena is TRYING to change her ways and become a goody-two-shoes... and she's starting with a classy little blazer. But he also shows her inner conflict between the two identidies she has and how she hasn't fully changed from her bad girl ways just yet by having her in a skirt that shows off her long legs (and she's not even wearing tights).

The snappy dialogue between S and Blair shows the power struggle that they're retreating back into now that Serena is back; Blair has become the queen bee since Serena left, does Serena really think she can waltz back into town and reclaim her title? Apparently so as she basically commands Blair to meet her for a drink that night, despite B already having plans with Nate. Serena's passive-assertive way of demanding what she wants shows that she expects Blair to go back to being second in command. Her body language is confident, never wavering despite Blair's cold responses; the girls stare each other down until Blair eventually gives in .  This shows that despite Serena's sweet, polite and modest exterior, she simeltainiously rates herself highly on a social scale and expects to get what she wants from her friends.

Typical, typical, typical...

Despite the fact that Serena VanderWoodsen is hardly a typical teenager in looks or wealth (if only we all looked like that...), her actions and issues are basically a representation of a usual teenage girl in the media. Serena's inner angst ("who am I?" "Who should I be???") is representative of how the media portrays all teenage girls to be hormonal and angsty in so many tv shows and movies, how they always throw temper tantrums and have a never ending circle of emotional issues.

Teenage girls are often represented as ' bitchy' , how many times have we seen ' cat fights' on television between girls (Jersey Shore  anyone??)? Too many times. Serena portrays this aspect of a  typical teenager in her showdown with Blair, the subtle, passive agressive nastiness is all too common amongst girls of this age, something that the media uses as a source of drama time and time again.

The female teen obsession with popularity and social climbling is also evident in this scene between B and S, something that 99% of the time is a huge theme in the media portrayal of teenage girls in movies such as Mean Girls, as is the unstable and usually unsincere nature of teenage girl friendships.



But then maybe not so typical...

Although in Gossip Girl, aspects of the girls are quite typical of teenage girls, there are other aspects that are very out of the ordinary. While the girls are heavily portrayed as being superficial and bitchy, their good traits are underplayed a lot. Where is the mention of their intelligence? Their talents? Their hobbies (other than partying, shopping and plotting against friends)? Their aspirations and values? Why are these not mentioned as major part of the show's plotline and character make-up of the characters?

Simple: thats not interesting. Anyone can go out into our local society and find a girl who has good traits and bad in equal proportion, with a good brain and unique talents. Audiences want a scandalous character that is out of the ordinary and who's traits are extreme and not usual. Serena is a smart girl, with a good sense of style and although she has  a nasty side sometimes, she deep down has good family values and wants to be a good person. However the general description of Serena is always of her being "an It-Girl" with a dark past who knows how to reel all the boys in. The director overplays these interesting aspects of S because its more appealing to audiences that heavily portraying the aspects of her that make her more relatable; I mean really, who wants to watch someone onscreen who is naturalistic? We might as well just walk down to the mall.

Serena represents a typical, perfect teenage girl in the media but she is not realistically a typical girl in true society. Realistically, we are not all completely focussed on social climbing and our issues aren't " oh no, which insanely sexy guy should I date this week?". Despite being scandalous to the max, Serena's life is actually a lot more clear cut and simple than the life of a typical teenage girl today. Serena's day consists of getting up, looking perfect, going to school (although this is rarely a part of the show), gossiping and engaging in various glamourous outings. For girls today, we have to deal with getting up, dealing with body image issues and not liking the way we look, going to school, wanting to do well but trying to find a balance between studying and a social life. We play sport, have hobbies and interests, part time jobs (not every family has millions like the VanDerwoodsen's), fights with friends and families, social networking (not on blogs that obsessively track our every move like gossip girl, we generally stick to facebook) and then we fall into bed and begin the cycle again.

 Real life for teenage girls today is so much more complicated and difficult, but when we see girls like Serena portrayed on tv shows as supposedly ' typical' , it makes real girls feel like our lives should be like that, all parties, beauty and a sky-high social status. It makes us strive to be like Serena so we are typical too and don't fail at being a teenage girl in our lives.