How Self-Help Articles Hurt
Media and culture engage in a constant reciprocal dialogue. One creates while also being fed by the other. In this way, acknowledging the messages of the media can slowly begin to change small elements of culture and catalyze the cyclical process to promote more widespread change. A change in culture will ultimately promote a change in media, which will promote more change in culture. By analyzing a recent Glamour article, cause for this kind of change becomes clear. In Enlightened Sexism, Susan Douglas (2010) outlines how culture and media project contradictory messages and use one to justify the other. For Douglas this manifests as the contradiction of embedded feminism with reemerging sexism. The Glamour article engages in a similar system. The magazine perpetuates poor self-esteem by featuring models such as Brooklyn Decker and then tries to justify this with articles that promote positive self-esteem. This behavior is not confined to the abstract realm of media; instead these same patterns begin to permeate into intimate aspects of personal life.
[link to the article I reference: http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2011/02/shocking-body-image-news-97-percent-of-women-will-be-cruel-to-their-bodies-today?currentPage=1]
A recent Glamour article’s headline reads “Shocking Body-Image News: 97% of Women Will Be Cruel to Their Bodies Today”. This article can be found in the Health section of the magazine. It demonstrates a study done where they asked women to write down negative thoughts they had throughout the day (Driesbach, 2011). From a scientific perspective, this already seems a little sketchy since the task itself could feasibly influence the frequency of negative thoughts. However, that point aside, the article reveals that women have issues with their body image. Shocker. Glamour attempts to address the underlying reasons for this and then to address practical issues. It fails miserably.
Glamour argues that often women’s negative, self-deprecating thoughts come from deeper issues then just dissatisfaction with their bodies. The article explains that body hate can stem from other sources like, “[Your] boss or boyfriend…[or] because you don’t think your professional ideas are being valued” (Dreisbach, 2011, p. 1). This is valid. But, it still addresses symptoms rather than the cause – insecurity. Insecurity, when used as a general term, refers to confused, unstable, and negative conceptions of one’s identity. It translates that this would extend to other aspects of identity beyond the body. It is no surprise that the participants in their study who reported the highest frequency of negative thoughts also reported being “Unsatisfied with their career or relationship” (Dreisbach, 2011, p. 1). So where is this insecurity coming from? Insecurity maps onto boyfriends, jobs, bosses, and bodies; these things are not the source of it. Since media represents such a pervasive element of our experience, it is implicated contributing to poor self-esteem.
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| Nude model in the body image article |
Glamour points to the role media plays by teaching young girls that beauty matters, what it lookslike, and that they do not measure up (Dreisbach, 2011). The article explains that the media bombards girls with these unobtainable ideals, but then completely ignores its own role. The very same article displays a made-up, presumably airbrushed, nude model.But she’s a “plus size” model so we are supposed to think that they are championing for diverse expression of beauty.This attempt falls flat. She is beautiful but in a conventional curvy, tan, smooth way with well-defined features and flawless hair. That isn’t real – as in possessed by most of the population – beauty. Furthermore, her proportions appear to be of a healthy weight, but even still to many women she appears to be comparatively very thin, and yet she is labeled as “plus-size.” What does that make the viewer who is a bigger size then her? Plus-plus size? That is not very reassuring. This image contributes to the “[U]nattainable cultural beauty ideals” (Dreisbach, 2011, p. 1) the very same article later mentions. Other aspects of the magazine more directly highlight such ideals.
Brooklyn Decker, Sports Illustrated model extraordinaire, was featured on Glamour’s June 2010 cover (“Cover Shoot”, 2010). Sports Illustrated endears itself to its primarily male readers – or viewers - every year by providing a full edition completely devoted to women and their bodies. But as Susan Douglas explains in her book Enlightened Sexism (2010), such displays often subvert the goals of feminism rather then celebrate them. Women’s sexuality is acknowledged but only in its context to male pleasure. Women are images, nothing more. In an interview with Decker, Glamour asked her what she liked about her debut into film via Just Go With It; Decker responds, “Its fun – I get to talk!” (“Cover Shoot”, 2010, p. 1). Her role at Sports Illustrated does not require talking because it relies solely on what she can provide while remaining silent – as an image. Glamour champions this reduction of women to a flat representation by featuring women like Brooklyn Decker in the context of achieving the ideal image being their only accomplishment. Glamour then asks, why do women self-deprecate? I fear that this irony may be lost on the readers.
[link to article about Brooklyn Decker: http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2010/05/every-body-is-a-hot-body-crystal-renn-brooklyn-decker-and-alessandra-ambrosio-model-the-seasons-hottest-swimsuits ]
This contradiction deepens by looking at other aspects of the magazine. With headings like Home, Fashion, Beauty, Sex Love & Life, Weddings, Health and Fitness, Shopping, and Horoscopes (Dreisbach, 2011) the magazine becomes reminiscent of some of the themes in What Women Want and Clueless that Susan Douglas discusses in Enlightened Sexism (2010). Both of these films represent elements of feminism by giving voice to women. Unfortunately, this voice articulates an unrealistic portrayal of what concerns women. It focuses on shopping, relationships, and insecurities. Glamour shows these same trends in their headlines. As a women’s magazine, it perpetuates the idea that these are the only things women care about. I find myself echoing Susan Douglas and asking, where are the politics? the social issues? why are all of women’s concerns portrayed as being about pleasing and accommodating men? Glamour attacks and diminishes women’s identities and then postulates concern for female insecurity and psychological health.
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| Image of Brooklyn Decker being passed around. |
This contradiction bleeds from media to permeate our culture on a day-to-day level of interaction. The other morning sitting in Frank Dining Hall, a group of my male friends began to talk about Brooklyn Decker. Previously, I had not been exposed to her. They compared her to other celebrity models by passing around images on their Internet phones. Was I offended? No. But, I realized that maybe I should have been. They paraded before my eyes images of the ideal woman – silent, tan, sculpted and in a bikini – with a complete disregard for my own position as a woman. In retrospect, this encounter makes me sad. Not because I felt inadequate but because of what it reveals about acceptable behavior. As my friends, I know that none of these men would ever tell me that I did not measure up. I am confident that they would encourage me to further a positive self-esteem. Yet through this, they operate under the same version of enlightened sexism that Glamour does. They project two contradictory messages and allow one to justify the other.Susan Douglas’ concept of enlightened sexism sheds light onto another dimension on what articles like the one in Glamour mean on a grander scale. Enlightened sexism manifests when society – as comprised of individuals – thinks that feminism’s work is done, that women have gained equality, and that as a result sexist behaviors of the past are no longer harmful or oppressive. It cites the success of feminism in defense to its sexist attitudes. In a similar way, media presents images like that of Brooklyn Decker and thereby champions the sexist reduction of women; this creates the unobtainable media image, which influences self-esteem. Media gets away with this by presenting feel good articles like Glamour’s “Shocking Body Image News” which professes to build positive self-esteems. Perusing through the website, the archaic reduction of women’s desires to sex, relationships, shopping etc. clashes with the attempt to help women gain confidence. Enlightened sexism manifests even in these efforts to help women. By being critical of the world around us, we can begin the slow process of changing our culture.
References
"Cover Shoot Photo Gallery: Crystal Renn, Brooklyn Decker and Alessandra Ambrosio:
Fashion: Glamour.com." Glamour Magazine: Fashion, Beauty, Hair, Makeup, Diet, Health, Sex Advice, Dating, Engagement Rings, Weddings, Wedding Dresses: Glamour.com. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2010/05/cover-shoot-photo-gallery-crystal-renn-brooklyn-decker-and-alessandra-ambrosio#slide=1>.
Work is Done. New York, NY: Times Books Henry Holt and Company.
Dreisbach, Shaun. "Shocking Body-Image News: 97% of Women Will Be Cruel to Their
Bodies Today." Glamour Magazine: Fashion, Beauty, Hair, Makeup, Diet, Health, Sex Advice, Dating, Engagement Rings, Weddings, Wedding Dresses: Glamour.com. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2011/02/shocking-body-image-news-97-percent-of-women-will-be-cruel-to-their-bodies-today>.
Glamour Magazine: Fashion, Beauty, Hair, Makeup, Diet, Health, Sex Advice, Dating,
Engagement Rings, Weddings, Wedding Dresses: Glamour.com. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <http://www.glamour.com/>.
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