From: http://wealldraw.tumblr.com/post/42848072260/real-women-have-curves-real-sharks-disguise
This cartoon made me laugh out loud. Because, as we know,
everything dealing with sharks is super hilarious. I swear, just add in a shark
to something unexpected and it instantly becomes a major point of hilarity. This hasn't been statistically proven, so I think that I should probably write a grant to get that funded. Then all I would have to do is look at shark comics all day.
But the main reason I like this comic isn't for the shark, it is for the message. I am pretty sure I just phrased that in the lamest way possible, but it is true. Women are told they have to adhere to a specific image. And if they don't adhere to this image then there is something wrong with them, and more likely than not, it isn't them secretly being a shark.
This is the video that we watched in class. And what I enjoy about this movie is that it points out the severe disconnect about what women are supposed to look like according to the media and what women are actually able to look like. But most specifically, it points out how all these contrasting notions of a woman's beauty are largely created by men. Women aren't supposed to look good for themselves, they are supposed to look good for men. And if they can't achieve that naturally, well, then, they are going to have to buy it. Everything in the world comes back to money and the cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. That is billion, with a "b" in case you misread that. And if you think that you avoid that industry think again. I mean, I know that I probably spend greater than $200 a year on haircuts alone.
But you can see the harm of this ideal body image created by the media everyday. Or at least I see it everyday. Especially as spring break approaches. Most residents in my hall are stressing about their diet and their figures because they are going to the beach. They want to do Insanity three times a week. I get wanting to be fit and healthy, but things like Insanity or P90X are just crazy to me. Also, wanting your body to be perfect for the beach is just feeding into the power of the male gaze. You aren't really doing it for yourself (and if you are, that's awesome! but trust me, my residents aren't), and you certainly aren't doing it for your friends (and if you are, your friends blow, find some new ones because I know that my friends would never pressure me to change my body), which means you have to be doing it in order to be seen as sexually attractive. Like I mentioned, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but make sure you do it for you? Because if you always have to look your best for somebody to want you then what is the point? That is too much time, money, and effort spend in conforming yourself.
But the main reason I like this comic isn't for the shark, it is for the message. I am pretty sure I just phrased that in the lamest way possible, but it is true. Women are told they have to adhere to a specific image. And if they don't adhere to this image then there is something wrong with them, and more likely than not, it isn't them secretly being a shark.
This is the video that we watched in class. And what I enjoy about this movie is that it points out the severe disconnect about what women are supposed to look like according to the media and what women are actually able to look like. But most specifically, it points out how all these contrasting notions of a woman's beauty are largely created by men. Women aren't supposed to look good for themselves, they are supposed to look good for men. And if they can't achieve that naturally, well, then, they are going to have to buy it. Everything in the world comes back to money and the cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. That is billion, with a "b" in case you misread that. And if you think that you avoid that industry think again. I mean, I know that I probably spend greater than $200 a year on haircuts alone.
But you can see the harm of this ideal body image created by the media everyday. Or at least I see it everyday. Especially as spring break approaches. Most residents in my hall are stressing about their diet and their figures because they are going to the beach. They want to do Insanity three times a week. I get wanting to be fit and healthy, but things like Insanity or P90X are just crazy to me. Also, wanting your body to be perfect for the beach is just feeding into the power of the male gaze. You aren't really doing it for yourself (and if you are, that's awesome! but trust me, my residents aren't), and you certainly aren't doing it for your friends (and if you are, your friends blow, find some new ones because I know that my friends would never pressure me to change my body), which means you have to be doing it in order to be seen as sexually attractive. Like I mentioned, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but make sure you do it for you? Because if you always have to look your best for somebody to want you then what is the point? That is too much time, money, and effort spend in conforming yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment