In my English class this past semester I wrote an observation essay on a YouTube video called, “Evolution”. I really wanted to put this on here though because I think the content is very relevent in our society today & wanted to share my thoughts on it. I'd love feedback about the topic or about whether or not people enjoyed reading it! Thanks everyone :)
So, this Evolution [link is at the bottom of the page too, if you want to watch it!] clip is a profound commercial that the cosmetic company “Dove” put out. The video is conveying how the make-up industry portrays beauty as being flawless and unblemished. I believe that this false perception that has been created has had a very negative effect on our culture as a whole and on specific individuals' lives. At the very end of the 1 minute and 15 second clip on YouTube, these words come up on the screen, "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted." Through this observation I hope to communicate how strongly advertising, specifically in this industry, has affected the lives of men and women in our culture and society.
At the very beginning of the clip, you see a woman enter the screen from the left in a plain white tank top and she is being escorted by a woman in a brown dress, most likely one of the make-up artists. The camera closes in on her face, and you see an average woman. She is not unattractive, just ordinary. Her hair looks a little too flat, she's not exactly stick thin, and she doesn't have any make up on. Overall though, she is pretty. Then it begins; the clip starts to play in fast forward mode as the make-up artists and hair stylists rush to get her face picture perfect for the photo shoot. They tweeze her eye brows, apply a load of make-up, and do up her hair so that it looks perfect and even put fake eye lashes on her. The end result is very pretty. Suddenly the photo shoot begins and they take several beautiful shots. Then as if all of the work they had put into her face just moments ago wasn't enough; the screen takes you to a computer editing program where they begin digitally enhancing the picture they decided will go on the add.
Her face is thinned out, compliments of Adobe Photoshop [or whatever editing program they used], her lips are made to appear fuller, they edit the placement of her eyes, and they also enlarge her eyes so that they are more catching. They slightly “fix” the placement of her ear lobes along with elongating and thinning out her neck to have the appearance of a perfect person. The end result is a woman who is gorgeous- yet fake. I imagine if you saw the model they used for the premise of that picture walk by that billboard where "her" picture was displayed, odds are you may not even know that it was the same woman walking by you.
Nearing the end of the clip two young girls walk past the billboard and look up at it. This may not seem like a big deal but if you look closely at those girls you will see a few things about them. First of all, they appear to be somewhat young I'd say no older than 10th grade, a very influential age. Secondly, they both appear to be thin girls themselves, perhaps as a result of what society has infiltrated their minds with in regards to how they "should" look. Lastly, since I'm a woman, I know what goes on in girls’ minds and I can imagine the thoughts these two have as they look up at that massive, flawless advertisement. They're thinking how perfect and beautiful that woman looks. How impeccable her thin and attractive face is; and how piercing her light blue eyes appear. Odds are they're also comparing themselves to that woman, thinking that they wish they were as beautiful as her. Even though it is but a brief moment in which they encounter this specific advertisement, the thought process may go on in their minds for the entire day. Not to mention all the other places those two girls may go that day or what magazines they will look at, all having the same theory of "flawless beauty" being thrown at them from every direction. While everything they’re seeing and hearing from these sources are all lies.
Looking at this from a different perspective we can see how this has affected the male gender as well. While the women are encouraged to become thin, somewhat emaciated creatures, the men are bombarded with the opposite approach to look built and “ripped”. Their magazines are filled with men who are most likely in the three percentile of anyone who looks like them and most likely just as digitally enhanced as our first specimen. They’re under just as much pressure from society as the women are. There is a poster right in this school that says that more men in my age group suffer from eating disorders than women. It’s not just affecting females.
I feel this entire matter alone has become one of the biggest flaws in American culture and society in this day and age. Hollywood, People Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and other forms of media and advertising have begun dictating to all generations how we should look, and even act if we want to be accepted and seen as beautiful or attractive. In my opinion this false perception has been widely accepted, especially by the younger generation. They have embraced the shallow judgment that they're not beautiful or handsome unless they're thin, or in astounding shape looking like an “American Eagle”, “Hollister” or “Abercrombie” model. They’re being told they’re not accepted if they’re not wearing the "in style" clothing, or applying their make-up the same way their favorite actress does, or guys mimicking the trends of their favorite actors or sports idols.
The real tragedy in all of this though is that all these young men and women are living life day in and day out, wearing themselves out to attain this standard that's not even real. Now as a result we're seeing so many young people caught up in eating disorders, getting plastic surgery to make their bodies look like these pictures, and basically selling their souls in attempt to keep up with what our culture is telling them is “popular today”. However in reality I think it is destroying the self-esteems of my generation and causing a generalized feeling of dissatisfaction with their lives because they are constantly chasing after this standard that is virtually impossible to attain.
When I think of people I have known and still do know I can see the difference between the ones who have been sculpted by this type of advertising, and the ones who never took the time to pay attention to that kind of thing. There is a different kind of confidence that exudes from individuals who have not spent their entire lives comparing themselves to the "Hollywood" standard, or striving to live up to the flawless models that are thrust in their faces day after day. People who have lived in that shadow are worn out and seem to always be grasping for this impossible goal, they strive to be popular and accepted based off of the wrong values and just end up being discouraged because the very thing that they're trying to attain is not even real.
As I've observed all types of individuals, I have come to the conclusion that these types of thought processes and marketing schemes need to be revealed for what they are. People need to know that they've put themselves up against a giant that is unable to be defeated unless they’re willing to go to extreme measures to live up to it. I honestly do not think anybody truly wants to live that way. I think that most human beings just wish to be accepted for who they are, all make-up and body fat indexes aside. I also think that most men and women don't want to be compared to this image of perfection and flawless beauty that our society esteems so highly. When people focus on the internal wellbeing of their person instead of focusing all of their time on the external, they'd see that their lives are slowly becoming much less like a beauty pageant, and much more like a meaningful existence that is not so self-centered and shallow. I don't mean to sound harsh in all of this either, because I don't really think most people mean to become so absorbed in their hair, face and body being perfect, but the influence that they've been surrounded with and infiltrated by since a very young age, suggests that it is a normal fixation to fill your life with doing such things. As such, that mindset has been accepted as normal conduct in our nation. I just hope that people can one day see through all of that and realize that we were meant to live for so much more.
In conclusion, as I watched this "Dove" campaign commercial that they produced for the exact reasons I've been discussing, I think what I observed so deeply was human nature, and how easily we evolve as a society. I also think I saw very clearly the strategy that the marketing companies, Hollywood and other ad agencies use to lure people in so they can make money. Granted, everyone has to make a living, but it just seems sad to do it at the expense of another person’s internal and external wellbeing. I believe that this false perception that has been created has had a very negative effect on our culture as a whole and on specific individuals' lives. At the very end of that 1 minute 15 second clip I think it rings very true to say, "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted." Through this observation I hope I have discerningly communicated how strongly advertising in the fashion, make-up and entertainment industries have affected the lives of men and women in our culture and society.
Watch "Evolution"
