Are You Beach Body Ready?

It is proven that models nowadays weigh 23% less than the average woman.Girls believe that to have the ideal body, you need to be toned and slim, wheres for guys being muscular is the definition of perfection. The problem starts to become much severe , when it ultimately leads to serious habits such as eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and in most cases, suicidal attempts.

Comparing and contrasting the two songs “Pretty hurts” by Beyoncé and “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera has its similarities and differences, along with different perspectives of the audiences. With different tones, moods, and purposes these songs have a huge impact on society for defining the word “Beauty.”

Laine Sterbenz, a student from the University of Kentucky and popular blogger on Odyssey, concludes that skinny models give girls and women motivation to live healthier lifestyles in a way no other body type could. In her post, she argues that models have that skinny body that is desired by every girl, the ideal to work to attain. She then continues into saying that if overweight models were to be used, or even average sized ones, then women wouldn’t actually have the motivation to want to eat better and live a healthier life, because they would already be satisfied with how they look. While Sterbenz brings up valid points, she weakens the argument by contradicting her own statements, and unwittingly promoting unhealthy eating habits and

This is particularly apparent with the effects of advertising media. Bordo points out that “miracle diet pills and videos promising to turn our body parts into steel have become as commonplace as aspirin ads,” (par.1) which influences an idea of the kind of body one should aim to achieve. Additionally, it presents the notion that, with such products, reaching one’s weight goal will come with more ease. It gives an incentive and makes people accustomed to the belief that losing weight is necessary. By exhibiting this pattern and concept that advertising media is inducing, Bordo gives insight as to why there is an influx in the desire to lose weight and to achieve it by any means necessary. She also suggests that the “ideal of the body beautiful has largely come from fashion designers and models” (par 2).With the exaltation and emphasis on the gratifying physique of a woman’s body, many young women find themselves corresponding to the ideals the fashion industry places on both its fashion and models. Remarkably enough, Borodo conveys that, not only are females following in the fashion industries’ steps, men are falling underway as well as “more ads featuring anorexic-looking young men are appearing too” (par.2). In presenting the fashion industry for what it represents and influences, Bordo effectively reveals a fellow cause of

The Fashion Industry is affecting the way many people look at themselves. In today’s society there is always an ad promoting fast food, clothing brands, Cars. Etc. almost all of them have a model to promote their products. These fashion models are usually, extremely thin, tan, tall, and gorgeous. This set a negative standard for many women on what they should look like and can often cause to self-esteem issues. The Media is having a negative effect on body image by choosing to settle toward an unrealistic persona. In Addition, this has created many young girls, to have eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and fasting. However, some businesses have started gravitating toward plus size models to stop the affects it has on society. Plus, also many companies are limiting the amount of photo shopping and airbrushing. The issues are far from being resolved but numerous people are working toward making a change.

More people feel insecure about themselves because society expects them to look like a model. Especially teenagers are targeted in an early age that if the teens are thin and pretty then they will become successful and happy in life like the models in the magazines. If only they knew that models are not so happy as they seem. The fashion industry obsession with thinness leaves the models a high risk of developing anorexia (Hawkes).“Not everything in life is what it seems.” The media is one of the factors that affect how people see themselves (Diantgikis). One advertisement can change the whole self-esteem of one person. The promotion of the thin ideal causes people to have a bringe environment (Hawkes). Many people are dying because they want to have the “perfect” body. Small sizes are preferred better than larger ones. The size zero obsession causes women to undergo eating habits to lose weight (Hawkes). This causes an effect on the health of the person.

In order to please her man, she is willing to do anything. As a result, she expects to get the things she wants. However, throughout the song she gives some clues that allow people to have an idea about her inner struggles. For example, she is self-conscious about her weight, she does not have a good relationship with other women, and she feels the need to use sex as her weapon to gain, material wealth and power over men. This song is congruent with Morgan’s opinion that women are denied access to power and are suffering for it. It also give people an idea, why men are referring to women as bitches.

This is an inspirational song for an average teenage girl, but as I pointed out there were some contradictions to the lyrics and the meaning. They may want to see themselves as beautiful in every way possible, but the world is a puzzle and there is a piece that is gone because of what has become socially acceptable.

The women are shown as satisfied just by dancing next to touchy and feely men. The lyrics send out the message that all women appear to be easy and lured by wealth/a good time, even though this does not represent all women. The lyrics also standardize men and make it okay for them to play around. It makes me consider how society emphasizes the fact that men are not powerful enough unless they are getting girls and making money. In a way, the lyrics open up the discussion on how the media normalizes unhealthy perceptions about gender roles and relationships.

In movies, one always sees the thin women living great lives and looking happy. In contrast, there are the not so thin women who seem to struggle and be unhappy. This has shaped the moral of women today. Women are beginning to feel ashamed and discouraged of their bodies if they do not look like the next Victoria Secret model. According to society, thinness is associated with being happy. So if one wants to be happy and accepted by society, they must be no larger than a size four, and that might be pushing it, this is the world we are beginning to live in. The pressure is not just on women, but men too. For men, their ideal body is a little different compared to women. To be viewed as having a perfect body for a male, they need to be extremely muscular with ripped abs and defined muscles. “… a man takes off his shirt and you see a low percentage of body fat, rippling biceps, and 6-pack abs. That’s the

In this hip-hop hit, Beyonce goes off of a speech by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie made at a Ted Talk 2 years ago. Throughout the song her lyrics reflect that of a woman in power.There are several different interpretations to this iconic song, one being that it is about the feminist movement that has swept swiftly through all continents of the world. Another interpretation is that this song signifies the confidence or lack thereof in the teen girls around the world. while some might say that it’s just about Beyonce talking about how flawless she is and that everyone should bow down to her.

The lyrics from this part of the song also relate to people who are feminists or what Conley writes as “a consciousness raising movement to get people to understand that gender is an organizing principle of life. The underlying belief that women and men should be accorded equal opportunities and respect.” However, everything in this song says that it is easier to be a boy because in a relationship it is easier for them to not care. In turn the song is demeaning the feminists in the world who want to have equal rights or opportunities. Along with those who believe you can put yourself first or make their own rules even if it's not what society deems as an actual rule to fit in. We don’t have to be under men in society, but we can’t just assume that we know everything about boys. Especially for a song that follows the societal norms of what a boy should do in a relationship. We have to see that yes boys tend to do this, but it doesn’t mean you could be any better if you were suddenly that

The entirety of the song “Pretty Hurts” is an attack on the negative body image, showing how Beyoncé Knowles feels that the media is giving a strong impression to women and girls telling them to change themselves. Beyoncé Knowles has long been a face of feminism. As one of the most famous and powerful women in the world, she has used her fame to boost awareness about issues she feels passionately about. One of the issues she is most known for is her stance on women’s rights, and a prime example of her using her music to get a message across can be seen in the song “Pretty Hurts”. Within the first few seconds of the song’s accompanying music video we images of women with curlers in their hair, sucking in their stomachs, and tugging the skin off their bones in obvious frustration with their bodies.

By juxtaposing feminine makeup and nudity, with stereotypically male clothing, haircut she allowed people to subconsciously re-associate these ideas. Re-associating things such as short haircuts not only being for men in and of itself is a large shift in ideals. It used to be abnormal, and seen as possibly rebellious. In the four years since the video was released and such an idolized figure transitioned from the typical long blonde hair to a very short pixie cut, it has become much more widely accepted and even praised for women to have said “boy cuts”. In addition it has become normalized and popular for women to wear oversized and/or men’s clothing, which was not the case just a few years ago. She also presents the image of her in control of a wrecking ball, destructive, giant and unforgiving. The idea of a woman being completely in control of something such as this is and unusual one. While challenging these stereotypes about

Analyzing the word, "beautiful" in this stanza, one should perceive that she is not actually singing about the outside of her, but what she consists of emotionally and mentally on the inside. She reveals that her thoughts and emotions are of worth and value and they are of her opinion. They are consumed through her, and no one else and if anyone disagrees, she does not take that into affect. Her diction is actually pretty precise. To quote a famous cliché, beauty is not skin deep. She explains that the beauty is the sentiment.