CONCERNS REGARDING THE PRESENTATION OF IDEALIZED FEMALE BEAUTY IN VISUAL ADVERTISEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35120/Keywords:
advertisements, dissatisfaction, internalization, photoshopping, body positivityAbstract
Beauty is most commonly comprehended as something pleasurable to see and feel, an aesthetic quality that comforts our senses. Women in visual advertisements are usually objectified and valued based on their sex appeal and overall physical attractiveness. The purpose of this review paper is to identify and discuss societal concerns regarding idealized female beauty depiction in advertisements in popular visual media, such as fashion magazines, television, and Instagram. Since these issues can occur with women of different age, we found it useful to consider the relationship between the exposure to idealized female presentation in ads and issues such as self-esteem and body satisfaction with women from three different adult generations: Gen X, as an older, midlife cohort; Millennials; and Gen Z as a younger age cohort. Throughout their lifetime, women from all three cohorts have been exposed to at least one form of dominant visual media advertisements, displaying how a beautiful woman should look. The focus of this paper considers the Westernized model of female body depiction, because the Westernized depiction is the most globally accessible, as well as the factors contributing to the process of internalization of the thin beauty ideal. After being exposed to idealized beauty presentations, particularly in fashion magazines and Instagram, women in all three cohorts experience numerous effects, such as becoming dissatisfied with their body; pursuing the perfect look presented in usually airbrushed images; and the possible development of unhealthy lifestyles. A question that arises considers the tension between the motivational aspect of the visual messages reflected in idealized, often photoshopped imagery of women in ads, and discouraging unrealistic representations of women’s appearance that take beauty standards to an extreme and can distort female self-image. The body positivity movement has been inspirational for Millennials and Gen Z women. The challenge for advertisers regarding Gen X women should include becoming more age-positive.
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