Barbie

Does Barbie depict the 'perfect' woman? It can be argued that the Barbie doll represents the 'perfect' women, she is beautiful, skinny, great clothes e.t.c. I found an interesting online debate about whether Barbie dolls have a negative influence on young girls. One of the responses is below that I found the most intriguing.

‘Barbie dolls have a negative influence on young girls. From a young age girls are given their first Barbie doll and taught what "perfect" should be. Barbie portrays the perfect image and life. Not only is Barbie tall, skinny and beautiful, she has all the luxurious accessories to match her perfect life. To go along with her perfect life she is accompanied with the perfect boyfriend, family and dream house. At a young age girls are being influenced by this doll, what she should look like, and what kind of life she should lead. Young girls strive to achieve this look which is life threatening to obtain. Regardless of the changes they made to Barbie, she is still far from real. What many girls forget when comparing themselves to Barbie is that plastic can be moulded any which way, but people aren't plastic, and in transforming your body to become "plastic", fatal consequences are at risk.’ (Anon, 2010)

Throughout my project I would also like to look at how the media’s portrayal of women and what is seen as ‘beautiful’ can affect young girls when growing up. It can be said that young girls may be strongly influenced by what they read and see in the media because they are trying to find their own identity.  When growing up the media can have a significant impact on children, influencing them to think a certain way, ‘in children’s media, beauty is often associated with goodness, whereas ugliness is associated with badness’ (Doeschka and Engles, 2010, p.621).  It can be said that dolls such as Barbie can have in influence on young girls to how they should aspire to look like in the future, ‘Like children’s media, playing with toys is also part of the socialization process of children.  Fashion dolls might serve as role models for young girls. Playing with these dolls might provide girls with mental representations of what is expected of them later in life, with respect to their social skills as well as their body appearance’ (Doeschka and Engles, 2010, p.621-622).

Doeschka, J. and Engles, R. (2010) Sex Roles. The Effects of Playing with Thin Dolls on Body Image and Food Intake in Young Girls, Vol. 63, no 9-10.

Mac the makeup company used the theme Barbie to advertise their products which I thought was interesting.  The women in the photographs look extremely similar to the toy Barbie.  In my opinion it is representing that if you buy that makeup you may look like Barbie, the ‘ideal’ woman who is beautiful. These are the influences that I have been discussing, that one may see photographs of beautiful women and feel the need to change their appearance.

The link below it to a television advert for 'Derren Brown's: The Experiments'. Derren Brown is a magician and the advert stood out to me because all the people speaking have mouths like Ventriloquist puppets. At the end of the clip they all say in unison ‘Are we really in control of ourselves?’ which made me think of my project. This is because it made me think, are we in control of our identities? Or are they constructed for us by the media?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnV5PL228ug


It also links with a photographic shoot I am planning for next term. I am planning to have a girl on strings like a puppet being pulled in different directions to portray how women can feel. For example one may feel the need to change to fit into society to be seen as ‘beautiful’. Thefore changing their appearance by adapting their clothes to fashion trends, applying more make up or even plastic surgery.

I was also watching an American dating programme the other day called 'Tough Love' where women go to a matchmaker to set them up with men to try and find love. It was interesting because one of the women on the programme said how she felt the need to change herself to fit in, for example her appearance. She felt that if she changed herself and her appearance men would like her more.

An interesting journal I looked at was Marry Russon’s, ‘The female Grotesque: Risk, Excess and Modernity.’ A quote that stood out to me was, ‘the grotesque returns as the repressed of the political unconscious, as those hidden cultural contents which by their abjection had consolidated the cultural identity of the bourgeoisie’ (Russon, 1995, p.8-9). It can be said that to an audience we may not notice this dominant presences that the media has on an individual, but it is evident in everyday life shown through magazines, television and film. One can argue that political background and what is seen as acceptable in society at the time can define what is seen as ‘beautiful.’

Russon, Mary. (1995) Modernism/modernity. The Female Grotesque: Risk, Excess and Modernity, Vol. 2 no 3

Hans Bellmer Photography

Hans Bellmer’s photographs were taken after the 1st world war and before the 2nd world war.  It can be said that his photographs focus on women and their legs.  This could be because this is when prosthetic legs were first being used and his photographs can be seen as anti war contemporary art.  He depicts women and their legs in a vulgar and shocking way to his audiences.  There is no identity of the women in these photographs, as in many of the images there are no faces. The women are almost displayed as an object rather than a human being, their identity is lost.

Programmes such as ‘How to look good naked’ which is presented by the stylist Gok Wan gives makeovers to women struggling with confidence because of their appearance. A majority of the women are self conscious about their appearance and being in their own skin. Gok Wan changes their style to suit them and changes their physical appearance by makeup, haircuts and exercise. It is evident that Gok manages to bring out the women’s natural beauty without surgery to make them feel more comfortable in their appearance.

You can watch some episode on channel 4. The website also gives women advice about what style suites women’s certain body shapes, how to dress correctly and the latest fashion trends.


http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-look-good-naked


It can be said that the women do not have a choice in what clothes are picked out for them and are advised to wear clothes that are seen as ‘fashionable’. Some women are rather apprehensive when trying out new clothes because it is very different from their previous style. Is this their true identity? Or an identity that someone else chooses for them but they may feel the need to conform? 

Kat B Photography

 

This photogrpah by Kat B is actually about identity theft but I feel that it relates to my idea of pretending to be someone else.  For example someone trying to change themselves to look like someone else, which the face mask represents.

                                                                
                                                                       (Chloe)

I found this photograph on someone else's blog (Chloe) that I liked because the name badge is blank and their face is obscured (like their identity) and i think it is trying to portray that ones identity can be lost amoung other people around them.

Lynn Hershman Photography

Lynn Hershman’s photographs focus on gender, technology and identity in today’s society and the influence it can have. She explores issues of female identity and links it with technology. What I like about her photographs is that it is evident that the woman has a beautiful body but her face is covered by a form of technology.  Her identity is hidden. It suggests that technology can obscure ones identity and this is what I would like to explore in my project but instead through the media's stereotypes of women. These photographs have given me an idea for a photographic shoot. I would like to conceal a part of someone’s body or face to obscure their true identity.

Project Idea

This term I would like to investigate women's identity in the media, and how someone may feel the need to change to fit into the 'stereotypical' beautiful women that is shown. For example, through television, film, photography, websites, magazines and adverts. I think I would like to focus on body image and appearances, but this may change as I develop my idea.

I would also like to look into how women may not feel comfortable in their own skin and change their bodies to feel more secure and confident. For example through plastic surgery. When women have plastic surgery are they changing themselves to look more like the pretty women on television and what they see in magazines? How do we know what is pretty and what is ugly? Does the media influence women how to look? I believe that the media can portray a 'stereotypical' image that women feel the need to conform to 'fit in' or feel more comfortable. Can ones identity become blurred?

It can be said that society socially constructs discourse of what is seen as right and wrong.  For example what is seen as ‘beautiful’ and what is not.  ‘A fundamental aspect of human social development involves learning to behave in ways deemed socially and culturally to be appropriate for one’s own sex’ (Gunter 1).   One can argue that one may be influenced by what one sees around them, for example through the media in magazines, television and film in ones society.


Gunter, B. 1995, Television and Gender Representation, John Libbey, Hertfordshire.

Inspiration for Project

This year I would like to investigate how the media can influence a woman to 'conform' to what is seen as 'normal' in society, for example ones appearance, identity and how to act.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMqo3HfZYoc&feature=related


I thought ‘Drop Dead Diva’ the television programme would be a great programme to investigate. This is because it is about a beautiful, skinny, fashionable girl who dies and comes backs to life into a larger ladies body, who is not as pretty but is a successful lawyer. She is shocked as she gets treated completely different now because she does not get the same attention or admiration as she did before (because of her looks). Now she tries to find who she really is on the inside and realises that it is not what is on the outside but the inside that counts, and that she was conforming and changing herself for others not herself.

Week 3 Project - State of Transistion (Dreaming)