As part of my project I want to look into the way celebrities and influential people within the modern media are setting unrealistic expectations in terms of beauty. I hope to use the information I find in my project to construct my own photos which subvert and challenge these ideals. In relation to the title variation and similarity I hope to show the limitations of modern beauty standards and how they are being compressed and viewed from a single perspective.
Photos of celebrities and models have been manipulated to look perfect for years fooling impressionable audiences into thinking it is real and untouched. Since the introduction of the internet and social media this issue has only got worse, now not only magazines are editing photos, everyone has the power to improve their appearance at the tap of a button using various apps. Plastic surgery has also grown in popularity with anyone who can afford it making changes to their body. From fat distribution, and hair transplants to boob jobs and lip fillers many people are fixing their personal insecurities. Editing, makeup and surgery has become the norm and it is starting to means people are believing these unrealistic and unreachable expectations and wanting to reach them. Some people are open about the changes they make to their appearance and support the idea of body confidence whether it is natural of not. I want to look at some of the most influential celebrities on the internet and in popular culture as see what messages they are portraying to audiences about body image.
The Kardatian/ Jenner family are widely known for their ‘beautiful’ looks and have made careers from it. With accentuated hourglass figures, golden tanned skin and an endless wardrobe many people look up to them as inspiration. They have millions of followers each and dominate the media meaning the have a large influence of audiences. various members of the family have had cosmetic surgeries and undergo extensive treatments to maintain their looks. With their whole life dedicated to looking ‘perfect’ many people have criticised them for using their platforms and large influence for narcissistic content. Kylie Jenner, known now as the youngest self made billionaire has built her brand ‘Kylie Cosmetics’ by cleverly marketing and selling beauty products online. In the past she was known for her large lips which she claimed for years were natural and just over lined however she eventually admitted to having fillers. During this time a trend went viral where people used a small cup over their lips and sucked to create a vacuum in hope to achieve a similar look to Kylie’s lips, this was a very dangerous activity which could leave permanent bruises to the area and shows how easily audiences can be influenced.
Other members of the family such as Kris (the mum) and Khloe have recently advertised a product called ‘flattummyco’ it is a meal replacement shake which claims to help users loose weight. Product including, hair treatment gummys’, various skin serums and many more a promoted by influencers online daily. For them it is a job, they get payed per post and for the companies this is a highly effective marketing strategy which gets their product into the public eye. These influencers are trusted by their audiences who therefore trust the brands being advertised even when on many occasions the influencers have never used the products.
fashion retailers have also been criticised for encouraging unrealistic beauty standard and portraying the ideal look in such a specific way. Victoria Secret a womenswear and beauty product marketer has an annual catwalk show which girls all over the world aspire so walk in. The brand has a very specific look, displaying models with long flowing hair, perfect skin and very slim figures. images from the show are used as marketing material for the brand and are published in magazine, billboards, stores and online. The so called ‘Victoria Secret Angels’ are an aspirational target for many young girls despite it being and unreachable and fantasy goal they are chasing.
Alexis Ren is a model who found fame on Instagram ultimately due to her looks and ‘perfect beach body’. She has recently been criticised for promoting unrealistic body expectations even after suffering with an eating disorder herself. She admitted to suffering from food guilt and over exercising yet is still a role model for many ‘fans’.
It is now common for people edit their photos to change their appearance, from slimming waistlines to whitening teeth but it is important to remember that what we see on the internet in only a depiction of reality which rarely resembles real life. I want play with this concept and exaggerate it with my photography and editing, the idea, to make people look at fashion and beauty from a clearer perspective.
I want to look at the work of modern artists who are questioning beauty ideals and reality in a new digital age. In a world where everything can be edited from looks to lifestyle we no longer know what is real. One digital artist (unknown) has created a fictional character called Lil Miquela who has become well known (famous) on the internet. She claims to be an Instagram model and music artist however does not exist in reality. Her Instagram page displays her living an ideal life going to the beach, visiting her favourite art galleries, and hang out with other influencers (real and simulated). She is a form of artificial intelligence created my a under the radar company ‘Brud” who kept their intentions and reasons for creating the character quiet, they say she is an Artificial Consciousness in many ways a virtual robot. Many people seen the character as a social experiment playing around with how the internet culture idealises people for their looks and virtual profile. I find the concept fascinating the way reality and fantasy are crossing and becoming one with these images combining photography with 3D digital design.
https://brud.fyi/public-statement.html
Jean Baudrillard was a cultural theorist who talked about how in postmodern culture blurs the boundaries between the ‘real world and the world of the media, he says that their is no way to distinguish reality and simulation. We can no longer refer to anything as real or original due to the idea of simulacra and technology, being able to edit and adapt things digitally. This links back to the fictional character Lil Miquela who appears online in the same way as real life models and celebrities despite it being fully constructed.
Finally I want to talk about new alternative models who are changing the game and breaking conventions of beauty. Magazines such as I-D and Dazed and brands like Fenty are known for showing diversity in their publications, from age, gender, skin tone, weight and may more these progressive approaches help to spread more positive and universal beauty expectations. Models such as Paloma Elsesser, Jazzelle Zanaughtti and Winnie Harlow (bellow: left to right) are the first of a new era of models who will hopefully help to represent a more diverse group of people helping audiences to feel connected and represented in the media.
https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/a3yn9k/jazzelle-zanaughtti-the-new-fashion-rebels-issue