I personally love the brand and the quality of clothing that it makes. Of course, for any woman who does not resemble these models, the show can be a bittersweet experience as I realized that my body may not be in the shape I'd prefer it to be, especially following the carb-loading Thanksgiving break.
There has been talk for years about this sort of advertising and the effects on females' body images. As Cultivation Theory suggests, the exposure to these images over time start to shape the viewer's view of reality -- in other words, women have been exposed to these type of "perfect" women through media and begin to believe that this is what they should look like. It also does not help when men reinforce this kind of thinking. Consider this Facebook status I saw last night when I logged on:
"to all the women i know out there. can you please lose some weight, go to the gym, get some plastic surgery or say a prayer so that you can look like these models. just saying.."As expected, guys liked the status and agreed, girls commented with sad faces and less-than-friendly words. His dad also wrote "...........Wow........I don't remember dropping him on his head!"
While this may have been intended to be a joke, or a desperate plea for attention, I think it's important for both women and men to not overemphasize the importance of having a body type that less than 1% of women have. If you watch the fashion show with an entertainment mindset and understand that these models have made this a career for a reason, I don't feel there is anything wrong with this sort of TV special.
Take a look for yourself.
This reminds me of something I encountered this weekend. While hanging out with some friends some of the guys decided to play "the man game." For this game they would sit in a circle and take turns saying "manly" things. Some of the subjects included: walking on the moon, urinals, and being president. This game irritated me beyond belief and I couldn't believe how hurtful and sexist they were acting. Though it was intended to be silly, I didn't find it funny at all. I argued with them on every point except "urinals" because I figured that was something I didn't want to share with them. But there is no reason a woman can't be president, walk on the moon or do any other activity that is stereotypically male. Because that is exactly what it is: a stereotype. The Victoria's Secret fashion show plays into these stereotypes and shows women as nothing but sex objects. Though I enjoy the clothing and fashion as a whole I disagree with the way women models are portrayed.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that if you watch these types of shows in the right mindset, they're harmless. Being a little more than the average weight, I feel like I've grown numb to watching these shows and feeling sorry for myself. It took a few years to realize, "hey, I don't look like these women, and I probably never will, so there's no reason to pout about it." Besides, who wants to strut around in a peacock bathing suit anyway?
ReplyDeleteI think that a major factor in why men drool over women such as the Victoria's Secret Angels is for the glamour factor that is associated with them. Many people know that only a small amount of women will every have the exact body size that is wanted to show off the lingerie and bathing suits. So there is a super star power that is tied to the angels. While I wish my body looked like some of those models, I am also content knowing that my body is right for my size and that I can still look good in the clothing without being a model.
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