The 'Face' of Perfection

 

“Pictures of perfection as you know make me sick and wicked.”

-Jane Austen

 

What is your image of perfection? If you’re anything like the thousands of young people in the United States, you probably envision perfect as a person. That one person who seems to be absolutely flawless, be it a supermodel, movie star, etc. Face it; all of us have those celebrity influences that we want to look like so badly. They may include the young girls in the picture above, with the “perfect body” or the “perfect” face, “perfect” hair. They’re usually found on the cover of every magazine, in the latest movies, or on TV every night. Celebrities live “perfect” lives. And as this image has gradually become based on perfection and superficiality, the lives of our generation have become wasted from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (both emotional disorders rising along with the image) and plastic surgery fads. The combination of perfectionist tendencies, the deceptiveness of the media, and the unrealistic goals created as a result have corrupted our way of life, causing the health of our country’s people, women mostly, to decline.

 

Why Harm Ourselves?

          What exactly is the cause of this societal change? The media is partially at fault. The media is definitely a necessary way of communication these days, but as people become accustomed to our new body image, burgeoning amounts of people in the media embrace it and force the image on young girls, even going as far as using digital imaging to change the proportions and facial features of the celebrities they are showing. Seeing this perfect image brings down self esteem as we realize that we are not perfect like these celebs. This image is fake and unrealistic, manufactured by the industry using digital imaging and airbrushing. Cindy Crawford even once said “I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford” (Arlia). The supermodel herself can’t live up to the image. Anyone wishing to look like her should seek counseling or do something to make them feel better about themselves, not use surgery or disorders to facilitate their emotions. Happiness isn’t guaranteed using anorexia, bulimia, or plastic surgery, but it will happen if it comes from inside instead.

          Teenage girls don’t realize that everything they see is computer generated or reimaged. They begin to develop perfectionistic tendencies, setting unrealistic goals for their bodies. As people strive more to be perfect, other people become jealous and a mindset is created of what everyone should look like. The nation’s idea of the “perfect” person right now is a Barbie type model, clear skin, straight teeth, good hair, and an amazing body. Don’t get me wrong…Barbie is a great childhood toy because she encourages girls to be the person they want to be, not to mention it’s just plain fun to dress her up and make her live her perfect life. She’s been around for over 50 years; she has become an icon in our society. But the fact that she has a perfect body sets an image in young girls’ minds for what they want to be like and starts the disaster off early in childhood. Children begin to pick up on this image quickly, playing with makeup to try and be like their favorite movie star, and they become increasingly aware of it as they grow up.

          Barbie’s not the only one at fault here. A study conducted in 1996 found that the amount of time a child watches soaps, movies, and music videos actually effects their perception of their body and their desire to be thin. Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. I remember, as a child I had a HUGE desire to be Britney Spears. I did my makeup like her, danced and sang to her videos. I was trying to be her. And don’t get me started on the Olsen Twins. I’ve been watching them since I was literally a baby. I bought their clothes and make up and the entire time was thinking; oh, now I can be JUST like them. People face an emotional pressure to be thin like the most popular people around, like the people they see on a daily basis, whether they realize it or not. These children are doing the same thing, its natural. But it’s not a good thing, because if they continue to model themselves after the image, they will eventually do something to try and change their body, whether dieting, anorexia, bulimia, plastic surgery, etc. Coincidentally, in a study on 5^th graders, girls and boys reported dissatisfaction with their bodies after watching an episode of the TV show Friends or a Britney Spears video. Another report states that 53% of children are unhappy with their bodies by age 13; increasing to 78% by the time they are 17("Media's Effect on Girls: Body Image and Gender Identity"). Girls and boys this age are beginning to hit puberty, and they are sensitive about their bodies. This means they are extremely vulnerable to pressure from the image, and may crack from it.

 

How Are We Harming Ourselves?

          As our culture becomes more and more focused on looks, our mental and physical well being has taken a turn for the worst. Our self-image has gone negative, causing girls to go to extremes to look like the Barbie’s and supermodels, using serious disorders to try and conform to these images created by the media. Several disorders have become popular as the media has pushed for a stick thin image, among celebrities and normal women alike. None of them are healthy for mind, body, or soul, and we should inevitably stop supporting the image causing these problems.

“Anorexia is a disease, not a fashion statement.”- One Tree Hill, the CW                      

 

 

The first (and most popular) disease brought on by this image is Anorexia Nervosa. Those suffering with anorexia tend to be perfectionistic and have unrealistic standards. They simply stop eating in an attempt to lose weight, usually believing they are fat and simply shouldn’t eat. The victims usually focus on others more than themselves, and use this disorder as an escape from emotions (Thompson).  These emotions could be brought on by pressure to conform to the image they see on TV and in movies. These people have an ardent want to conform, not realizing that everyone is different and there is no need.

         

A new light has been placed on the modeling world recently, as awareness has risen about the complications being felt by some of the models. Beautiful Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston (seen above, at her best) died due to complications from anorexia and bulimia (Jantz.) Restrictions are now being placed on models in certain countries (primarily Italy, home of many famed Fashion Week events) to maintain a Body Mass Index of 18.5 and they must be over the age of 16 (Milan Model Ban: Sixteen Year Olds Stay Home.)

          Bulimia is another popular disorder brought on by the image. This disorder is diagnosed by binge eating (eating large amounts of food in very short amounts of time) and excessive weight gain prevention. Most of the time people suffering with this disorder throw up their meals to keep their weight down. It does kill, either from starvation and electrolyte imbalance, or even suicide (Long).

          Both disorders enervate the person suffering from them; the person isn’t receiving nutrients from the foods they eat. The disorders can wear on their bones, teeth, pretty much their entire body. The person becomes a skeleton from their weight loss, and inside they slowly become moribund.

          Bulimia has even more extreme effects, the teeth and digestive organs begin to rot from stomach acids constantly coming up.

          The disorders are miserable for the person suffering, and all of this comes solely from the pressure to be thin. This image is chimera, completely fake and invented by the media. It’s a shame that it’s come to this, and it needs to change. No one should ever feel the need to change themselves unless it’s solely their own decision, their own choice.

          Awareness has risen about the disorders but it’s still not enough. People should realize that even reality TV is not completely real; everything on TV and in movies is manufactured to make the characters and celebrities look better. The better they look, the more money made.

          There are more, just as acerbic, things people do to become “perfect”. Over the past decades plastic surgery has become a hackneyed method for older and younger women alike to seemingly become the people they see in the media.

According to cosmeticsurgery.com, somewhere between 9.2 million and 11.4 million cosmetic plastic surgeries were done in 2004. Surgeons are making big time money off the expensive procedures. It has become a major topic of reality TV, and is a staple in the media as more people get it and at the same time more people suffer the consequences.

          Studies have shown that while people feel better about the body part they had fixed, it’s questionable whether their self-confidence and self-esteem increased (Dittmann).

          Plastic surgery has its place. Those born with defects or suffering from accidents to where they have been permanently scarred; they can and should get it done. Their self-esteem has become non-existent and accidents and birth defects can ruin a person’s life if they begin feeling inferior to everyone else. They deserve to be able to have it done. Plastic surgery may extricate their lives. (“Psychological Aspects: Your Self-Image and Plastic Surgery.”)

          However the obsessive compulsive, hard-to-please, difficult to say no to patients shouldn’t get it, for it can become a deadly addiction (“Psychological Aspects: Your Self-Image and Plastic Surgery.”) Plastic surgery is not only a risk, it is irrevocable. You can get something done and then have it fixed in the cosmetic sense. But cosmetic surgery takes a toll on the body, and the more done, the more severe the consequences. Sometimes these disorders can be considered mental illness in a sense. Body dsymorphic disorder (an obsession with a defect) has been discovered in 7-15% of people wishing to have plastic surgery done (“TV’s Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Shows.”). Plastic surgery is described by those in the industry as beneficial and life-changing, when in reality it is sucking, slicing, and painful surgery. Apparently have many failed to realize what it truly is, in part because it’s advertised to seem like a good thing.

          Plastic surgery has transformed into a fad, from its roots in improving the lives of those with defects, and real problems. Robert Thompson, professor of media and culture at SyracuseUniversity in New York, has said, “Americans are, and have always been, fascinated with reinvention. Settlers left the Old World for the new while waves of poor immigrants in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries also reinvented themselves. We again reinvented ourselves by moving west. In essence, the history of the United States has been one, big makeover show.” (“TV’s Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Shows”). And it’s true. Plastic surgery is shown before thousands every day in TV drama and reality shows (ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” and MTV’s “I Want a Famous Face” are popular examples). It’s becoming putative entertainment, on 2 of the nation’s most watched channels.

 

What Is Perfection, really?

The meaning of perfection has been distorted into something almost unreal; perfection actually has a much more literal meaning. It is when a document or piece of writing is without error, it is a piece of fruit without brown spots, a leaf without holes. However, it is a not a person, face, or body.

          Way back when, perfect was used to mean complete, or whole (“perfect” score, “perfect” paper). This is the standard level of discourse; we still use it in school. Sometimes teachers (especially math teachers) write on excellent papers “perfect” because there’s nothing missing, it truly is “perfect.”

          The formal level of discourse translates perfection to mean without errors, flaws, or faults. Perfection can mean finished, such as finishing an experiment. Once completed, it is said to reach perfection.

          On the colloquial level, the noun perfection is taken in a completely different direction, focusing on a person’s image instead of things that may actually be capable of perfection. As the view on perfection has changed, the number of people trying to be absolutely flawless has risen. As more people try to be perfect, more people are endangering their lives. The pressure created by the media and this new image is so intense some people have died with perfection in their dreams, still not achieved. Girls starve themselves trying to get skinny enough, cake on makeup to hide imperfections, over exercise trying to look fit, and get surgery if needed to fix anything at all they’re unhappy with. Is this really right? Or necessary?

          The Webster’s unabridged dictionary defines physical perfection as when a natural object has all it’s powers, faculties, or qualities entire and in full vigor, and all parts in due proportion. This is the denotation of perfection. Is this really possible with humans? No. There isn’t a 100 percent perfect person out there. We are balanced. We may have suitable body proportions, but blemishes on the face. It could be the other way around. Point being, sure we may have some qualities that make us seem perfect but then there are others that aren’t so great.

          The only real perfections in existence are those of God. In a sense, calling celebrities perfect and starting this “perfect” image is almost an insult to Him, if you really think about it.

 

In Conclusion

I’ve got to admit, when I first thought of this word, I thought of the colloquial level. That’s the only definition of perfect really thought of these days because it’s used so often in our culture. Look how superficial our society really has become.

          The meaning of perfection is used by the media to rub in others faces what they don’t have. This is where the emotions come to play, and perfectionistic tendencies develop. If someone talks about how perfect they are all the time, other people end up not wanting to be around them because of jealousy. But at the same time, they try harder and harder to be like that person or better. Plastic surgery and eating disorders come to enter into the picture.

As this has happened, our lifestyles have changed. A long time ago plastic surgery was out of the question. But as people’s self-esteem has lowered, it has gotten extremely popular. That’s not a good thing. In my mind, perfection has become somewhat of a “bad” word. People are falling for this fake image.

Should we really put money into an industry that just sets out a manufactured image? We’re funding all of this with our interest in entertainment. As people increasingly suck fat from their bodies and slice away skin; as they stop eating and start throwing up their lunch, they are not only morphing our image, but they are harming other peoples’ lives in the process. Girls need to stop wasting their lives away because of this image and open their eyes to the subversiveness of the whole thing, while the media needs to stop the editing of pictures to make perfection look real.

 We shouldn’t fund any of this whether it happens or not, we’re just harming ourselves here. This could take years to happen, if it happens at all, but there is hope. I’m not asking for a major change any time soon, I just hope that the media can become more considerate of what is being put out there for millions to see, and that awareness can be raised of what is real and what is manufactured.

I’m not saying all skinny people should be eliminated from the media, that’s not realistic either. But the media shouldn’t be able to make them appear to be that way, it’s not fair. The media should realize they have a responsibility to keep a healthy image going, instead of letting a fake one escape through.

Without a fake image, there’s less pressure, less pressure to be skinny and less pressure to resort to diseases and surgery. Reduced TV exposure can help, that’s where most of image comes through.  I am a teenage girl dealing with this image, and though it may seem appealing, I’ve begun to realize how hypocritical it really is. We’re all perfect in our own special ways; nobody needs to change themselves unless they truly want to. If this image continues any further, before long there will be an army of real-world, walking, talking, plastic Barbies. Do you want to be a Barbie?

 

Works Cited:

 

Arlia, Eva and Mahaffey, Rachel. “Plastic Surgery- The Fast Track to Happiness?” Beverly LaHaye Institute. 16 December 2004. 04 Nov 2007. http://www.cwfa.org/articles/7051/BLI/commentary/index.htm.

 

Cain, Angela. “Barbie’s body may be perfect, but critics remind us its plastic.” Albany Times-Union. 26 March 2006. 04 Nov. 2007. http://www.the digitalvillage.com/yvonnesplace/news/barbie.htm.

 

Dead At 21: Ana CarolinaReston. 2006. Daily Mail: 24 Hrs a Day. Daily Mail. 11 Feb. 2008 <http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/02_1/AnaCarolinaAP_228x396.jpg>.

 

Dittmann, Melissa. "Plastic surgery: Beauty or beast?." APA Online Monitor On Psychology 36.8Sep 2005 06 Jan 2008 <http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep05/surgery.html>.

 

 

Jantz, Dr. Gregory L.. "Eating Disorders News." Caring Online. Caring Online. 11 Feb 2008 <http://www.caringonline.com/eatdis/people.htm>.

 

Long, Phillip W. “Bulimia Nervosa.” Internet Mental Health. 2005. Internet Mental Health. 27 Nov 2007. http://www.mentalhealth.com/dislp20-et02.html.

 

"Media's Effect On Girls: Body Image And Gender Identity." National Institute on Media and the Family 06 Sep 200606 Jan 2008 <http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml>.

 

"Milan Model Ban: Sixteen Year Olds Stay Home." The Rad Report. 19 Dec. 2006. The Rad Report. 11 Feb. 2008 <http://www.theradreport.com/2006/12/19/milan-model-ban-sixteen-year-olds-stay-home/>.

 

“Perfection.” Little Dictionary of Quotations. Oxford. 04 Nov  2007.http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=quot&freesearch=perfection&branch=14123648&textsearchtype=exact.

 

“Perfection.”OxfordEnglishDictionary.04Nov2007.http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/perfection?view=uk.

 

 

“Perfection.” Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. Websters. 04 Nov 2007. machaut.uchicago.edu/?action=search&word=perfection&resource=Webster%27s&quicksearch=on.

                                          

 

“Psychological Aspects: Your Self-Image and Plastic Surgery.” American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2007. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 27 Nov 2007. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients/consumers/planning_surgery/psychological_aspects.cfm?CFID=90874788&CFTOKEN=765122967>.

 

Savio, Eugenio. 2006. AP. Physorg.Com. Physorg.Com. 11 Feb. 2008 <http://www.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2006/braziltransf.jpg>.

 

 

“ Say What: Are Teen Stars Selling Themselves Short?”. TeenVoices Online. 2006. Women Express, Inc. 25 Nov 2007. http://www.teenvoices.com/.issue_current/tvsaywhat.html.

 

 

Thompson, Colleen. “Anorexia Nervosa.” Mirror, Mirror. 05 Sep 2007. 25 Nov 2007. http://www.mirrormirror.org/anorexia.htm.

 

 

 “T.V’s Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Shows.” CosmeticSurgery.com. 2007. CosmeticSurgery.com.27 Nov 2007.http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~15717.

 

Other Sources:

 

Hornbacher, Marya. Wasted: a Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998.

 

Antony, Martin M., and Richard P. Swinson. When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough. 1^st ed. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 1998.