Phreshly Squeezed

The thought of writing reactionary comments to some of the things that I have observed, as of late, has come to mind but I haven’t had the time what with moving to a new apartment, working, and taking summer classes. What did spark me to write this, though, was a recent article recommended by someone in my media criticism class in which Nevada State College sociology professor Gwen Sharp remarked upon the sexualization of violence in fashion editorials and photographs. The article from Sociological Images can be read below:

Anyone who pays much attention to the fashion world will have noticed fashion photographers have an ongoing obsession with images of women looking dead. These images are often sexualized, with the models in various states of undress, in lingerie, or lying in provocative poses. The effect is to present violence as sexy.

Hardly a month goes by that we don’t find a new example. Here are some recent ones. They’re after the jump both because they might not be safe for your workplace (scantily-clad women, blood spatters) and because they might be triggering for some people.

New York magazine has a slideshow of images from April 2010 issues of various magazines/catalogs, including a number that present dead-looking women. Lula included a fashion shoot in which women were depicted as having died in a pillow fight (thanks to Chrissy B. for the link!):

This one is also from Lula:

AnOther ran an image in which a barely-clothed woman appears to be unable to stand on her own:

Emily W. provided us with another example; Lindsay Lohan recently appeared in a number of photographs by Tyler Shields that include sexualized violence (via):

Lohan and the photographer have angrily responded that the images are just art and people shouldn’t get so upset.

That, of course, isn’t the point. The bigger question is why photographers, artists, fashion editors, and others continue to find images of sexualized violence toward women compelling.

Full article here: http://contexts.org/socimages/2010/05/26/more-sexualized-violence-in-fashion-nsfw-trigger-warning/

While I may wholeheartedly agree with many for the need for self-expression and using art as a means of projecting social change, I do too have to contest that when the art on-hand vividly depicts and glamorizes social values that are not conducive to society, the needs to explore such should not be given attention. Even more disturbing to me is that the concept of sex and violence, paired together, has been incredibly numbed in society, so much so, that photographers find that portraying such is “edgy” as opposed to negative towards women. Some may also argue that the use of such “provacative” images and its ability to generate reactions from people is part of “art;” however, when the majority refutes such, there is an issue with the piece. To go further to say that these photographs are an example of outlaw discourse, one would have to ask if the marginalized cause in this case is that there is a restriction on our aesthetic? Perhaps. And admittedly, as a society, we are far more likely to praise the thin ideal for women and the V-shape for men. But really, how likely is it that these photographers had this idea in mind when shooting? Also taking into consideration the power that media has over us, especially in its growth in outreach with the drastic development of social media, do we not realize that such photographs, if continued, can propose this to be a social norm (much like the thin ideal, which was heavy popularized by the media)?

While many are getting a good laugh out of the overstretched fifteen minutes of fame that Heidi Montag is commanding from the gossip hungry folk, one also cannot help but wonder if the attention given to her is only fueling a bigger problem. Some may be quick to ask what kind of example is she setting for those that watch the show; however, I wonder if the attention that her latest project (i.e. “self improvement”) is, in actual fact, magnifying a possible problem of her own. Mentioned in several blogs in January when Heidi gave an exclusive interview to People Magazine, the question of Heidi suffering from BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) has surfaced but has also been quickly buried with the anticipated Hills season premiere. The shift on Heidi has quickly gone to that of the reactions of family members and friends as the new Heidi is unveiled.

Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition affecting 1-2% of the US population. The psychological disorder affects a person by excessive concern and preoccupation by a perceived defect in his or her physical features. The result can lead to a diminished quality of life, in addition to depression and chronic social anxiety. Sometimes extreme measures are taken to correct the perceived defectiveness, which may include plastic surgery to achieve a more desired physical appearance. What comes off as even more astonishing is the fact that of the population that does seek plastic surgery, approximately 10% are suffering from BDD. Given that fact, the ten cosmetic procedures in a day does sound incredibly drastic, no? Especially considering that this is Heidi’s second time going under the knife in five years (she previously had a breast augmentation). Well, one of the few persons who seem to believe that Heidi’s decisions were sound is none other than her surgeon, Dr. Frank Ryan. According to an interview with People Magazine, he dismisses the possibility of Heidi suffering from BDD asserts that she does not fit the symptoms of someone suffering from such. Let’s review the criteria for BDD, shall we?

According to DSM IV, the criteria for BDD is met by the following:

• Preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person’s concern is markedly excessive.
• The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
• The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa).

And while Heidi seemingly exhibits the above characteristics, context must be applied to her situation to strengthen the argument that Heidi is indeed suffering from body image problems, and perhaps more specifically BDD. Heidi has often been noted as being dissatisfied with her body and is heard stating that living in Los Angeles and its accompanying lifestyle has only fueled the body dissatisfaction. And while we must be reminded that The Hills is simply a television show, her ability to function in society as a productive member seems to be hindered until she is seen with her modified body (which appears to bring a boost to her career – she’s even producing a television show now!) But on a more serious note, it seems that her preoccupation with her body image has led to unrealistic expectations of wanting to “look like Barbie.”

The number of surgeries seem to play a big part in the opinions of many people; however, as plastic surgeon Matthew Schulman points out, the procedures weren’t overly complicated ones that were performed. Albeit, she mentioned that she almost died from surgery – really, it was the amount of Demerol that she had been taking, which almost caused her to die and not the surgeries themselves. Her being a healthy candidate also contributed to the number of procedures that she could undergo. Where the surgeries went wrong, though, is not the number, but rather, the amount of change produced. The goal of plastic surgery is to enhance certain features or to “better” them, as opposed to producing a new person.

The consequences of Heidi’s plastic surgeries can not yet been known on a physical level; however, the mental state is clear. She cannot be in her right mind to think that her current outward appearance is what would be deemed as “pretty.” The results of her procedures seem to provide an exaggeration of every ideal part that Western culture portrays, and creates more of a caricature of beauty than anything else.

The well-known before and after two-page spread of Heidi Montag pre- and post-plastic surgery

Image courtesy of Huffington Post

A lot of what I write often pertains to fashion, event coverage, social media or career development; there are issues, though, for which I am passionate about but do not speak about often. One of which is eating disorder prevention and promotion of body image. So when given an opportunity to write choose a topic for an essay in relation to my course, I find myself researching and reading more into the International Journal of Eating Disorders and other recent publications to further my understanding in such.

For my Latin American Cultures class, we were asked to write a 15 paged essay on any issue impacting Latin America. I opted to examine the influence of Western culture on both Hispanics in the US and in Latin America to determine as to whether or not the thin ideal was as trans-cultural as people have said it to be and if Hispanics are now at a greater risk of succumbing to to eating disorders given that they are the fastest growing minority in the US. In addition, I’ve analyzed possible prevention and reviewed diagnostics for the upcoming issue of DSM.

Be sure to read the essay, which is available after the jump.
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