A High Standard of Beauty

            When flipping through a magazine such as Vogue or Cosmopolitan, it is easy to notice the plethora of flawless women. Whether a beauty add for a makeup company or an article discussing the latest award show trends, there typically lies a common theme in the way that women are portrayed; tall, thin, typically white, and ultimately gorgeous. All in all, these women are portrayed as perfect and importance is placed on how sexually attractive she appears. According to Ferguson in Variation in the Application of the ‘Promiscuous Female’ Stereotype and the Nature of the Application Domain: Influences on Sexual Harassment Judgements after Exposure to the Jerry Springer Show, “there is evidence that exposure to stereotypical media images can elicit body dissatisfaction in women” (Ferguson 2005). If individuals are constantly surrounded by flawless women, they will feel less satisfied with their body image and feel pressure to look similar to what they see in the media.

Many companies are currently working to combat this societal issue. Dove and Aerie are two companies that market their items to customers of all shapes and sizes. In “The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty,” women from different backgrounds make up their advertisements. The company encourages customers to “imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety” (Dove). Furthermore, Aerie has instituted #aeriereal: “that means no retouching, and thanks to your stories and support, it’s also about body positivity and loving your REAL self. Inside and out” (Aerie). If every company follows these two and aims to change the standard of beauty, will it actually change?

            Though not all companies convey similar messages as Dove and Aerie, these two companies are setting an example and heading in the right direction. According to Ferguson, women who view promiscuous women in the media have skewed perceptions of victim trauma. The author states, “The results of this study reveal that activating the promiscuous female stereotype through exposure to a popular television show can affect subsequent judgments of other women” (Ferguson 2005). Though the article discusses promiscuous women in the Jerry Springer Show, it concludes the negative perceptions women have when they view promiscuous women in the media. That being said, when girls see sexualized and gorgeous women in magazines, there are likely no positive consequences except for possibly buying the product. They will not feel better, but instead worse about their body image. All in all, capitalism drives the market, and if these beautiful women sell the product, companies will continue to market in this way. In the future, it would be interesting to look at the differences in revenue between a company like Aerie and one like Victoria’s Secret. For now, not all companies have changed like Dove and Aerie, so it is important to educate and empower women.

References: 

#aeriereal. In Aerie. Retreived October 8, 2015 from http://www.ae.com/featured-aeriereal/aerie/s-cat/6890055.

Ferguson, T., Berlin, J., Noles, E., Johnson, J., Reed, W., & Spicer, C. (2005). Variation in the application of the ‘Promiscuous Female’ stereotype and the nature of the application domain: Influences on sexual harassment judgments after exposure to the Jerry Springer Show. Sex Roles, 52, 477-487.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. In Dove. Retrieved October 8, 2015 from http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx