Good and Bad Manipulation

            After our discussion last week on our mediated artifacts, I started to think a lot about how I am manipulated by the cosmetic industry. As mentioned in class, we are manipulated to conform to an ideal beauty that society projects on to us. Through commercials, ads in magazines, fashion shows, etc. we are constantly bombarded with people who are physically “covered” or “masked” in make up. Rarely do we see famous people without make up on. Not only are we manipulated to believe that we need make up to look prettier, we are manipulated to believe we are not good enough.

            This conversation also reminded me of the Eurocentric beauty ideal that we talked about in my women studies class. All around the world, European and white models are being used in ads, commercials and campaigns. It is impossible to compare oneself to this Eurocentric beauty ideal: the white, heterosexual, thin, blonde. Another conversation we had in women studies was on the harmful effects of cosmetics. There is a website called SkinDeep which is a database of many products we use daily such as shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, toothpastes etc. We saw that the boys in the class had less daily “products”. However, almost everyone had products that were very harmful. Many of the products we use daily that market to be for “sensitive skin” and “gentle to the touch” are very carcinogenic or dangerous in other ways. It was shocking to see that what I use daily was so toxic. This is due to the extremely loose regulations of the cosmetic industry. They do not have to test everything and chemical names are not well known by consumers.

            The cosmetic industry basically makes money off of our insecurities and easily manipulates our identities. At the same time, putting on make up is fun for many people and a form of art. It is definitely a choice whether to use makeup or not. I think there is both good and bad manipulation and make up can be both depending on the individual. I think the message that the cosmetic industry employs to manipulate us is faulty but we don’t have to give into this manipulation. Like most forms of manipulation, we do have a choice whether to be manipulated or not we just have to be conscious of our surroundings.