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.
Yes, this is very similar to the medical manipulation that big drug corporations use in order to advertise their product. Similar to the cosmetic industry, the plastic surgery industry also manipulates their consumers by exposing their flaws. In doing so, consumers are manipulated into buying the product solely to get rid of that flaw. As a result, he/she would succumb to the manipulation techniques by the doctor, advertisement, or wherever else such manipulation occurs.
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