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What the “Perfect” Woman in the United States looks like

What the “Perfect” Woman in the United States looks like. Societal Expectations, Norms and Values of beauty By: Luisa Bilotta. Overview.

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What the “Perfect” Woman in the United States looks like

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  1. What the “Perfect” Woman in the United States looks like Societal Expectations, Norms and Values of beauty By: Luisa Bilotta

  2. Overview • Women in the United States have a tendency to be unhappy with their bodies, thus altering or changing their appearance in a variety of ways. The societal expectations of beauty in the U.S date back to the founding of our country and have been perpetuated in a number of ways which continue to impact and cause women to alter their appearance which allows them to meet societal expectations of beauty. • “The United States is a patriarchal society which systemically oppresses women; therefore the choices that women make that appear to be free are constrained by the system of patriarchy which encourages women to make choices that support male supremacy and punish the women that attempt to resist” (Winter, 2004)

  3. Things to know about the Ideologyof Beauty in the U.S. • White men and women are predominantly projected in the media as beautiful. • Eurocentric features are deemed desirable: blonde hair, blue eyes, fairer skin, thin, and tall ( essentially the Barbie and Ken doll image) • In 1990, 1 in 35 surgeries performed were for an aesthetic reason (Rolley, 1990) • According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Survey of 2008 Aesthetic Plastic Surgeries to those in 1997: • Breast Augmentation increased by 254, 495 surgeries • Cosmetic Eye Lid Surgery increased by 35,872 surgeries • Liposuction increased by 164,281 surgeries (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2009)

  4. Historical Timeline of Events • AD 900- the practice of foot-binding begins during the time of the Tang Dynasty • 1619- slaves are judge on their teeth feet and hair as an indicator of suitability • 1700’s- upper and middle class women begin to use corsets to create a cone shaped figure as a sign of gentility and respectability • 1800’s- upper and middle class women continue to wear corsets to create an hour glass figure • 1827- Dr. John Peter Mettauer performed the first cleft palate operation in North America; the first Plastic Surgery (A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, 2001-2009) • 1893- World’s Fair of 1893 in Chicago, Illinois the airbrush was introduced to artists as being soft in tone and pleasing to the costumer by the Walkup’s Air Brush Mfg. Co. • 1906- First indoor UV tanning lamp invented in Germany • 1930- Painted pin-up girls become popular • 1931-American Society of Plastic and reconstructive Surgeons is founded (ABoard Certified Plastic Surgeon, 2001-2009) • 1950’s- Christian Dior and Roger Vivier design the first Stilleto • 1959- the Barbie doll is introduced • 1960- Weight Watchers the dieting program is founded • 1962- breast implants are introduced • 1960’s- Airbrushing used to create images for the music and film industries • 1968- Christie, Barbie’s African American, friend is introduced.

  5. Historical Timeline of Events Continued • 1960’s/1970’s- more modern and well known plastic surgeries surface (A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, 2001-2009) • 1980- First Hispanic Barbie Doll is sold • 1980’s- Manolo Blahnik high healed shoes become popular on the runway • 1990’s- Jimmy Choo higher high healed shoes first hit the runway • 1997- Barbie goes “under the knife,” to have a wider waist line and a smaller bust line, due to her previously disproportionate measurements • 1998- Sex and the City airs on HBO- increasing interest in high fashion and beauty • 2003- Nip-Tuck airs on FX as well as Extreme Make-Over on ABC normalizing plastic and cosmetic surgery • 2004- The Swan airs on Fox T.V. normalizing cosmetic surgery to transform into a beautiful “Swan.” • 2004- Dr. 90210 airs on E! Entertainment Television • 2006- “Crunch” nationwide gym begins offering 45 minute high heal strengthening classes to work on heel, calf and leg strength • 2006- 1.1 million botox injections performed by plastic surgeons

  6. CorsetsGrace, Elegance and Self Control

  7. 18th and 19th century beautyMays, D. A. (2004). Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc • During the 18th and 19th century the United States as a culture valued discipline, grace, elegance and self control. The size and figure of a woman was also used as an indicator to determine a woman’s beauty • White women of the upper and middle classes throughout the 18th and 19th century in the United States met the societal and cultural expectations by wearing and using corsets in their dress. They also wore them as a measure of beauty, status symbol and an indicator of the class to which she belonged • Corsets restrict the movements that a woman can make because of the stiffness of the whale bone and the laces, the corset squeezes the woman’s organs and ribs. Thus restricting the arm motions to shoulder level. • Due to the design of corsets, the lungs are compressed and can only expand to allow a fraction of the air to circulate throughout the body. Women would typically faint when exerting themselves by walking quickly. • Corsets also prevented women from slouching or having bad posture

  8. 18th and 19th century beauty continuedMays, D. A. (2004). Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc.Colored People Time 5. (1969, December 31). Detroit Public Television: American Black Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from American Black Journal: http://matrix.msu.edu/~abk/videofull.php?id=50 • The media also effected and engrained the ideology of beauty in the United States through beauty manuals • Beauty manuals, which were similar to women’s magazines today informed women of desirable behaviors such as avoiding a bad temper and having passions of the mind as they would affect her ability to convey a serene expression • In the 18th century due to outbreaks of small pox which affected much of the population it was considered beautiful for women to have very pale and smooth skin. • Not only did pale and smooth skin indicate that a woman was healthy but also that she was free from having to do manual labor out in the sun. Darker skin was also associated with having mixed bloodlines. • Beauty manuals also gave homeopathic treatments to have a pale and smooth complexion. For example one treatment for “curing freckles,” reads, “ Two drams of honey roses, one dram oil of tartar, mix with rye meal and spread on a cloth. Place over your face, breasts or hands overnight. In the morning rinse away with lemon juice.” • Although Indian and African women in colonial times could be viewed by white people as comely, the only prevention of deeming these women beautiful was the color of their skin. • Since the 19th century bleaching and whitening creams have been used by people of color due to internalized racism caused by negative images associated with blackness and causing them to over identify with Eurocentric standards of beauty

  9. Barbie then and now…Note the similarities of the features between the African American and Caucasian Doll The top two dolls were introduced in the 1980’s and the two below are dolls that were most recently in circulation The top two dolls are the original dolls introduced in 1959 and 1968. The two below are dolls introduced in the 1970’s

  10. 20th and 21st century • In the 20th century it becomes more apparent that the United States as a culture values a, “standard of beauty for women comprised on extreme thinness, regular Caucasian features, smooth hair, young looking skin, and lack of visible body hair,”( Winter 2004) • This causes women of all races and cultural groups to feel anxious about their appearance and become dependent on surgeons and cosmetic surgeries to give them confidence and reassurance • There are many aspects of the media that have impacted women in the 20th and 21st century to feel uncomfortable with their body based on the cultural standards of beauty in the United States. For example, right before the first World War the painted pin-up girl hit the streets. Men throughout the country and the world for that matter were being exposed to airbrushed images of pale, slender, blonde hair, blue eyed women. • Not more than a year later the first reconstructive surgery takes place based on the damaging affects the war has had on its veterans. Thus placing importance on ones appearance. • In 1959 one of the most influential icons of beauty hit the market, the Barbie doll. The Barbie doll, if real would have dimensions of 36- 18- 38 in which case she could not walk or even stand up for that matter

  11. 20th and 21st Century Continued • These measurements bring back the 18th and 19th century sentiments of the corset as a sign of beauty. Many young girls throughout the United States play with Barbie dolls. Young children are easily influenced and by playing with dolls that only represent the characteristics of one cultural group forces those who are exposed to internalize those characteristics as superior. • It was until nearly 10 years later that Barbie’s friend Christie, who was Black, was introduced to the public. Christie’s dimensions resembled those of Barbie, so that Barbie and Christie could share clothing but her face and features were different from Barbie’s. As the year’s went on Christies features began to look more and more like Barbie’s, and the color of Christie’s skin becomes lighter and lighter. • To the average United States citizen this evolution of Barbie and Christie may not seem to have significance, however it is clear that young children are heavily influenced by the toys, games and dolls they play with. For a black, white, Hispanic, Latino/ Latina , Native American child playing with these dolls they are internalizing messages about what the dominant culture values as being beautiful. • When these children become teenagers, and eventually adults the messages that they have internalized about beauty are perpetuated through the media in magazines, movies and television

  12. Cosmetic Procedures

  13. 20th and 21st century continued • Reality television shows such as the Swan, Extreme Make-Over and Dr. 90210 have normalized plastic, aesthetic and cosmetic surgeries and procedures into the culture of United States • The Swan and Extreme Make-Over however project the most disturbing message to those who do fit into societies definition of beautiful. The premise of these shows is to take a man or woman who does not meet societies expectations of beauty and to completely change their appearance through the use of plastic and cosmetic surgery. The show follows these individuals before, during and after the procedure in a reality show fashion. At the end of the show when they reveal the “new and improved,” person everyone cheers and the people who received the make-over cannot believe how “beautiful or handsome,” he or she is. • The premise of these two shows and other reality shows that promote plastic and cosmetic surgery as the simple and quick fix for beauty and self-image repair. • The types of common procedures for certain ethnic and cultural groups are :cosmetic foot surgery to fit into the perfect pair of manolo blahnkis, Asian double eye-lid surgery Blepharoplasty, Breast Augmentations, Nose jobs, Botox, face lifts, chemical peels etc. • Women in the United States are also altering the appearance of their hair through perming, hot-combing, chemical straightening or relaxing, bleaching creams, tanning, firming lotions, waxing, control top panty hoes, and modern day corsets and body suits to thin out the figure to meet the criteria of what it means to be a beautiful woman in the United States today.

  14. Implications for Teaching and Working with Children • When working with children of any age their body image and self esteem are prevalent. • It is important for all teachers to make sure that all sources of media used in your classroom project culturally, ethnically and racially accurate depictions. • Severe damage can and has been done to women in the United States because of images that the media represents as the norm of beautiful and who and what constitutes beauty. • Through accurate and a well rounded representation and depiction of a diverse grouping of individuals this dilemma of meeting the expectations of being the perfect woman can begin to shift.

  15. Things to Keep in Mind in Your ClassroomWinter, A. (2004, November-December). Off Our Backs. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from Off Our Backs: the feminist news journal: http://www.offourbacks.org • The United States is a patriarchal society that works to systematically oppress individual choices because they are influenced by public philosophy • This systemic oppression causes women of all races and cultural groups to feel anxious about their appearance and can become dependent on surgeons and cosmetic companies to reassure themselves. • “ We are our bodies and our bodies are not wrong- it is the patriarchal society and the industries and media that perpetuates this idea.” • Further more it is important to understand that although some Black, Asian, Native American, Latino and Latina people attempt to alter their appearance to emulate Eurocentric features through the use of cosmetic surgeries and creams, it is also important to note that White people tend to alter their appearances to emulate certain features of Black, Asian, Native American, Latino and Latina cultural groups have.

  16. Works Cited • A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. (2001-2009). A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from Find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon: http://www.aboardcertifiedplasticsurgeonresource.com/plastic_surgery/history.html • American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2009). American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Retrieved July 12, 2009, from American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Website: http://www.surgery.org/press/statistics-2008.php • Colored People Time 5. (1969, December 31). Detroit Public Television: American Black Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from American Black Journal: http://matrix.msu.edu/~abk/videofull.php?id=50 • Erica Reischer, K. S. (2004). Body Beautiful: Symbolism and Agency in the Social World. Annual Review Anthropology , 297- 317. • Google inc. (2009). Google Images. Retrieved July 16, 2009, from Google Images: http://www.images.google.com • Mays, D. A. (2004). Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc. • Rolley, K. (1990). Fashion, Femininity, and the Fight for the Vote. Art History Volume 13 No.1 , 48-53. • Simon, D. (2000). Hair: Public, Political, Extremely Personal. New York, New York: Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press. • West, Janice. 1993. "The Shoe in Art, the Shoe as Art." In in Footnotes on Shoes. Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferriss, eds. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. • Winter, A. (2004, November-December). Off Our Backs. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from Off Our Backs: the feminist news journal: http://www.offourbacks.org

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