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Linh Tran Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 16 September 2013 Topic Proposal: Self-consciousness and the Media Ha e !ou e er opene" up a gossip maga#ine or seen a commercial $here the me"ia praises those $ho ha e %it bo"ies an" ma&e %un o% those $ho ha e seeme" to 'let themsel es go( or "on)t necessaril! ha e the 'per%ect( bo"!* +ell here)s the thing, no one has a 'per%ect( bo"! to begin $ith- .ot e en the %emale an" male $ho ha e gone un"er multiple cosmetic surgeries to become the real li&e /arbie an" 0en ha e achie e" the 'per%ect( bo"!- The me"ia)s praise o% ha ing a 'per%ect( bo"! mostl! a%%ects $omen but can also a%%ect men- I ha e been one to open up a 1S +ee&l! maga#ine, or some other gossip maga#ine, an" %lip through the pages $ishing that I ha" so2an"2so)s bo"!, or ha" slimmer thighs, or $hate er the case ma! be- In some o% these maga#ines, the! en3o! bringing attention to celebrities $ho are o er$eight or ha e gaine" the slighte" bit o% $eight, an" that causes e en me to 3u"ge them e en though I am $ell a$are that the! are human4ccor"ing to 5oints o% 6ie$)s article, '/o"! Image an" the Me"ia: 4n 7 er ie$,( it states that there has been man! i"eals o% bo"! images ha e e ol e" o er time- It $ent %rom the 1820)s loo&: a bo!ishl! slen"er, narro$2hippe", an" %lat2cheste" i"eal %eminine bo"! to a more cur aceous bo"! t!pe in the 1890s to no$ a thin, almost anore:ic loo&ing bo"!- In the 1860s, there $as a rise in a ne$ bo"! image tren"- The thin English supermo"el an" actress &no$n as T$igg! %irst populari#e" this tren"- She $as aroun" 9);(, $as on the international %ashion scene in 1866, an" $eighe" onl! about 80 poun"s- This $as a completel! "i%%erent bo"! image %rom

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the 1890s cur aceous loo& o% icons such as Maril!n Monroe- .ot onl! "i" the bo"! image tren"s o% %emales change, but men)s "i" as $ell- In the 18;0s, the tren" "ebute" $ith competiti e mar&ing campaigns that re ol e" aroun" !oung, shirtless, chisele" mo"els <those such as the Cal in 0lein mo"els=- Since then there has been a rise on males going to the g!m to get more built an" be able to achie e the bo"ies o% the mo"els- Since the 1860s %or %emales an" 18;0s %or males, the bo"! image tren"s ha e still stuc& aroun"- The me"ia embraces those bo"! t!pes an" $ill continue to- It seems that more an" more people these "a!s are tr!ing to accept their bo"ies an" &no$ that the! $ill ne er be able to achie e the 'per%ect( bo"ies that the me"ia %a ors an" praisesThe %ashion in"ustr! still abi"es b! the 'T$igg!( loo&: mo"els are still s&inn!, mo"els must be a certain height, an" the! must ha e the correct bo"! t!pe: not too athletic, not too $i"e2 hippe", etc- Man! people ha e seen sho$s such as 4merica)s .e:t Top Mo"el an" $e see that T!ra /an&s tries to gi e the girls $ith potential to be a mo"el a chance- These girls range %rom height, bo"! t!pes, an" more- These girls "o not ha e a speci%ic t!pe o% loo&, $hich is $hat the %ashion in"ustr! loo&s %or: the 'per%ect( loo& $hich inclu"es being a o er 9);(, s&inn!, certain %acial %eatures, an" more- /ut $hat $e "on)t see %rom the photos that the me"ia releases is that a lot o% these girls "o in"ee" ha e eating "isor"ers, the! star e themsel es to be able to ma&e a li ing in the %ashion in"ustr!- +hat $e "o get are the photoshoppe" photos o% them to ma&e them loo& li&e the! ha e %la$less s&in, per%ect %lo$ing hair, an" no bo"! %at- This can be er! "ecei ing an" the people $ho are sel%2conscious %all into the traps o% belie ing that these mo"els reall! are that per%ect+h! "o $e %all into the trap o% the me"ia pro o&ing the so2calle" 'per%ect( bo"! t!pe* +h! "o $e e en let the me"ia ma&e the "ecisions o% $hat beauti%ul reall! is* Ho$ come T$igg!

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became the staple center %or ho$ our societ!)s mo"els an" %emales in general shoul" loo& to"a!* +h! "o $e care $hat others thin& about our bo"ies as much as $e "o* >es, $e must loo& presentable, but presentable in !our o$n bo"! an" s&in is $hat is more important- ?o mo"els en3o! ha ing to eat proportione" meals an" $or& out as much as the! "o* ?o the! en3o! ha ing to gi e up the things the! lo e %or a bo"! t!pe an" 3ob* +h! "o $e praise %emales <an" males= that hurt their bo"ies* I)m intereste" in this topic because o% m! e:periences $ith comparing m! bo"ies to other %emales) bo"ies- I al$a!s $ish that I can change this an" that on m! bo"! $hen this is ho$ I $as ma"e, I can)t change it unless I $ant to pa! thousan"s o% "ollars to %i: it- I)m intereste" in $h! the public obsesses o er bo"! images- +h! can)t $e be at peace $ith o$n bo"ies an" mo e on* Ma!be this is ho$ $e)re generate" to thin&- +e)re constantl! comparing oursel es to others, not onl! in loo&s but also in sports an" other areas- I ha e trie" man! times to not compare m!sel% $hen I see a girl $ho I thin& is prett! an" then all o% these thoughts run through m! hea": '+h! can)t I ha e s&inn! legs li&e her*( '+h! can)t I be taller*( '+h! can)t I ha e higher bri"ge in m! nose*( '+h! can)t I ha e prettier colore" e!es than m! bro$n e!es*( The list coul" go on an" on- I hope to %in" out $hat triggers these thoughts in our brains- +h! are $e al$a!s $ire" to thin& the $a! $e "o $hen $e see others $ho "on)t ha e our personal %la$s* I 3ust $ant to &no$ $h! $e can)t be accepting o% our bo"ies an" mo e on to more important issues that are going on in the $orl"M! ne:t steps to %in"ing most, i% not all, o% the ans$ers to m! @uestions $oul" to loo& on online "atabases, $hich I ha e alrea"! starte" an" ha e %oun" %our reall! goo" articles that I plan on using- 4 %e$ o% m! %rien"s are local mo"els an" I might inter ie$ them on their thoughts o% the mo"eling in"ustr! an" ho$ the! %eel being a mo"el $ith the $hole bo"! image issues- I hope

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to %in" reall! goo" in%ormation about this topic because it)s not an eas! one- There)s clearl! not one ans$er to $h! mo"els "o things li&e become anore:ic or bulimic, but there has to be something that lin&s most o% the reasons $h! together an" that)s $hat I $ant to %igure out-