Saturday, March 22, 2014

Power of Images

Kelley Marki The Body Love Conference Propaganda:
"Every day we, and the children around us, see more than 200 negative body image advertisements on television. If we read magazines, walk by newsstands, or engage in social media, that number multiplies exponentially. This is a direct extension of a historical marketing scheme that was created to encourage us to purchase perfection—to spend our money chasing an unachievable goal. While this earns the weight loss and beauty industries billions of dollars every year, the cost is much more than monetary for the rest of us. The majority of modern social ills can be, at least in part, traced back to that simple concept of selling perfection: depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, poor relationship skills, hopelessness—even suicidal tendencies. Talking about this pervasive media message is a crucial step toward a healthier and happier society."
 
I know the power of a single image.  In photography, we discuss the trends and highlights of photographic world.  Combine these images with parents unreasonable expectations, peer bullying, and deterioration of basic values having importance we have a lethal combination.  I watched my grandmother starve herself to look 'beautiful.'  I wrote a paper in the 1990's on the growing trend of anorexia.  I grieved when I found out that Karen Carpenter died an early death from the complications of anorexia.  Boys take soy protein and steroids trying to beef themselves up in a way that can destroy their body.  Girls diet as teenagers.  Both men and women spend alarming amounts of money on food and products to 'look their best.'  However, it is not all bad.  Yesterday, I had a lovely time being pampered with gel fingernails that change colors and having my hair dyed to cover some of my gray hair.  I felt relaxed and special for the extra care I had done.  There is a certain amount of good feeling from self-care.  Healthy diet does make a difference in how I feel.  Exercise does improve how I feel and my self-perception.  I believe that the importance of meeting our needs gets muddled by the greed of industries trying to make more money.  I am an advocate of learning where the line is drawn for yourself between self-care and trying to meet societies image demands.  I love going to the studio to dance/exercise.  I enjoyed having my hair dyed.  I choose healthy food that is sometimes more expensive.  I got suckered into buying hamburger buns with 'fewer' calories only to find out I paid twice as much for only 10 less calories.  Self-care is vital for self-esteem, relationship skills, and feeling good about our selves.  Distortions of needs to meet unreasonable outside influences exist.  I am learning that the more emotional-healthy I feel about myself the easier it is for me to tell the difference between what I want and what others dictate I should do....did I mention how much fun I am having with my fingernails changing colors? 
 

3 comments:

Tundra Woman said...

Fo *years* I bit my fingernails horribly and picked my cuticles until they bled. It was a self-soothing technique I learned from my earliest memories. My "mother" always made horrible statements about my nails and I made multiple, unsuccessful efforts to stop biting my nails to no avail (and more scorn.)
By my mid-20's I was very LC with her or Nsis. One day I looked down and I had nails! They weren't attractive because I had bitten them for so long but the miracle of nail polish-oh my! I smile every time I look down and see my nails-it gives me a happy feeling inside.
Please enjoy having someone *else* do your nails, hair etc.! I may slob around the house, but when I go out the little extra effort be it hair, nails or make-up makes *me* feel, well, good. I stopped buying into images long ago. And now as an older widow, I've long since realized Maybelline or La Mer weren't gonna "save" me or give me the skin I had in my younger years.
But I can still be neat, clean and "presentable." The cool thing about being older is you become rather invisible, the better to watch unobtrusively as others parade and strut-which also lets me giggle: Yup, I did the same.thing, no doubt! :)
TW
(I'd love to see your nails!)

mulderfan said...

As a kid, I bit my nails and picked my cuticles til they bled. Never occurred to my parents to wonder why, just gave them a new reason to put me down. My finger tips are permanently scarred so that in the summer when my hands tan my old habit comes back to haunt me.

When my daughter was in an eating disorder program part of the self-care therapy included getting her nails done which was something I'd always wanted to do, so I tagged along. Now it's part of my regular routine along with pedicures.

As a teen, I wasn't allowed lipstick or nail polish. First time my dad saw me (in my fifties!)with a pale pink manicure he said I looked like a whore. Pretty much ever since, I've done bright red! The colour change thing has me all curious and JEALOUS!!!

Self care is fun and I love the compliments I get about my nails!

Ruth said...

TW and mulderfan, thank you for sharing your stories. As requested, pictures of my nails will go up on Monday. I am amazed how something so simple helps me feel so special.