Super Models Essay, Research Paper

Super Models

The American society is so easily influenced in many ways. Super Models are one group of people who seem to have an increasingly influential toll on our society. They have influenced us on what to buy, what to wear and how to eat. Why has this specific group captured our attention so much? Why do we seem to be so fascinated in their lives, to the point where we try to look and act just like them? Many people believe that it is the fault of the media, who seem to persuade our thinking that these Super Models’ lives are ideal. Others believe that it is just the fault of our society as a whole, that we all create our own fascination of these people’s lives. There are many opinions, and I agree with both of these specific opinions. We allow ourselves to be captivated by these people’s lives, and the media portrayal of their lives seem to also enthrall us. Still, the question of why we allow this to happen to ourselves is pondered by the minds of many people.

First of all Super Models’ influence all of us; no matter how old or young, no matter if you are male or female, and no matter what kind of style you choose to follow. Their purpose is to influence us to buy certain products, and for purchasers to decide that their product is best. We are influenced in one way or another, to follow the newest and latest styles. Super models seem to be the innovator’s of many new trends. Not only do they promote clothes, but make-up, hair styles, accessories, music, and just about anything that Americans are fascinated with. You look anywhere and there is a “perfect” model trying to promote just about everything.

Yes, in recent years models have changed the warped thought that a super model is a young, blonde, white woman, who is absolutely beautiful, skinny, and just the “All-American girl”. Male models seem to be becoming more and more popular over recent years. Which is great, because males seem to be becoming more stylish and confident with their fashion sense. It gives an opportunity for males to take a stand in the spotlight. African-American models seem to be taking quite a stand as well, like some favorites Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Tyson Beckford. These are all positive changes in the world of modeling. Now little boys and girls can look at a model and no longer believe they have to have blonde hair and blue eyes to be beautiful.

Model’s have also done a great job with trying to send out the message for everyone to create their own styles. Because of super models, there are so many different styles that are constantly being innovated. There is always different ways in which they help create something new. We are not as obsessed with loading on make-up, and wearing skin tight clothes. It is more about trying to achieve a natural look, and wearing clothes of your own style, but trying to rev them up. Every look from grunge, hip hop, prep, vintage, and the list goes on. Models have really done a great job with allowing our culture to be more open-minded with different styles.

Super models have not only made a positive impact on our society though, they have also influenced us to do many drastic things. One aspect of modeling that for some reason has dramatically changed in the last five years or so, is “the look”. It has gone from the perfect, girl next door look; to the dramatic, tall, very skinny, strung out look. Which has been detrimental to our society, as far as the desire to achieve this look goes. The strung out look is the look that you just pulled an all-niter filled with many drugs, and alcohol, and you have not taken the time to clean yourself up. These models appear messy and out of control. Many think that this look has created a drug-craze among our communities. It seems that many people think that this image is something great, so they do their best to try and imitate it.

Teenager’s are all very, very impressionable, and are easily persuaded by the media. Young girls and boys of today are searching for their 5 minutes of fame. They have many people that they look up to from singers, dancers, actors, and yes models. Each high school clique` seems to have one style which they try to achieve. Where does that desire come from? It is the desire that the media creates. Commercials, newspapers, and magazines bombard us with news about the latest diet, and how great it is. Teens idolize famous people who starve themselves to get the look that they want. There are several children “under the age of 10″ who are already becoming erratic with their bodies and diets (”Society and Eating Disorder”pg.2). These children should not have a fear of becoming fat, we need to teach our children to be self-satisfied of who they are. To not become obsessed with the “perfect body image” which is impossible to naturally obtain. Although, it is not only young people who seem to be impressed with these models.

The desire to be thin, and to achieve the perfect body is becoming increasingly important in many people’s lives. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the need to be thin. By listening to and buying certain weight-loss products we are the ones who keep these people in business. We allow ourselves to be surrounded by fashion magazines which have anorexic looking models plastered on the covers, but on the other hand we still buy them. The average model weighs about 23 % below the average body weight (”Society and Eating Disorders” pg. 1). If you weigh 15% under average body weight you are considered anorexic (”Society and Eating Disorders” pg. 1). So we are allowing ourselves, and our children, to idolize people who have a serious problem with their eating behaviors. Is this “the look” that we are all trying to achieve? I should hope not.

This is a sick obsession that our society has. The obsessions is to look just like models, like Kate Moss, who are dangerously under weight. To imitate the look of a young, drug-crazed victim in a crazy world. They teach us all, toddler through adult, to achieve the “perfect body”. Yet, we all seem to forget that those images of these models in magazines have been touch up to create their perfect bodies.

Why do we allow ourselves to be told how to act, dress, and think? We see that our favorite model is some horrible depiction of what is popular, and the next day we are all out trying to copy it. We search through our grandmother’s closets to find the clothes that were popular in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. We imitate styles and call them retro. A word used to make us think that we are taking an old style and trying to make it new. Why don’t we go out there and really create our own styles? Why do some of us paint our faces and cake on a layer of make-up to impress everyone else? How about impressing our-selves once in a while?

We need to stop allowing ourselves to become fascinated with an image that does not exist. We need to stop listening to the ads that we see on TV, that say to be happy you need to be skinny. You definitely do not need to starve yourself to achieve happiness, and anyone who believes that is in for more difficulties than they have planned for. Anorexia, the process of starving yourself because of a distorted body image, and Bulimia, the process of bingeing and purging, are both extremely dangerous diseases. If we are insistent on looking just like these super models, we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to one or both of these diseases. These diseases lead to several health problems, and even death. So let’s learn from these super models. Create our own styles, and be satisfied with the way that we look. God created all of us separately and individually. So we need to appreciate all that we have, and not be obsessed with maintaining a size 5 our whole lives.