...cuz I'm nerdly that way, I wanted to draw your attention to a study released earlier this month. A group of marketing prof.s writing in the Journal for Consumer Research, observed that looking at an advertisement of a beauty or fashion product caused female undergraduates to have a negative view of themselves afterwards. However, looking at a picture of makeup or high-heeled shoes outside of the context of an ad did not affect the viewers' self-esteem. They suggest that the fact that the item is featured in an ad may be a message in itself--this picture is to remind you that you should buy this product because of your lack of smooth skin, thick lashes, etc.
This study didn't consider ads featuring the human body, but it isn't much of a stretch to consider the implications when looking at an image of an impossibly thin and flexible body doing, say, a difficult arm balance. Especially in the context of selling something. Those that argue that this kind of imagery is empowering and uplifting may want to think again.
I'm just sayin'...
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4 comments:
This is an interesting distinction. I feel like I need to delve deep into what my own reactions are and examine.
Always thought-provoking! :) Happy Holidays!!
Beating a dead horse doesn't seem like a very compassionate practice...though, if it's already dead, you're presumably not causing any suffering, at least not in addition to what killed it...though, needless to say, if you were beating the poor animal before it died, that's obviously not cool...but, if you weren't, but just saw the horst lying there and felt like giving it a good beating, that's kinda sick and not really healthy mentally or spiritually, but I guess the cause of death would be the real issue from an ahimsa point of view...
*ahem*
Not sure what to think of studies like that--I mean, while, clearly the issues are somewhat different for a male yogi, I do tend to be somewhat hyperconscious of my physical fitness--or, more to the point, lack thereof--and, as such, am glad I don't see pictures of impossibly buff men every time I pick up a yoga magazine. At the same time, I don't need pictures to make me feel bad--it's something I experience whenever I see those impossibly buff dudes doing those seemingly impossible for me twisting arm balance thingies in class...and I'm not going to tell them to stay home and stop disempowering me. Ultimately, I've simply gotta learn to love myself in a world full of people better looking than myself. Then, I guess it would be different if an unhealthy ideal of male beauty was being pushed--if for instance, the steroid-pumped Jersey Shore boys started getting featured in Yoga Journal--which would be the equivalent of uber-skinny women. Much to consider...
Land's Sakes, Y4C, that's quite a missive. The horse image was mostly in ref. to the "we've been down this contentious road before" aspect of the discussion.
However, horse imagery to the pre-Hindu cultures of India has an interesting and complicated history--including as symbols of wealth and as animals suitable for sacrifice--often referenced in Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus." Worth a look.
And I certainly didn't mean to imply that the impressively built shouldn't practice with the rest of us mere mortals. Just that, to use their spectacular bods as a means of promoting commerce might also promote some damaging emotions in their viewers.
Y4Y-back atcha!
I just read your post and I thought it was awesome! I’ll be checking out your site. Bookmarked -Erica
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