Thursday, November 29, 2012
COMS
369 – B03
Nov
29, 2012
Student
10090204
Models
as role Models
A common image in today’s
society is that of a perfectly skinny woman, without a flaw in her figure. The main reason for this is probably because
she has no figure, but in reality the model being used in the advertisement,
commercial, runway, poster or any variety of media, is in fact too skinny. I'm not trying to say that being skinny is a
bad thing, but that when it jeopardises health and general wellness it has
become a problem. Because of the issues
that arise from having models that are too skinny (issues of the models health,
but also of the public’s ideas and interpretations of advertisements) regulating
models weights has become a popular topic.
What I mean by restricting models’ weights is ensuring that a model is
of a healthy weight before they are able to work, for any kind of photo shoot,
filming, or runway. By taking this one
small step in assuring that the images that are propagated worldwide are
spreading a more positive outlook on what is considered beautiful, big changes
could be made on everyone’s low self-esteem and general health.
As I’m sure many of you
know, models tend to be overly skinny, and often suffer from eating
disorders. The fashion industry, whether
it claims to or not, associates beauty with thinness. Although this trend is
unlikely to change any time soon, it would be very beneficial if the “thinness”
was not sickly thin where the human body is frail and has to struggle to function
properly. A healthy body fits in between an 18.5 and 25 on the BMI or Body Mass
Index. However, many models fall below this line, and some are putting their
lives in serious jeopardy.
In 2006, after some
disturbing deaths in the modelling world due to eating disorders, Madrid’s
fashion week banned all models that were underweight from the runways. According to a CNN article regarding the
even, 30% of the models ended up not being allowed to participate due to being
underweight. Since then there haven’t been
many other fashion shows that have done this, but there have been a few changes
made. A CBS news article from this spring shows the changes that have been made
in Israel:
“The new law states that models with a
Body Mass Index - height to weight ratio - of under 18.5 will not be hired for modelling jobs unless a doctor explicitly says they are not underweight. Also,
if advertisers attempt to graphically make models skinnier, they must
explicitly say so in the ad.”
This is a monumental start to spreading healthy
images. It is also becoming a trend for
certain companies to use a more varied scope of models and promote a healthy
variety of bodies.
Despite the changes that are being
made, I don’t think I ever go a day where I don’t see an add, whether its in a
magazine, on a poster, online, or on TV with the perfect model who has flawless
skin, perfect hair and of course an extremely skinny body. And don’t think I'm excluding men, most ads
that include men show the tall dark and handsome man, without an ounce of fat
on them. However, the “typical male
model” is usually of a healthier weight and has a larger focus on muscle than
on thinness. Being underweight does happen among male models; however it is a
less frequent occurrence, which is why I am directing most of my comments
towards females. These are just some
standard measurements for female models that have been fairly predominant in
the modelling industry for quite a few years. The average female model is about
5’8”- 6’0” and has a bust measurement of about 34 inches, waist 24 or less and
hips are again around 34. Just out of
curiosity, I took my own measurements and despite being in a healthy range in
the BMI and being at least four inches shorter than the average female model,
all of my measurements are larger, except of course my bust.
The first and most obvious benefit to
regulating models’ weights is that it will encourage them to have a healthy
body and discourage eating disorders. The next, and probably the most important
effect that regulating models weights will have is on the people that the
images touch, which is to say nearly everyone.
The idea that sickly skinny is beautiful needs to be dispelled and what
is a better way of doing it than by making sure that the beauty idols that we
look up to on magazines, TV, and all over the internet are all healthy?
Changing what is allowed to be used in advertisements will ultimately change
what is seen as beautiful. In order to be a part of the change for health as
beauty, you can do simple things like supporting the companies that do use
healthy models, and simply be aware of what is and isn’t a healthy image.
There
are obviously some objections to the idea of restricting underweight models’. As a question of freedom of expression,
restricting what can be seen in advertisements seems to hinder not only the
model’s freedom of expression but also the designer’s. I believe that anyone can weigh whatever they
feel like they want to weigh, but that if footage of them is going to be spread
globally by huge companies, that there should be restrictions. This is similar to
censoring media, just like vulgar vocabulary is censored from most television,
so should images that embody beauty as sickness and bones. Secondly there are
some scruples as to whether the body mass index is a valid way of measuring a person’s
health. A very small amount of people
who eat healthy and don’t over exercise still fall below the necessary weight
for their height. The new Israeli law
does a good job of making up for this law by saying that they will be banned
unless a doctor decides that they are not underweight. The BMI calculator is a useful tool, but in
order to allow for human diversity, having a doctor as a back-up in case it
wrongly defines someone as underweight is the perfect way to eliminate the
problems with the system. Having restrictions
on weight is not there to make naturally skinny unable to model, but to ensure
that those who are unhealthy are not publicised.
The
solution to many peoples insecurities with their bodies, and many peoples
illnesses related to those insecurities is to change what people see as
beautiful. So next time you see that image of the “perfect model” think twice
about it and buy the health oriented magazine, or shop from the stores with
pictures of every kind of model. Don’t let yourself believe that what you see is
a true depiction of beauty, but instead see beauty in health!
Useful Sources:
“Skinny Models Banned from Catwalk.” CNN World. 13 Sept, 2006. Web. 25 Nov
2012
“Skinny Models Banned.” The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 13 Sept, 2006. Web. 25 Nov
2012
James, Robert. “Go Size Zero?.” Fibre 2 Fashion. Web. 25 Oct 2012.
“Israeli Law Bans Ads Featuring Underweight Models.”
CBS News. 20 Mar, 2012. Web. 25 Nov 2012
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