America the "Beautiful"
America today is made up of a very interesting society. We have come extremely far in our 231 years of being a living and thriving country, and we have much to show for our hard work. That being said, I believe that Americans have shifted their views and attention and have given them to something else. It’s safe to say that Americans today are obsessed with image. We have directed our energy and focus to our body image, how physically attractive we are, and what possessions we own; and, as a result, we've let those things dictate the image we have readily set up for everyone else.
A major role in America’s image problem is the whole “fat vs. skinny” phenomenon. There are innumerable people on both sides of the argument with what they believe to be concrete evidence as to why one is better than the other; however, it is clearly evident that America favors tinier people over larger people. Almost every time you turn on the television, you get bombarded by commercials and advertisements for the newest and “most effective” diet fads. Countless magazine covers are plastered with photoshopped images of unrealistically skinny actresses and models, broadcasting things like, “How I Got Thin in Just 30 Days,” “How to Lose 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks,” “Get Flat Sexy Abs,” or, “Get a Bikini Body Now!” Dozens upon dozens of fad diets are advertised daily, and dozens more are being created all the time. Shows like The Biggest Loser, America’s Next Top Model, and Fat Actress all feed America’s obsession with weight and weightloss. America is so obsessed with weight that it’s taking a toll on how we go about attaining a certain body image. Eating disorders are more prevalent in America’s society today than ever before. People are so obsessed with being thin that they’re willing to deprive themselves of what their bodies need to survive in order to attain weightloss. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Inc. (ANAD), 95% of those with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25 years old; the ideal age producers have in mind when marketing weight or weightloss products. The fear of being fat has gripped America tightly, and it shows little signs of easing up any time soon.
Another obsessive American mentality is that looks are everything. From the way we look to the way we dress, it’s all about how we present ourselves and whether or not it’s socially acceptable. The same magazines that advertise diets and weightloss also advertise things like, “Best Beauty Buys,” “201 Celebrity Cuts and Styles to Try Now,” “Wake Up Gorgeous; How to Turn Sleep into Beauty Rest,” and, “Anti-Aging Secrets That Nobody Tells You.” Additionally, plastic surgery has made its way into American culture. The website http://breastimplantinfo.org/ states that in 2003, more than 223,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients 18 years old and younger. 39,000 of those procedures were ones like liposuction, nose reshaping, tummy tucks, and breast augmentation. It wasn’t even until December of 2004 that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons took an official stand against performing breast augmentations on patients younger than 18, yet the overwhelming desire for physical attractiveness is more established in today’s youth than ever.
Countless advertisements for hair and makeup products are thrust upon America’s youth through the media every single day, and no one thinks anything of it. The central purpose of these advertisements revolves around the pressure to be physically pretty and perfect all the time. If your hair isn’t shiny or luscious enough, you’re considered sloppy. If your makeup isn’t a certain way, you’re passed off as if you don’t care about your appearance. If you try this product or that product, you’ll be more beautiful. The list could go on and on. America is so sold on the idea that beauty is objective that we can’t stop to appreciate that physical beauty is only skin deep. The idea that people have to be perfect and all together all the time has taken over our mentality, and as a result, true beauty has no room to grow.
Finally, America’s obsession with image branches off into the things we possess, such as accessories, technology, and clothing. According to America’s culture, how you’re dressed evidently gives off an image of who you are as a person, so people tend to dress themselves according to how they want to be perceived. Endless television commercials succeed in enticing and convincing people, Americans especially, as to which types of clothing are “in” these days. Consequently, fads pop up and die down rather quickly in American culture. What was “in” last month could be completely out of fashion by next week, and people buy into it because they don’t want to give off the image that they don’t care about what they look like.
Similarly, what accessories we own, namely women, can alter people’s perception of us. Name brand handbags like Vera Bradley, Coach, or Louis Vuitton seem to be popular favorites among women nowadays, and if you don’t own any or all of the aforementioned, you’re deemed as socially unacceptable. Other accessories like Tiffany jewelry, Rolex watches, Sperry Bahama boat shoes (Sperry’s), Victoria’s Secret yoga pants, and TOMS shoes have all become statement pieces in American society’s image of what’s “in.” I will admit to owning a couple of those things, but not because they’re what everyone else is wearing.
Technology also plays a significant role in how we are viewed in American society. It seems to most people that if you don’t own a MacBook Pro, you’re technologically impaired. Don’t get me wrong, technology has been a wonderful blessing; however, people, specifically younger people, have grown to be both obsessed and dependent on it. Nearly everyone in America is involved with some sort of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or countless other media sites. People put their whole lives on the internet, or rather, what they want others to believe is their life. Technology has changed the way people view their lives, and sometimes, though they’re not likely to admit it, their image of someone else is based on the technology they have and how they use it. For instance, it seems like Apple has been coming out with new products as soon as they update the old ones. They just recently released the iPhone 5, which according to some people, is similar to the iPhone 4. People buy it anyways because it’s the “cool” thing to do. As Americans, we are regrettably defined by the technology we possess; however, for some people, it is perfectly fine with them.
Though we have come far as a society, Americans are admittedly obsessed with image. How we believe we are perceived by others plays a pretty significant role in how we choose to represent ourselves. Whether it’s through body image, how physically attractive we are, or the things that we possess, image is something that most Americans today let dictate their lives. One can only hope that we will continue to move forward as a society and not let the idea of image control how we live.
