On democratization of beauty
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Growing up , Jess Weiner was baffled by the media . ? Who makes the media ?? she asked . But more than the nature of the industry , it was its messages that nagged her . Why are glossy magazines filled with impossibly beautiful women ? Thin body , blue eyes , flawless skin , long hair , long neck , long legs ? all constituents of what she considered an arbitrary definition of beauty . ? Who makes that decision ? Why don ? t I see regular people who look like me ??
As a grown woman , the lingering question in her mind smacked more of a rebellion than a mere curiosity . ? Why am I not represented in the media ??
The growing desire to fight the media ? s tyrannical imposition of beauty standards led Weiner to a profession that seeks to revolutionalize cultural messages . ? I have now developed a career where I get to do what I love and make money doing it . I worked hard for it ,? said Dove ? s Global Self-Esteem ambassador and CEO of Talk To Jess , a consulting firm that advises global brands on image issues facing women , girls and families .
Weiner , who is also an adjunct professor of personal branding and entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California , is an influential part of the team behind Dove ? s campaign for natural beauty , and Mattel ? s overhaul of the Barbie Doll line ? now more relatable , representative of ethnic diversity and cognizant of the nuances of beauty .
Beyond defining what constitutes beauty , confidence-building is the centerpiece of Weiner ? s advocacy . ? Beauty comes from the way we live our lives ,? Weiner told the young students at the HighTide Self Esteem Workshop organized by the Guam Women ? s Chamber of Commerce at the
While the traditional media still tries to set the standards of beauty , Weiner believes the social media is changing the game .
Guam Community College on Feb . 16 .
The workshop , consisting of a curriculum offered worldwide , is a component of Dove ? s Self-Esteem Project launched in 2006 . It was spawned by a study which showed that 2 percent of women worldwide considered themselves beautiful . ? That number alone was shocking ,? Weiner said . ? That left 90 percent of women who won ? t describe themselves as beautiful .?
The self-esteem project , Weiner explained , was created to build a conversation with multiple generations about beauty and self-confidence . The goal is to unpack some of the physical appearance pressures , debunk stereotypes and help the next generation feel better about the way they look . Dove ? s campaign ? which celebrates all shapes , colors and sizes ? calls for women around the world to renounce the narrow , unattainable standards of beauty and replace them with a message of female empowerment .
? There have been a lot of changes in the modeling industry . There are bans on underweight models in some countries like Spain , France and U . K .,? Weiner said . ? We haven ? t hooked up on that yet in the United
States but I think there is some industry recognition that showing young and severely underweight models is not really healthy for the viewing audience . I think the fashion industry has responded in an interesting way . I don ? t think they are anywhere near where they need to be . Overall , the fashion industry still relies on outdated measures of beauty . But I think they are embracing more diversity .?
While the traditional media still tries to set the standards of beauty , Weiner believes the social media is changing the game . In the pre-social media era , the image industry was monopolized by advertising professionals , photographers , copywriters and brand experts . ? Now everybody is on social media ; it democratizes beauty ,? she said .
With photo editor and filter apps on smartphones , everyone now has access to the tricks of image professionals . Ah , beauty is in the eye of the beholder ? s smartphone . ? Is there a problem with that ? Maybe at face value it ? s not a problem . But when a girl , who takes a hundred of selfies , filters her photo and filters the filtered photo , she doesn ? t look like herself anymore . When we manipulate reality so much that it no longer exists , that becomes a problem ,? Weiner said .
What ? s her take on the Kardashians ?
? I ? m afraid we sometimes use them as scapegoats ; it ? s always the Kardashians ? fault . But I think the Kardashians are only highlighting what we value ? thinness , sexuality and a certain look . They are cashing in on that . So Iunderstand the pressure that they have from an appearance standpoint .?
But this generation can ? t always blame pop culture while reneging on its own responsibility to shape young people ? s values , Weiner said . ? It ? s important for parents , aunts , teachers and mentors to have the conversations that the Kardashians are not supposed to have because they are not here for us ; they don ? t know us .?
In the end , she said , real people have a bigger impact on a girl ? s life .
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