Appearances: How Looking in Control is Out of Control

It seems that we always want complete control over ourselves. Free to make choices from outside influences and having the freedom to form ourselves as we see fit. The more control we have, the more powerful we all feel as individuals. How do we seek control? It can be attained in many different avenues, what we wear, what we eat, and how we exercise are only a few simple examples. It does in fact seem that we base much of our individual control around how we treat, and present our bodies. After all, if we don't have control bodies, how can we begin to control anything else? Well, according to Susan Bordo, in her article “Never Just Pictures: Bodies and Fantasies”, we may not have as much control over ourselves and our bodies as we may like to think. In truth, our decisions, conscious or subconscious, are strongly influenced by the world around us. In today's modern era, modern media is constantly bombarding our psyche. These advertisements have a direct relationship on our body image and yields a strong relationship the image of a thin body and self control.

There is most certainly an ideal in body image in advertising. To such an effect that Bordo describes as a “normalizing” factor. This is best illustrated in how ads continually present the most ideal form for both men and women. These images become so imprinted, abundant, and universal that it effects people across the entire diversity scope. This idealistic image is perpetually focused around the thought of incredibly thin and gaunt models for advertising including, but not limited to clothing, make-up, perfume, and sports ads. In turn, to further reinforce this image, fat stands as the polarizing opposite to this ideal. An entity unwanted and even claimed to be evil. Fat represents failure where protruding bones emphasize success and control over ones self. This too is reinforced by media and commercials. This shift in bodily ideal can most likely be claimed to have started in the mid 1990's. When during the 1996 Summer Olympic games “..were reported with unprecedented focus and hype on the fat-free beauty and muscular bodies...” (Bordo 137). Naturally, people react to these impulses. Society seems to have a tendency to idolize and look up to the images of media. People wish to recreate these images onto themselves and show that they are indeed in control of their bodies and not fat, a sign of inherent failure.

Such a mentality is volatile and will almost certainly lead to truly unhealthy actions. This is most commonly manifested as eating disorders. According to these body images, the more thin we become, we in turn feel more in control with ourselves. Bordo illustrates how this is caused in our society. Western culture exists in a paradox and according to Bordo, “The emergences of eating disorders is a complex, multi-layered cultural 'symptom'.” What Bordo means by this is that we live under many social pressures that almost seemingly forces us to eat less, or at the very least take notice or concern to our own personal body in regards to fat. The forces reside as the idealization of certain body forms that “...perpetuates our anxieties and insecurities.” but at the same time, these images symbolize “fantasized solutions to these anxieties...” (Bordo 138) In essence, these body images feed into our very desire for self control. They are presented in such a manner that the only way to attain the image of control inevitably falls into an out of control spiral manifested as an eating disorder.