Identity: Commercial Images & The Impact of appearance on Identity

CAmeron Russell Talks about "Winning the Genetic Lottery"

No matter now vain or how humble we may be, appearance deeply colors our identities, and how others respond to us. Media images inform us of the many visual expectations our culture places on us as individuals. In this 20 minute presentation, working model Cameron Russell discusses the experience of becoming a model and the reality behind images the fashion and advertising industry produce. Her critique of social norms and expectations, primarily of women, is a thoughtful look behind the curtain of the media machine that saturates our visual culture and deeply influences our opinions of appearance, self-worth and beauty.

Have Media Images Affected Your Perception of Identity?

Social expectation of what we ought to look like, as perpetuated by our media rich culture through advertising and entertainment, set somewhat strict rules about what we value as attractive. Although there are always examples of outliers, these exceptions that "break the mould" do not often offer opportunity for large numbers of other celebrities, models or public figures to follow (meaning, these outliers remain exceptional and in the minority). Some cultural expectations, such as skin color, facial features and body type, are genetically determined and not easily mutable. 

A simple Google search for "research does media affect body image" will call up approximately 62,000,000 results instantly. It's a hot topic. And that research is not exclusive to women. Men are also studied for the affects that media images have on their own self perception as well. Some studies link the rise in eating disorders and other negative self-image related phenomena to media exposure (especially in younger people).
However, media also offers an opportunity to present unexpected role models. Certainly celebrities that feature "non-traditional" physical characteristics open up a broader conversation about what we deem normal and attractive. Social media, like Twitter and Instagram, have offered venues for everyday people to promote diversity in our social norms as well.

1. How might it feel to fall outside these expectations?
2. Has your own self concept been altered or informed by popular standards of appearance?
3. Has your identity or self concept ever been inspired by media images?
4. Do you feel that our ideas of beauty and cultural concepts of desirable appearance have changed over the past century?
5. Do you feel that our ideas of beauty have become more diverse, or more restrictive?

Links of interest:
Mass Media & Its Influence on the Adolescent Mind
Media Smarts: Body Image and Advertising
[PDF] Common Sense Media - Children, Teens, Media & Body Image
Brown University Health - Body Image Study
The Atlantic - Body-Image Pressure Increasingly Affects Boys
About-Face - Advocacy To Improving Girls' & Womens' Body Image
BBC - Does Social Media Impact On Body Image?
Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders
Huff Po - Here's More Evidence That Good-Looking People Can Get Away With Anything
BBC - The Surprising Downsides of Being Drop Dead Gorgeous
Newsweek - The Beauty Advantage: How Looks Affect Your Work, Your Career, Your Life
Psychology Today - Beautiful People Really Are More Intelligent
Slate: Why are Smart People Ugly
Huff Po - It's Amazing How Much The Perfect Body Has Changed...
CNN - What Is Beauty and Who Has It?
Business Insider - 8 Scientifically Proven Reasons Life Is Better If You're Beautiful
Psychology Today - Being Beautiful or Handsome is Easier Than You Think
Body Image - A Cultural Construct