Heidi Klum, Dead Teenagers, and Fat People

Sadly, physical appearance is often the only feature of an individual that we take into consideration when we meet someone. Unconsciously, we judge people based on the stereotypes of beauty that are instilled in our perceptions. What is it that brainwashes us into believing one person is attractive and another not? Advertising and the media are classic scapegoats for the main driving-force for our physical obsession. The media is merely an extension of our views as a society as a whole. The media controls us, but we control the media. We control ourselves. So who really is to blame? Who is it that controls the media? Usually we like to think that people that are much different than us are controlling the media. In the end, advertising is meant to appeal to the people the product is being sold to. If we didn't like the image on the billboard or magazine then we wouldn't buy the product.

BEAUTY AWARD FOR 082009

English: Back cover of Barbie booklet about how to...

English: Heidi Klum modeling at The Heart Truth Fa...

We like to look at people that are attractive. Sometimes we consciously know we want to see attractive people and sometimes we only know subconsciously. Either way, beauty is something that we can't ignore. The argument here is that it's the media that's defining what beauty is. There are many reasons why the media is and isn't the problem spawning our false ideals.

Everyday we are exposed to countless images portraying women the way that the media would like them to be portrayed. Often, this means that the women that are displayed are unnaturally thin and airbrushed to look "perfect." These pictures have defined the way that we view beauty. Someone that doesn't fit this tight standard of beauty is ugly and, therefore, must change their eating habits to try and force their bodies to apply to this impossible standard. What is it...