--How does the media engage (explicitly or implicitly) with ideas surrounding body size (thinness, excess, fatness, etc.)?
--Is consumerism either explicitly or implicitly called upon/referred to as a way of means of maintaining or achieving hegemonic beauty ideals?
They are supposed to be innocent, young women who serve as role models for young girls all over the country. Disney starlets are popular for girls everywhere who fall in the pre-teen age category but even these Disney girls are subjected to the gendered gaze. They have their bodies portrayed in a sexual manner, they exhibit a particular body size, and they illustrate how consumerism allows them to maintain the hegemonic beauty ideals. All of these things are being portrayed to young girls all over the country as the “healthy” way to live.
Ashley Tisda
le, Hayden Panettiere, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and Vanessa Hudgens were all budding Disney starlets when they began their careers in the entertainment business and they all have something else in common too: they all have appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Although everyone wants to believe that these young women are excellent role models for their daughters, sisters, or nieces this just isn’t the case. These young women are placed on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine “positioned 
for the pleasure of a presumably male spectator, producing a passive/active split between the bodies.”(Robertson, 14 July 2010). Their bodies emphasize “what’s valued in our culture and our society.” By appearing on Cosmo magazine covers alongside headlines that read “Sex That Brings You Closer” and “Be a Sex Genius” and wearing revealing clothing their bodies are conveying sexuality to readers of both genders. Their bodies are shown how the female should “naturally” look and act. (Robertson, 19 July 2010)
The bodies of all of these young women also fit the ideal body size. They are thin, busty, and tan. They fit the common societal discourse of thinness. Being “fat” would not be healthy for young girls so these popular stars cannot be overweight in order to appeal to younger girls.
How can these young women serve as role models to young girls when they appear on the cover of a magazine as controversial as Cosmopolitan? Cosmo women could not be intelligent with graduate degrees. (Ouellette, 1999) By having these young stars appear on covers of magazines like Cosmo we are telling the pre-teen girls of America that it is okay to forego an education and to use their sexuality to get what they want out of life. These stars also implicitly call upon consumerism in order to maintain hegemonic beauty ideals. They always have the latest fashions, a new hairstyle, articles about makeover tips and how to get bodies just like theirs. (Robertson, 21 July 2010) Hegemonic beauty ideals are what society is supposed to believe is beautiful and these women play right into that belief. They fit the idea of thinness, expressing their sexuality through dress, and positioning their bodies in ways that are subjected to the gendered gaze. They advocate that beauty products and certain types of clothing can make girls look beautiful just like them. These are not the kind of women who should be serving as role models to vulnerable pre-teen girls who are concerned with fitting in to the popular crowd more than anything else.
Works Cited: 
Robertson, Lindsay. “The Body and the Gendered Gaze” powerpoint lecture. 14 July
2010.
Robertson, Lindsay. “Sex and the City” powerpoint lecture. 19 July 2010.
Ouellette, Laurie. “Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams.” 1999
Bordo, Susan. “Never Just Pictures”. Twilight zones: the hidden life of cultural images
from Plato to O.J. (1997). University of California Press.
These young women are using magazines such as Cosmo to transition into young womanhood but the way in which they are doing this may not be very proactive. I agree that they are sending messages to young girls about sexuality but this is just a common occurrence in the transition from adolescence. The bigger concern is how these young Disney stars have internalized these hegemonic ideals about what sexuality is and how to represent it. They understand this to be the way in which one should evolve from childhood into adulthood.
ReplyDeleteTo use a counter example I will reference another young Disney star that had to make the transition, Raven Symone. Raven is a black, full figured, young adult, Disney star. She has never been featured on the cover of Cosmo but has graced the cover of other widely read magazines. One possible reason for this particular Disney star to not be depicted on the cover of Cosmo magazine is because she does not fit nor endorse the hegemonic ideals of beauty that are promoted and advertised in Cosmo. She does not identify with the typical Cosmo girl, and for this reason she does not consume the same products or ideals about hegemonic beauty. Depictions of Raven on the cover of Cosmo may result in her being analyzed via the medical and racialized gazes because of the way she looks. Whereas these other Disney stars are able to escape these gazes because they conform to hegemonic beauty (white and thin).
It could be that the Disney stars such as Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan and others use magazines such as Cosmo because they embody the identity of a Cosmo girl.
I agree that these young stars are not the best role models, not only because they grace the covers of magazines. Another thing to consider is that these girls are growing up and with that they are asked to be photographed for older audiences. I agree that these girls are still looked up to, especially as some of them are still staring in Disney television shows.
ReplyDeleteI believe that part of being in the spot light has to closely observe the hegemonic ideals, conforming to the norms that are set out. Stars that do not conform tend to be less than attractive, for what the main audiences want.
The girls must fit the certain type that is needed to selling magazines; people buy magazines that have beautiful people on them, and famous people. If they put a heavy set, normal person on the cover on the magazine, will it sell? As far as being a role model, because these girls are moving toward adulthood, at some point these girls will not be Disney stars anymore, and their work will change. I agree that they should show more differences, but that will not fit the Cosmo girl image. Thin is attractive to a larger audience and that sells.