Thigh Creams :: Media Self Image Papers

Thigh Creams As we approach the twenty-first century, the western world has become increasingly preoccupied with idealizing thin women. As young women are socialized they are exposed to images in the news media which perpetuates the vision that thin women are happy and successful. These are the role models to which women look up to, creating increasing pressure to live up to such an ideal. Desperate to achieve a figure that rivals Elle Mcpherson, women are willing to pay exorbitant costs, and sacrifice, trying almost anything to look like modern society's ideal woman. As the mediums available to advertisements continue to expand so do the number of products available claiming and guarantying weight loss or firming effects. Women shell out billions of dollars each year hoping that one of these "miracle" products will finally render them thin, after all thin is beautiful, right? However, a woman can be thin and still have cellulite, so does this mean that she is not beautiful? The media has taught women that cellulite is a lifelong battle that must be waged. If Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Rachel Hunter certainly don't have cellulite, why should the average American woman? So we are given a plethora of products to chose from which promise to make us all super models. So what is the problem? It is highly unlikely that none of the super models have cellulite, as it is an affliction which is common to women of all weight ranges. Also, super models have an advantage that the rest of us do not, their photographs may be digitally enhanced to redu ce something as unsightly as cellulite. The cosmetic industry has jumped on the opportunity to profit from women who perceive their bodies to be inadequate or at the very least, less than ideal. If these products were not hot sellers than there would not be such a variety available on the market. As a woman who has fallen prey to societal pressures and purchased two different "miracle" thigh creams, I was wondering do these creams work for others even though I, personally, didn't find much of a difference? After all a picture says a thousand words, and everyone has seen those advertisements with the before and after pictures, why hadn't I achieved such results? I was then given the motivation I needed to find out the answer when I was given an assignment to research the claims of a health product.