Some say there is no such thing as the perfect body; however any pre-teen, teen, or woman could describe exactly what the perfect female body looks like. As a society and culture, Americans always have and always will have a preconceived notion of what the perfect female body looks like. It is driven into the minds of every citizen who views any form of media through the models and celebrities that are in the media. One specific company that is in the media often and plays a large part in creating the culturally expected and socially accepted image of the perfect body is Victoria’s Secret. The perfect body ad that was released with the intent of selling the “Body by Victoria‘s Secret” bra line is one of the reasons why there is such thing as the perfect body. The ad attaches the image of multiple models’ bodies to the words “The Perfect Body” which plays on the insecurities that women have about their body image, sets a standard to be reached in order to look perfect, and even objectifies women by giving men an image of what perfect is so that they can value women on their looks over anything else.
This is why even though there is no such thing as the perfect body, there is The Perfect Body ad contains an all white background with ten models lined up across it. Every model is wearing only a bra and underwear, and in front of them in large white lettering is the text, “The Perfect ‘Body.”’ In smaller white lettering under that the text reads, “Perfect Fit, Perfect Comfort. Perfectly Soft.” On the very bottom of the ad under each of the models feet, in the smallest text on the page, the type of bra that the model is wearing is named. The only thing to contrast the white text with the white background is the skin of the models behind it. The text “The Perfect Body“ calls attention to what the ad is saying that the perfect body is Not only is there one example, there are ten, Each model is tall and thin to the point that you can see their ribst They all have perfect hair and makeup and they all look like what American society has labeled sexy.
What the models look like is what any pre-teen, teen, or woman would describe as the perfect body. While the ad itself was intended to sell bras, it instead sold the idea to women everywhere that they must look like the models to have the perfect body and be considered sexy. The ad plays on the insecurities of any woman who does not look like the models because it tells them that they are not sexy and do not have the perfect body. The majority of women in the world do not look like models, and it is not a coincidence that a majority of women have issues with their body image. No woman is in control of her height, hair color, eye color and/or bone structure when she is born. These are all features that the models in the ad seem to have been born with in just the right combination, and it plays a massive role in the portrayal of them being sexy and having the perfect body.
When a woman looks in the mirror and does not see what is socially accepted as the perfect body as a result of Victoria’s Secret’s ad, it makes her feel like less despite the fact that for the most part there is no way she could control not looking exactly like the models. To make things more destructive, American culture has adopted this image as the perfect body and almost expects it. As a result, women go to great lengths to achieve the body pictured in the ad so that they too can be considered sexy. Some things women cannot change, such as their height. Aside from that, women strive to change their weight, hair color, hairstyle, eye color, and even natural appearance, Since a majority of women have at least one thing they want to change about themselves, they usually do something to try and make that change, thereby moving them one step closer to having the perfect body.
Everything from dying their hair and wearing contacts, to starvation and plastic surgery are possibilities for women trying to achieve the perfect look The perfect body ad by Victoria’s Secret is a part of American culture that says that those models are the standard. However, society tries to drive women away from transforming themselves in order to meet that standard when it realizes the great lengths that women go to in order to get there. As soon as women begin to do things like become anorexic or bulimic over an obsession to have the perfect body in the eyes of American culture, society tries to turn back. It is already too late to turn back at this point though because not only has the ad created a standard for women, it has also turned them into sexual objects by creating one for men. When men see any Victoria’s Secret ad, they expect it to include a bunch of sexy models advertising what a woman could buy to be as sexy as the models.
Attaching an image to one of those ads that displays not only lingerie but also the perfect body for the lingerie to be in, gives men a standard to expect women to meet. This allows men to think that women should look like the models in order for the woman to be sexy enough for the man This new standard in their mind causes them to look at women as more of a sexual object than the person they are. It trains them to focus more on the looks than the personality because all they want in a girl is the perfect body in the sexiest lingerie. With men and women alike focused more on how women look than how they interact or what they are like as a person, has transformed not only American society but also American culture as a whole. Today it is normal to see advertisements with half»naked women on them. It is normal to get the same description of what the perfect body looks like from any pre-teen, teen, or woman.
It is normal to hear that a woman is undergoing surgery or starving herself in order to obtain the perfect body in America’s eyes. Ads like the perfect body ad by Victoria’s Secret are the reason why so many women have issues with their self~image and try so hard to change themselves. They are the reason why men think it is okay to expect a model body in every woman in order for her to be sexy, and to objectify women to the point of caring more about their looks and less about their personality or who they are Advertisements like Victoria‘s Secret‘s “The Perfect Body” ad are the reason why there is such thing as the perfect body. The concept of the ‘perfect body’ has become so ingrained in American culture that it has become almost impossible to fight to change that concept in order for a more normal body image to be accepted.
