Kimberly Strull

Professor Ryder

FIQWS 10013

Normalizing the Imperfect

In Constructing Normalcy, Lenord J. Davis argues that a huge issue in society is our construction of what constitutes “normal.” Davis states, “The concept of a norm, unlike that of an ideal, implies that the majority of the population must or should somehow be part of the norm.” (Davis 13). Throughout the growth of social media, models and advertisements have become increasingly more important since they basically appear every time you open your phone. Models are required to post photos taken from shoots for further company advertisements; these posts are often photoshopped and unrealistic sending the advertisements viewer’s confidence plummeting. The constant perception of “perfect” models makes their “perfect,” unattainable bodies feel like the norm and develops a social pressure to look like said model. Victoria Secret is a prime example of a company that produces advertisements with only picture-perfect models, meanwhile its primary competitor, Aerie, has recently developed a campaign with people of all shapes, sizes, races and disabilities called #AerieREAL which appeals more towards the norm rather than portraying the rarer “perfect” body type as the ideal.

Constructing normalcy truly conveys the problems with the “norm” today. Davis argues that disability isn’t flawed, normalcy is. Davis states that people with disabilities were grouped together with people who had presumably other undesirable labels such as prisoners, criminals and the poor despite having nothing wrong with them (Davis 17). Davis helps the reader see that there’s nothing wrong with being different and nobody should be grouped on a curve. The concept of normal is created based off of what people want to be or look like, rather than what they already are. If people wished to look like what everyone in their town looked like, rather than the model in an ad they’d always feel beautiful. Yet, people’s constant lust to look like a model makes them feel as though, “deviations more or less great from the mean have constituted ugliness in the body as well as vice in morals…” (Davis 12). Today, girls believe having a larger waistline or a shorter height make them ugly because they’d never get picked for a magazine. However, not fitting the model world norm just means you fit the actual worlds norm—something many can never seem to believe.

With the growth of images on social media, the self-esteem in females everywhere plummets. When you open up the explore page of Instagram you see one idolized body after another, women who wear a size zero with perfect complexions and always seem to be the right shade of tan. Any sort of imperfection today is counteracted with photoshopping techniques and a VSCO filter. Beyond insecurity, with these posts a skewed sense of what is desirable and what isn’t is developed. Stores like Victoria Secret have every model picture perfect with a huge social media following promoting their products, looking flawless in every single post. Normal people sit back to troll Heidi Klum, Helena Christensen and Adriana Lima wishing that they had the body of a displayed, “angel,” believing that this is the beauty standard. The mere word itself is a mind game, angel, linked to religion it means to worship and it initiates the idea that one must worship the brand and its standard of beauty. Victoria Secret single-handedly linked themselves to being heavenly with the naming of their models alone.

If Victoria Secret’s statistics created the “average” weight, height, and measurements of girls today everyone would be between 5’8 and 6’0, have a slim build while yielding a voluptuous top and bottom with measurements around 34-24-34 (give or take an inch), and must be between 18 and 30 (Helmer). Ironically, nothing has changed since in 1981, Galton’s contribution stated that tallness was a positive extreme, something Victoria Secret clearly agrees with and won’t budge on (Davis 16). Meanwhile the average American female is “is 5’4″, has a waist size of 34-35 inches and weighs between 140-150 lbs, with a dress size of 12-14 (Peeke). By these calculations, woman today on average have a waist size 10 entire inches larger than that of the models who are displayed on advertisements, television, and social media. Shouldn’t the image of an average women be used in magazines instead of the people who represent the smallest portion of our society? These statistics could be linked back to when Davis states that, “The concept of a norm, unlike that of an ideal, implies that the majority of the population must or should somehow be part of the norm” (Davis 13). The problem is, Victoria Secret is not taking the population that is the norm, instead they’re only displaying beautiful unattainable bodies that most American women strive for their whole lives but never attain. The idea of ranking came about with Galton not wanting shortness to be in the same extreme category as tallness, since one was superior to the other (Davis 16). This ranking idea has never changed, while people don’t always know it everyone is ranked. When it comes to modeling it’s looks, for college its intelligence, and for sports it’s speed, strength, etc. When does the madness end? When can mediocracy become normal? When can low or high achievers just be left alone to do as they please? Why does everyone have to be in the “norm”?

Meanwhile, Aeries leads the lingerie world in a completely different fashion. “#AerieREAL, the brand’s ongoing campaign, aspires to promote body positivity through the use of unretouched images—typically, featuring models of different racial backgrounds and in a variety of body types” (Pearl). When Aerie began posting models that looked like everyday people who had stretch marks and acne and fat rolls, girls everywhere breathed a sigh of relief. Aerie does everything they can to make the real norm accepted, by presenting people of all different statures on billboards and social media Aerie single-handedly changes what is idolized as beautiful. Young girls aspire to be the models that they see on advertisements, and when you see someone that looks like yourself, you can become your own hero. Furthering Aeries incredible campaign, they recently added models with disabilities and other medical issues featuring displayed insulin pumps on diabetic models, forearm crutches, ostomy bags, a model who sits in a wheelchair and several other models who’re photographed with visible illness for the first time. This is a life-changing thing for a little girl with vitiligo or any other disease to see for the first time being normalized. Aerie reportedly chose to “represent the inclusive beauty that makes up the DNA of the brand, which is committed to empowering all customers to embrace and love their real selves” (Pearl).

Aerie’s campaign’s ideals mirror Davis’s theories. Aerie believes in reconstructing the way people view the norm through their constant influx of models who don’t meet regular social standards helping to create “a vision of what the body should be” (Davis 8). Statistics help to determine the measurements the body must meet when they see a physician. Through the use of graphs and charts you’re plotted among the “average” and you can visually see how far you medically stray. However, upon further thought, isn’t that what we do to ourselves too? Medical practices shape and enforce the competitive behavior among one’s age group. Constantly, people struggle to be the best, if you’re not the norm you better be in the top percentile because if you fall below, you’re an outcast (and not in a good way). You base what you should eat and look like off of your friends or those who are around you, and if you idolize a model, her weight now structures your next fitness goal. By normalizing the size and appearance of all types of models Aerie is sending the message that all shapes, sizes, races and disabilities are OKAY. Beyond okay, their models are attractive/ desirable, and if you share traits with one, (from body rolls to crutches), it sends the message that you are too.

 

 

Work Cited

Davis, Lennard J. “Constructing Normalcy”. Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness, and the Body. Verso, 1995

Dianapearl_. “Aerie Continues Its ‘Real’ Streak, Casting Models With Illnesses and Disabilities.” – Adweek, Adweek, 12 July 2018, www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/aerie-continues-its-real-streak-casting-models-with-illnesses-and-disabilities/.

Helmer, Vanessa. “Learn How to Become a Victoria’s Secret Model.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Peeke, Pamela. “Just What IS an Average Woman’s Size Anymore? « Everyday Fitness.” WebMD, WebMD, 25 Jan. 2010, blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/01/just-what-is-an-average-womans-size-anymore.html.