Appearances seem to have much more of an affect than we think. The looks or styles that we are exposed to every day can cause us to view others or objects in a specific way due to associations we have made. Colors and graphics are more likely to spark interest in a consumer in order that they might purchase a product over another. Fashion is a large market that thousands of people spend money in hopes of standing out among others with their hip clothes. There are many fields of human interest that appearance has quite a pull on.
What is it that causes people to have the desire to stand out, or have the most stylish looking electronic gadget? In the essay “Surface and Substance”, a green pager was referenced. In the nineties consumers were willing to pay the difference in hopes of having a more unique looking device. Should it not be that people are more concerned with the quality of a product rather than appearance? As in the case of the pager, some consumers see appearance as more important than other characteristics of an object.
Fashion is an industry that plays a vast role on appearance. Both men and women are ruled by the laws of the fashion world since no one wants to be left behind with clothes that are out of style or strange. Even in the political world, fashion is very important. When Sarah Palin was selected as John McCain’s running mate, the Republican Party spent over $150,000* on her clothing and make-up alone. What does this say about modern Americans? Does this mean that we are more concerned with having only a good looking president or vice president?
Clothing is one way of trying to fit in with the crowd, but the actual body shape and size are also a huge factor in everyone’s daily life. In Hollywood, actors and actresses are portrayed as being thin and gorgeous which soon fills the American mind. While watching these sickly looking figures on television, women especially begin to have a want to attain a similar body shape. In fact one of the causes of Anorexia Nervosa is the “acceptance of societal attitudes toward thinness”^. In fact, if you look through a fashion magazine, one reoccurring theme is that of weight loss. If you are a reader of these types of literature, you may notice the numerous articles or advertisements about “Amazing weight loss” and slowly begin to think that your figure is not satisfactory.
Often times the media skews our perception through television shows, magazines, or even advertisements. These subliminal messages convince readers or watchers to think that the life displayed in the media is the best one. With these false images in mind, many misled consumers strive to achieve unrealistic standards of beauty. People should buy pagers that are better quality or higher functionality instead of the prettier color. People should realize that it is far more important to be healthy rather than attempt to look like someone they are not.
What is it that causes people to have the desire to stand out, or have the most stylish looking electronic gadget? In the essay “Surface and Substance”, a green pager was referenced. In the nineties consumers were willing to pay the difference in hopes of having a more unique looking device. Should it not be that people are more concerned with the quality of a product rather than appearance? As in the case of the pager, some consumers see appearance as more important than other characteristics of an object.
Fashion is an industry that plays a vast role on appearance. Both men and women are ruled by the laws of the fashion world since no one wants to be left behind with clothes that are out of style or strange. Even in the political world, fashion is very important. When Sarah Palin was selected as John McCain’s running mate, the Republican Party spent over $150,000* on her clothing and make-up alone. What does this say about modern Americans? Does this mean that we are more concerned with having only a good looking president or vice president?
Clothing is one way of trying to fit in with the crowd, but the actual body shape and size are also a huge factor in everyone’s daily life. In Hollywood, actors and actresses are portrayed as being thin and gorgeous which soon fills the American mind. While watching these sickly looking figures on television, women especially begin to have a want to attain a similar body shape. In fact one of the causes of Anorexia Nervosa is the “acceptance of societal attitudes toward thinness”^. In fact, if you look through a fashion magazine, one reoccurring theme is that of weight loss. If you are a reader of these types of literature, you may notice the numerous articles or advertisements about “Amazing weight loss” and slowly begin to think that your figure is not satisfactory.
Often times the media skews our perception through television shows, magazines, or even advertisements. These subliminal messages convince readers or watchers to think that the life displayed in the media is the best one. With these false images in mind, many misled consumers strive to achieve unrealistic standards of beauty. People should buy pagers that are better quality or higher functionality instead of the prettier color. People should realize that it is far more important to be healthy rather than attempt to look like someone they are not.
Here is a link to watch photoshop in action:
