More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament

by Lexie Kite

Who profits from me believing this message? Who is advertising here? (Look for ads, commercials, and product placement, and you’ll see who is paying the bills for your favorite media messages.) Does this message seek to profit from my insecurities by selling solutions to fix my “flaws”? What kind of audience is this message trying to target? Do they have roles that move the plot forward in a meaningful way? Are they valued for their talents, words, personality, or character, or just their appearance or sexual appeal? Does it encourage me to fixate on my own or others’ appearances? Does it promote or reinforce distorted ideals of what bodies and faces should look like—either through digital manipulation or featuring only one body type or “look”?