Lookism an Analysis Through Modern Art and Fashion
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Journal of Fashion Business Vol. 16, No. 6, pp.96~108(2012) Study on Anti- Lookism An analysis through Modern art and Fashion So Eunjeong* · Kang Heemyoung Candidate for Ph.D, Dept. of Fashion Design, Dongduk Women's University* Lecturer , Dept. of Fashion Design, Dongduk Women's University Abstract In modern society, humans' misdirected aspirations towards ideal beauty are discussed and criticized. This research utilizes a paradox to express the modern standard of beauty and the society's homogenization of it through plastic surgery. An empirical analysis was conducted of the artist's works that reflect anti-lookism. The works were classified as provocation, aesthetic, symbolic and paradoxical depending on the variety of the artists' approaches and expressions. Also, this part looks at anti-lookism cases in modern fashion industry that were given lascivious expressions. They characterized various types of human beauty. Anti-lookism is a movement that goes against this social trend. It seeks to awaken modern citizens from blind submission to homogenized beauty and commercialization of humans. This study intends to offer an image of ideal beauty that should appreciate and the concept of an ideal female body. The author hope that further researches are done in social, political, cultural and other levels of the society to establish anti-lookism . Key Words : Lookism, Anti-lookism, Ideal beauty, anti- fashion, anorexia Ⅰ.Introduction was spot lighted in various mass media, and it also internalized an unrealistic, fascinating In modern society, as social and cultural image. That is, outward looks that mass media interests grow, appearance is considered more show are not reflecting realities but wrapped by important than any other standards in judging body managements, make-ups, and the like.1) people. Although a standard of ideal beauties Photos are made up by perspectives, exits in every era, the standard for beauties, in mechanical manipulations, etc., and moreover, modern times, is getting unified because objects are constituted from a special stance beauties are overly emphasized. A sociocultural and images of human body are artificially standard for outward beauty was perceived as it processed. Corresponding author: So Eunjeong, Tel.+82-10-7476-3532 E-mail: [email protected] 96 So Eunjeong · Kang Heemyoung / Study on Anti- Lookism An analysis through Modern art and Fashion Lookism examined in a previous study is a Ⅱ. Theoretical Background new social trend that appeared together with capitalism, and studies on it have not been 1. Definition and Concept of Lookism done a lot so far. Especially, lookism is a social phenomenon, most of the studies on it have Lookism is a compound word of Look and done from subjective perspectives rather than Ism, and this represents appearance for objective perspectives. Although art works appearance’s sake or appearance discrimination reflecting anti-lookism have been created which people, believing appearance divides multi-laterally in the field of modern arts, diverse superiority and inferiority among individuals and 2) studies to emphasize seriousness of the current segregates success and failure, cling to. social trends in mass media, such as fashion Pointing out ‘appearance’as one of the causes magazines, have been done tenuously. By that brought inequality in the human history observing from various perspectives anti-lookism together with race, sex, religion, ideology, and that appeared in the modern fashion, I will so on, he defined lookism as a trend or a reconsider the roles of human bodies in the social fashion that people believe appearance society of appearance for appearance’s sake, determines superiority and inferiority among and, at the same time, by suggesting various individuals and success and failure of lives and 3) images of beauty, I will be able to reconsider that they excessively stick to it. self-identity about beauty which was lost because of unified ideal beauty. 2. Cause of Lookism Occurrence Method of this study is compare to expressive feature of anti-lookism phenomenon appearing Social structural causes of the lookism in modern art and expressive features of occurrence are technological innovations in anti-lookism appearing in fashion design. By visual media rapidly growing in the latter modern analyzing from various perspectives the lookism society, extensions of capitalism markets phenomenon in modern society, this study targeting the young, rapid growth of the beauty intend to realize anti-lookism with the thought of industry and beauty techniques in the consumer 4) the times, ‘ontologistic stabilities’, that a body is society, and so on. And its social influence is a direct area where self-identity of a that the beauty industry is consistently growing commercialized body can be recognized. I and an obsession with beauty will be greater. classified anti-lookism works in the modern art Along with visual media rapidly growing in the and fashion industry latter modern society, the expansion of lookism 5) as provocation, symbolic, and paradoxical in is not a problem of only the western societies. terms of expression modes. Significance in that Lookism that implies inaccurate judgments or it can realize anti-lookism conveying important valuations, prejudice, and discrimination, all messages of a current social phenomenon by coming from physical appearance or outward researching theoretical grounds and various images, may more foster the disintegration and shapes of human bodies and by researching conflicts of our society together with ideology profound works. and sex. To examine fundamental problems, I researched the causes of the lookism occurrence. 97 Journal of Fashion Business Vol.16, No.6 1) Development of Mass Communication illusion that those who purchase their products are able to reach the level of the appearance Mass communication means a great deal of the celebrities have. The egoism that the haves social information conveyed using mass media (the capitalists) desire to have more is making to the unorganized public and the situation of consumers spend in the tempting goods.10) In the conveyance. The development of mass this way, companies make use of appearance communication led to the cultural democrati- for appearance’s sake and fortify it for their zation through which cultural outcomes could be interests. distributed inexpensively, abundantly, widely and easily.6) However, mass communication is 3) Sociocultural Factor of the Male characterized largely by images of unified models shown in the existing media Governance Structure advertisements in which senders pursue only a From the past when mental and rational values trend. Media critics stipulate that cosmetic had a dominant position over physical values, surgery frenzy in the whole country is caused by 7) the male has been believed to be a mental and the influences of media. TV dramas influence rational existence and the female to be a fleshly significantly the attitude toward cosmetic existence, and so the female’s value could be surgeries. The attitude to them, subjective acknowledged only by physical beauty.11) In the norms, and cognized behavior controls ultimately patriarchal society and history, women with the took effects on behavioral intention on cosmetic 8) appearances that men preferred received surgeries. Specifically, it was found that recognitions and rewards from men and cognized behavior controls among the obtained social identities. In the end, women constituting factors has the most influence on inevitably poured their energy into shaping their behavioral intention on cosmetic surgeries. The bodies. These, in company with social changes psychology of imitation forms personal values such as development of modern technologies of according to the fashion and trend conveyed outward appearance managements, led to through mass media. This turns up as the appearance for appearance’s sake. Moreover, unified culture by destroying the cultural sociocultural factors of the male governance diversity. structure wielded its great influences. As it did so, a number of women were stricken by an 2) Capitalism Culture obsession with appearance, and thus they fell J.Baudrillard said, "Slenderness and beauty do so low as to become an adaptive and not have any natural congeniality". This means dependent existence rather than an autonomous that today’s standard for beauty is contrary to self constituting the society. The distorted the natural ones. Companies make use of it to appearance for appearance’s sake annihilated make profits. They emphasize the unified individualities and caused a discrimination. standard for beauty, which is never natural and so most people do not possess.9) Signing up celebrities or stars who meet the unified standard, companies tempt and create an 98 So Eunjeong · Kang Heemyoung / Study on Anti- Lookism An analysis through Modern art and Fashion <Table 1> Previous research of Lookism Researcher Causes Result The psychology of imitation forms personal values Anderson & according to the fashion and trend conveyed through Didomenico Development of Mass mass media. Communication Heinberg & Media critics stipulate that cosmetic surgery frenzy in the Thompson whole country is caused by the influences of media. The egoism that the haves the capitalists desire to have Baudrillard Capitalism Culture more is making consumers spend in the tempting goods. Female’s value could be acknowledged only by physical Davis ociocultural Factor eauty. 4) Social side effect (2) Physical