Representation and Self-Image
The beauty industry is expanding, with its products being sold worldwide to different women from various backgrounds. The beauty industry plays a crucial part in portraying beauty that attracts women from different regions around the globe. Even so, it has come to the attention that African American women are neglected in the manufacturing of beauty products. In her video, Tobby advocates that beauty industries are not making products that suit black women’s complexion and needs appropriately. African American women are viewed differently in the beauty industry. According to Tobby, White women are more appreciated by the beauty industry contrasted to black women. White women are seen as the face of beauty. For this reason, they appear in more beauty adverts flashing their long silky hair. On the other hand, black women are referred to as beautiful lies or dark individuals with afros.
All women are beautiful and equal since God created all. Thus, the beauty industry is obliged to manufacture products that address the beauty needs of every woman. In her, video Tobby emphasizes that the beauty industry devalues black women, given that they not only fail to manufacture products that appropriately suit them but also fail to incorporate black women in beauty initiatives. The beauty industry should include all women, regardless of color. Black women, particularly those living in the U.S, find a difficult time to fit society. On many occasions, it becomes difficult for them to consider beauty products and procedures since they are seen as lesser human beings. Currently, a significant fraction of black women walk in beauty stores and fail to find what appropriately suits their complexion and needs. In these modern times, it is easy to notice that most beauty products are advertised and marketed by white women.
The media, through its beauty politics, also plays a significant role in the issue of devaluing black women. In her video, Tobby advocates that the media often present information and images that erase the culture of black women. For instance, afro and dreads (box dreads) are widely known to be the culture of black women. However, in the U.S, the women celebrated as the pioneers of dreadlocks (box) are the Kardashians. As a result, black women intrinsic to the style have been wiped away. In these present days, everyone is accessed to the media. Hence, information is shared easily within a short period. The media has the potential to present positive information and give credits where black women deserve. Nonetheless, the media should offer black women jobs, as white women are more in the media than women with color.
Both the media and beauty industry needs to take the obligation to empower black women as it does with white women. The beauty industry should create a diverse environment that manufactures products that suite the complexion of black women. Moreover, the media industry is also obliged to create a different organization by employing more black women. Statistics indicate that in Britain, the number of black women who work in media organizations is three times higher than that of individuals with color. The media and beauty industry plays a significant role in boosting the self-esteem of black women. Nonetheless, everyone has to ensure that black women are valued treated equally.
In these modern times, it is easy to notice that most beauty products are advertised and marketed by white women.
Video 2
Aging is a stage that cannot be avoided by any individual in this life. Every individual is bound to grow old. In these modern times, people want to remain young forever, and for this reason, they have opted to try different procedures and approaches that will make them stay young and look always look healthy. In her video, Sharon emphasizes that all these procedures and methods are human-made to extract money from individuals. According to studies on beauty and women’s self-esteem, women are seen to be the most concerned when it comes to aging. Not all women want to grow old. Some women choose to venture into various activities to help them remain young and look healthy to boost their self-esteem.
Not all women want to grow grey hair, which will later turn to white. Currently, for women to boost their self-esteem, they have ventured into various activities such as aerobics to make them fit and beauty products to make them look young. For this reason, the beauty industry has taken advantage since beauty products are increasing their market from young women to older women. The beauty industry utilizes a marketing approach that managed to convince many aging women from buying beauty products and take part in different activities for them to remain young. All these are done to boost the self-esteem of women, particularly the elderly.
According to Sharon, all these procedures and products are nothing but money consuming activities. In her video, she emphasizes that the beauty industry is exploiting the elderly in a hard way for them to notice. The beauty industry is a business scheme aimed at generating money and not helping women to their full potential to discover who they are and appreciate themselves. Instead, the industry lies to them by offering products that can hide wrinkles or grey hair, among other aging factors. In her video, Sharon describes this procedure as a polite manner of telling individuals that they are aging. Through advertising products that can improve skin color and add various benefits to the body, the media and beauty industry are managing to convince many women that aging is a risk factor that can be avoided by beauty to products.
Women should not be wholly convinced with what they see from other individuals. In these modern times, women are influenced by what they watch on tv programs, celebrities, and competition from other women. Women are becoming more exploited. Thus, they are going extra miles to boost their self-esteem and be recognized. Even so, women should realize that aging is a stage that cannot be skipped. No matter how many beauty products one uses, they cannot prevent aging. Self-esteem is boosted by accepting oneself and working to strengthen every weakness. Beauty products can only paint the face, but self-confidence is boosted by knowing your value.
Works cited
Sharon Danley: (Fashion Consumer & Professional Makeup Artist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3IcJPku5rs
Toby Oredien (fashion consumer): The Devaluation of Black Women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F63N3qAe3Jo