Am I Pretty Yet?

Sarah Banet-Weiser and Laura Portwood-Stacer’s article “I Just Want to Be Me Again!: Beauty Pageants, Reality Television and Post-Feminism” explores the impact of beauty pageants and makeover shows on women’s self-perception and how they shape their understanding of femininity. These shows often promote the idea that women need to conform to a certain set of beauty standards, and they imply that these standards are necessary for success and happiness.

In the article, they also discuss the role of reality television shows in promoting these beauty standards and encouraging women to compete with each other for the title of “most beautiful.” By creating a highly stylized and exaggerated image of the female form, these shows reinforce the idea that women must constantly strive for perfection in order to be valued by society.

With “Am I Pretty Yet?”, I hope to challenge these damaging beauty standards and encourage women to embrace their natural beauty and individuality. Rather than conforming to a narrow set of beauty ideals, women should be celebrated for their unique qualities and encouraged to express themselves in whatever way feels authentic and true to their own identity. I also wanted to highlight the harmful effects of these beauty standards on women’s bodies and minds. It shows a woman who is clearly affected by these standards, as evidenced by her extreme thinness and exaggerated features.

The time-lapse video of the painting process is especially revealing, as it shows the gradual transformation of the woman from a more natural, healthy state to the highly idealized version of femininity that is promoted by the beauty industry. This process is disturbing to watch, as it reflects the way that women are expected to conform to a certain standard of beauty, regardless of the toll it takes on their physical and mental health. This time-lapse serves as a visual representation of how these standards are enforced on women, as I gradually made her features larger and longer to fit the idealized beauty standards that society has imposed.

I wanted to explore the damaging effects that the beauty industry can have on women, as described by Banet-Weiser and Portwood-Stacer in their article. By depicting a woman who is clearly affected by the beauty standards imposed by the fashion industry, I hope to highlight the way that these standards can lead to extreme measures such as plastic surgery, eating disorders, and other harmful practices.