Intro to My DIS- Why I Chose this Topic: An Unattainable Vision of Perfection

I have never considered myself to be 'a pretty girl'.
I wore braces for about 5 years of my life. I wore glasses before it was trendy. I tended to lean towards the 'chubby side of skinny'. It's what I used to tell myself, 'Macy you're not fat. You're not skinny. You just fall in between'.
All I wanted was to be normal. I would wear makeup, change my clothes, get contacts, the braces finally came off or fix my hair. None of it worked- I was still just Macy

After a while, I gave up on trying to impress people with my looks, because whatever standard that boys thought was 'dateable' or 'attractive' and whatever standard that other girls thought was 'popular' or 'perfect'- were just unattainable for me.

Do you remember when editing photos excessively was cool?
Circa summer between 8th and 9th grade

Now I couldn't give two flying effs what people think when they look at me. (Obviously I don't want them to pass out from BO or be disgusted if I forget to shave during the summer). But their general opinion on whether I'm attractive or unattractive; I don't care about. 

So what happened?

Well, a few things:

-just a general growing up and maturing of both myself and my peers

-a tighter budget, so not a lot of money to spend on crazy expensive beauty products

-I gained a great group of supportive friends

-I became a marketing major

circa 7th grade 

I bet you're like what? Marketing major?

Yes, I began to learn the tricks of the trade.

The very tricks that had 13-year-old-Macy wishing she didn't wear glasses, 15-year-old-Macy trying to find ways to dodge the classroom cutie every time a new pimple cropped up, 17-year-old-Macy giving herself crazy eating rules, and 22-year-old-Macy researching new ways to use coconut oil.

circa summer between 6th and 7th grade

The trick is selling an unattainable vision of perfection.

Except coconut oil, that stuff is great.

As Americans, we are bombarded with an ungodly amount of ads.

The average American can see up to 5,000 ads A DAY. A DAY! (nytimes.com)

I don't think we are even aware or consciously taking in how many ads we see daily.

The really scary thing is most of the time ads are tricking, lying and deceitful.

Tricking us into thinking their product will make us popular, help us get good grades, look skinny or gain the attention of the cute guy that never looked twice at you before (girls, we all have that one guy from high school- admit it).

circa sophomore year of high school
I'm not entirely sure why I'm wearing PJs to class

In my opinion, marketing departments are like a legal ponzi scheme. If I think about it too long, I get a little angry. 

However, some advertisements in certain industries have begun to take a more realistic and human approach. Remember the Dove commercial with all these gorgeous women standing around in their undies? They were tall, short, different races, skinny, athletic, curvy. All of those women were not the normal tall skinny blonde pole we were always shown in skin care ads. It makes you think, yeah fake women may use another product-- but real women? They use Dove. 

Or I always love both the Nike and Gatorade commercials. They show awesome, powerful women sweating it up in the gym, on the field, on the slopes, in the pool...and even though I am not athletic at all or recognize the majority of the athletes in the commercials-- I still felt a stronger connection to these women than the women sitting in string bikinis, on muscle cars, eating a burger. I bet you a million dollars you are more likely to find me, Macy, on the stairmaster at my gym or jogging around the park near my house before you see me eating a hamburger in a skimpy swimsuit on a car while wasting the majority of the burger by allowing it to slide over my body. Like no, I'm on a tight budget. I'm gonna eat the whole thing probably in my sweatpants in my apartment and I'm gonna supersize my fries and soft drink. 

Yes, the cake for my Sweet 16 said 'Princess Macy'
I regret that decision now

4th of July 2010

So begins my crazy, wild DIS adventure.

I think a lot of women have been permanently tricked or at least scarred by ads from the beauty industry--- it's easy to do so and no one can blame you: ads are everywhere! 

I decided to include a few pictures of myself from the years when I was the most self-conscious. I look back at them now some 5 ish years later and I really was way too harsh on myself in the moment. 

Like really hateful towards myself, as if I really controlled how I looked or how others perceive me. 

I hope throughout this semester and my research I can begin to piece together how the beauty industry functions (My theory is that they thrive of the tears of middle-school aged girls who have to change before gym class)

Additionally, I'd like to look at how the beauty industry and their lie affect other women through a series of surveys and interviews I hope to gain a better and more holistic understanding. 

Be comfortable in your own skin. 

You were made perfectly & flawless.

#macyprobs

Wait. What is a DIS? Check out my 2016 for #macyprobs post for a better understanding