Confession: I’m addicted to makeover shows. Not just the popular ones like "How Do I Look?" and "What Not to Wear," I also watch the Maury episodes like "From Trashy to Classy" - which are pretty trashy themselves. But lately I’ve been kind of bored with the repetitive message of these shows.
Will a new dress and a little lipgloss really make these people’s lives better?
While I agree the occasional physical transformation can help you move beyond a certain stage in your life, the transformations on TV seem to eliminate the person’s individuality.
"Each one of us is only as beautiful, as deserving of the life we crave, as we believe ourselves to be. No matter what we wear, that is a fact that doesn’t change simply by slipping into a nicer pair of shoes."
The shows go beyond fixing the skimpy skirts, saggy pants and work-appropriate mistakes. At the end of it, the person seems less of who they are and more of who other’s want her to be. They still have the same issues, same doubts, same heart – just different packaging.
But should this packaging be more deserving of the life the person craves because it’s more socially accepted? No, but society tends to favor those who are more socially (and visually) pleasing. Makeover shows seem to reinforce the idea that you have to fit in so you don’t miss out on opportunities in life – which is funny when you think of how many times we’re told to "think outside of the box."
Sometimes I feel that this "box" is made out of the same socially acceptable tops, skirts, shoes and styles. What we don’t see in this "box" is self-love, self-acceptance. We don’t see people who think that they’re beautiful just the way they are. We don’t see people who believe in themselves. I think that’s why the "box" always requires therapy.
But this argument is made over and over in the fashion and entertainment industry: those who believe themselves to be beautiful vs. those others believe are beautiful, those who want to be themselves vs. those who support a consistent standard of beauty. Does anyone fall in the middle? Does it matter when it’s all about money in the end? Drastic makeovers pull in ratings and telling people that they’re beautiful won’t sell makeup or clothes.
Yet, with all this said and done, why am I still a makeover show junkie? Why do I still help these shows with their ratings? Maybe it’s the guilty pleasure of yelling at the TV when I disagree with the makeover.
Pics via WeHeartIt
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I dragged my girlfriend out of bed for this one as she is an aspiring fantasy novelist. And as a blogger, I tend to hit writer's block quite often.
