Amplification Superiority Against Mass Media Perfect Physical Appearance

Amplification Superiority Against Mass Media Perfect Physical Appearance

The face is attractive and perfect physical appearance has always been a fascination for humans. This trend naturally we have had since the age of the baby. The mass media and amplification accommodate this trend as an ideology of the dominant culture. This article will show how the amplification that occurs.

This article is the final paper for college and Culture Media Industry Seminar. Once presented, it turns out there are some parts that need further treatment, eg: Nutty Professor movie examples to illustrate how the media uses physical characteristics to distinguish the character of superior and inferior. This example should be given further explanation if not eliminated altogether. Then in the end I mentioned that the news media to obtain financial benefit from the amplification of a culture that glorifies suoerioritas physical appearance. Part can still be explored in more depth. Another thing that can still be developed discussion is offered representational units can actually be more enriched, as it is not only seen from the use of visualization in the mass media, but also from the statement of the various leaders involved in the media industry, fashion, cosmetics, and also the media audience.

For students and academics who happened to find this article useful for a paper to be made, please respect your self and do the proper citation procedure. Pake quotes etiquette quotes that deserve it. Thank you

Preliminary

Background

Humans instinctively prefer attractive faces, such tendencies even we have had since a baby. Production of the BBC documentary footage showing a group of infants exposed to two groups of photographs, which first showed a pretty face Elizabeth Hurley (British actress) and several other beautiful women, while the second photo shows the facial expression hosts are intentionally bad and bad faces of others. The babies are issued uncomfortable expression, even cry when confronted with bad faces, but seemed calm even when faced with a smile on the faces of beautiful and interesting (BBC, 2008a).

Interesting or not a face are subjective, meaning that every observer has its own assessment of the attractiveness of a face (Berry, 2008). However, universal human generally prefer faces that are considered attractive. Pierce Brosnan stated that having an attractive face with the right skills will help a person achieve success than if you only have the right skills course (BBC, 2008a).

The face was not the only indicator that distinguishes one's attractiveness, but the overall physical appearance also helped determine the attractiveness of the individual. Socially, we were developing social stratification based on physical appearance, as do we develop social stratification based on race, gender, and age. Individuals with a more attractive physical appearance tend to get attention and better social treatment. This raises the question of whether people with a more attractive physical appearance, also has a larger social forces? (Berry, 2008)

Human interest in good physical appearance seems to be accommodated by the mass media that exist. If we carefully consider the individual figures that appear or even become icons of mass media tend to be individuals who have the physical appearance of the face especially interesting or categorized as a beautiful and handsome.

Front page of magazines in the world tend to be dominated by the figure-faced models beautiful / handsome with an attractive physical appearance. The characters in the film, especially the main character and the protagonist is usually good-looking, while the figure is more often described antagonistic to look less attractive. Such patterns tend to be a common pattern in the media industry, where the figures look more physically attractive a place as compared with individuals who are less attractive.

Problems

Some ideological sets are elevated and amplified by mass media, given great Legitimacy by Them, and distributed persuasively, Often glamorously, to large audiences (Lull, 1994, p.8).

Social stratification based on physical appearance has become a kind of its own ideology in the social system of society. Ideology is valid across the nation and has grown over a period of time. This we can conjecture indications through a variety of folklore in many nations that put figures to look physically attractive as the main character those stories.

One role of mass media in society is to reflect the conditions and social values ​​around (McQuail, 2000). Thus the appearance of dominant figures of the physical look interesting on a variety of media actually reflects social values ​​extolling the physical perfection. Lull even proposed that these values ​​are not merely reflected, but lifted up, amplified, and disseminated in a persuasive and glamor to the large number of audience.

This paper attempts to show the evidence that shows "how the mass media picked up and strengthen the cultural values ​​that lead to the emergence of social stratification based on the appeal of physical appearance."

Media and Culture

Deployment and strengthening of cultural values ​​through the mass media

Culture is a context. It is about looking at the world and live a different life events (Lull, 1994, p.66). The worldview of humans against other humans are part of the perception of the world earlier. This point of view affects how people assess, act and treat other human beings.

Although it is rational most of us understand that one's physical appearance does not directly reflect moral qualities, but in reality a poor physical appearance tend to be more wary and suspected of having a bad moral stance, rather than an individual with an attractive physical appearance (BBC, 2008a).

This point of view like that realize it or not has given rise to social stratification based on physical appearance. Individuals with physical appearance tend to be more interesting a place and opportunity priority in social spaces (BBC, 2008b). Superiority of attractive physical appearance such as this gradually becomes an ideology, where people compete to try to achieve physical perfection as a means of achieving better social strata.

Ideology like this then spread rapidly and systematically maintained along with the development of modern communication technology. The mass media as a product of modern communications technology into a device representation of ideologies (Lull, 1994, p.11).

Image System

James Lull discloses a system that is used to describe the spread of the dominant ideology. The system is referred to as image systems (system image). According to Lull, the effective deployment of the dominant ideology is always dependent on the use of image systems strategically.

Image systems consist of two basic types, namely ideational and mediational. This system contains layers of representation articulation of ideology and tactical use of modern communications technology to distribute what is represented. If this system is successful, will encourage acceptance and circulation of the dominant themes of the audience.

Ideational systems

The system is composed of units like the ideational representation of morphemes in the language, with other forms of internal organization of the complex then directs and recommends certain interpretations.

Units of representation in question is a unit of media messages that seem to stand alone, but actually has a general pattern repeated between one message with another message. For example, in the context of this paper, the unit of representation is the use of figures who are physically attractive in a variety of visual media. Cover of leading magazines like Vogue, Time, Cosmopolitan, Newsweek and so much more visual displays of physical figures and faces that are interesting or made interesting through cosmetic engineering and digital processing.

Repetition of such representation unit to form the internal organization of the message, where there is a code and a regular pattern and repeatedly emerge through media messages.

These patterns contain a specific meaning when interpreted in accordance with the intention of the message producer, will reveal the dominant ideology underlying the production of media messages.

Mediational Systems

Mediational systems consist of technological mediation and social mediation. Technological mediation refer to the interference of communication technologies in social interaction. It is about how the unit's internal representation and organization in the ideational systems reach an audience through the use of communication technologies. Mediation technology makes cultural values ​​and can spread to distant places.

While social mediation is spread the interpretation of media messages through social interaction to construct everyday life. This is seen for example when people are discussing the television show has seen, making decisions based on the news it receives through the television and so on.

The concept of beauty of face

Beauty and handsomeness or beauty facial subjective nature, each observer will have its own specific assessment of the beauty of a face. But the scientific exploration as shown in the production of the BBC documentary program titled "beauty" shows that people without regard to race, gender, or age like faces considered attractive.

Psychological explanation of it is actually related to biological factors. Attractive face is almost always associated with good health, while the poor face associated with ill health. Human instinct to avoid the disease as well as the instinct to get a pair of healthy humans is the underlying preferences at attractive faces.

How do humans judge the beauty of a person's face? Although the concept of facial beauty has a relative valuation among individuals and even a race, it turns out the faces that are considered attractive based on the size of the various nations have in common is universal, namely symmetric and contains the composition of the face that meets the golden ratio.

Golden ratio discovered by Leonardo Da Vinci and a value ratio of 1:1,618. People who are considered physically attractive and has a perfect figure turned out to have this ratio. For example the distance between the two outer sides of the nose has a ratio of 1:1,618 proportion to the distance between the two outer sides of the mouth. While the distance between the two ends of the mouth has a ratio of 1:1,618 with the distance between the outer side of the mouth with the tip of the cheek bone, and so on.

Discussion

Ideational Systems

Domination Face and Attractive Physical Appearance

Television is one of the mass media that appeal to many audiences. Television has the unparalleled ability to expose, dramatize, and popularize cultural bits and fragments of information. It is done by regularly broadcast entertainment programs, news, and advertising (Lull, 1994; p. 9). Figures prominently in television artists represented by television entertainment, news presenter, advertisement star, and so on. If we look at these figures the majority have a physical appearance that can be said to be interesting.

News program in Indonesia for example, have presenters like Laura Pritchard, Zelda Safitri, Natalie Grace is not only able to deliver the news coverage and presented to viewers, but also has an unsightly facial figure. The field reporter television news stations were often featured figures attractive face. Indeed, there is also a television journalist who looked mediocre in front of the screen, but fewer in number compared with the reporter to look attractive. This fact is a strategy to grab the attention of television audiences.

Edy Sunaryo, General Manager of Program Operations and Makroen quiz Sanjaya, Editor in Chief of Metro TV on one occasion had to admit that the screening reporter and presenter in addition take into account the intelligence and the ability of journalism also take into account physical attractiveness. If there are a number of candidates and the reporters who have the intelligence capability more or less the same, then the selected face is the most interesting.

More entertainment programs featuring figures interesting or made interesting. We are familiar figures such as Maya Luna, Pasha, Nadia Safira, Tora Sudiro, Mulan, Aura, etc.. Although each had different areas of expertise, but they all have in common, namely an attractive physical appearance. If there is any less attractive-looking television figure, the figure is typically dressed in such a way as to reduce the weaknesses of her physical appearance. Figures are not very attractive usually have a unique and extraordinary talent to be a commodity in the media, while the figures look attractive talent is often a second consideration.

Feature films and soap opera actress and actor flooded with look attractive. Famous movie stars are dominated by pretty faces and handsome, while the famous movie star faced relatively few less attractive. At the international level, for example, we know; Pierce Brosnan, Elizabeth Hurley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, etc.. At national level there are figures such as Dian Sastro, Tora Sudiro, Kinaryorsih, etc. Cut Mini.

Pierce Brosnan, James Bond films starring some said that he sometimes wondered if only slightly crooked nose, possible acting skills can be better than today. According to Brosnan, have attractive faces are quite helpful in social and professional life, but on the other hand it leaves the question of whether a career that has now affected more by his appearance or his acting skills (BBC, 2008b).

Print media, especially magazines are also a lot of figures showing that physically attractive. Ranging from national magazines such as O, Kartini, Femina, Selullar and so on, until the international magazines, such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Time, Newsweek, People and so forth. All figures are often to showing physical look attractive as a model on the home page.

Of course the ads that have the primary function of selling products can certainly always use the model to look physically attractive, although it could potentially distract the audience from the main product being offered. For example: the use Aura as a model of advertising one product or tea beverage products beautiful women models in advertising cell phones.

The Attractive vs. Beast

The tradition of classic Hollywood actors and actresses always use the interest to portray the main characters, while the villain is symbolized by the appearance is not attractive or bad. Films featuring characters such as Superman Return Superman with a physical appearance which is called by friends as a writer, "too handsome", while the villain Lex Luthor portrayed older and bald.

Often portrayed movie character dressed to mark the heroism and good qualities attached to these characters, while the poor physical appearance is often used to describe the characters are weak or bad. Classic story of "Nutty Professor" for example, describe a person with two versions of appearance, the Professor who is physically unattractive version of themselves and became Professor of interest. Professor versions less attractive described as having low social skills and has always been a mockery of people around him, while the version that looks good Professor himself described as a magnet for women, self-assured, and jaunty.

Other examples such as "Pirate of the Caribbean" third main character, Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan visualized with physical appearance better than the physical appearance of characters antagonist Captain Barbosa and his men.

Hollywood movies today do not always show the bad guys with worse physical appearance of both main characters, such as "Angels & Demons" it displays the main antagonist in the person of Ewan McGregor as camerlegno an interesting and sympathetic. But there are things that do not change in the film, which is all the roles that appear on the screen long enough, as the two policemen shot dead in a car criminals, still have an attractive physical appearance.

Occurrence of physical figures look attractive on a variety of visual media can be categorized as representational units in the proposed Ideational Image Systems James Lull. Use of these figures appear as though decentralized, as each medium has no connection or coordination with each other. Decision casting director film Angels and Demons to use Ewan McGregor as the antagonist in the film, nothing to do with the determination of Luna Maya as a presenter of "fierce" in Indonesia.

But the projection figures that seem to look physically attractive sporadically in various media throughout the world is actually a pattern that forms the internal organization. The figures are chosen to appear in the media because they represent what is called beautiful, handsome, athletic, healthy, strong, graceful and so on. All figures were chosen because they are close to the perfection of physical attractiveness human figures.

Human formerly was admiring the perfection of physical species. This admiration was originally grounded in instinct to defend themselves from disease, as well as the instinct to seek a healthy life partner for him. But the fundamental reason that later developed into an ideology that promotes the physical appearance of the social system around us.

Ideology such as that reflected back by the mass media through a variety of representational units that exist so as to form a patterned internal organization to deliver Interpretations suggested that a perfect physical appearance has a value of value in the community, that something that seems on the surface was a factor that must be observed compared to the character behind them.

Such ideological dominance form of superiority based on physical appearance, where people look better physically considered to have character and ability is better anyway. This in turn creates what is called a social stratification based on physical appearance.

Mediational Systems

Technological Mediation

Representational units to illustrate the superiority of an attractive physical appearance is widespread through the use of modern communication technology. Indonesian people can enjoy the interesting figures from around the world through television, movies, websites, magazines and so on.

Magazines such as Cosmopolitan, FHM, and so has been present in Indonesia version of it. Hollywood movies, Bollywood, Korean, Japanese and so can be enjoyed quickly at the cinema or youtube.

Media containing the spread of representational units reinforce the ideology of superiority is increasingly physical appearance all over the world.

Social Mediation

Media messages that contain representational units had been received and interpreted by individuals in society. We discuss, talk about our fascination in the media figures are beautiful, attractive, athletic, sexy and so forth.

Not only at the level of discussion, this interpretation also affects the way we behave in everyday life. We tend to put into the physical appearance as an important element to assess the character of others. We become more consumptive of products and services that are considered able to improve our physical appearance.

Fashion and cosmetics industry is an industry that is strongly associated with efforts to improve physical appearance. Both of these industries have great economic value and helped finance the mass media operations through the purchase of advertising space. Cosmetics industries related to skin care, for example, has a worldwide turnover of 24 billion U.S. dollars annually (Berry, 2008). With the value of that fair if these industries support the deployment and strengthening of the ideology that exalts the superiority of physical appearance.

Artificial values ​​such as popularity and fame is increasing, so people vying to dress themselves in order to have greater opportunities to enter into the next mass media figures. Events such as Indonesian Idol talent search, Model Indonesia, KDI, Cover Girl, L-Man of the year and so were selling the participants. Despite the talents honed at various events are relatively different, but still, the participants dressed up in such a way that is interesting enough to be seen through the mass media.

Thus, the circle of ideological superiority attractive physical appearance is going to continue to take place, spread, and reinforced by mass media, because it indirectly ideology like this contribute significant economic contribution to the media industry.

Bibliography

BBC (Writer) (2008a). The Human Face [DVD]. In M. Mosley, N. Rossiter & G. sally (Producer), Beauty. England: BBC.

BBC (Writer) (2008b). The Human Face [DVD]. In M. Mosley, N. Rossiter & G. sally (Producer), Fame. England: BBC.

Berry, B. (2008). The Power of Looks: Social Stratification of Physical Appearance (illustrated ed.): Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..

Lull, J. (1994). Media Communication, Culture - A Global Approach: Polity Press.

McQuail, D. (2000). McQuail's Mass Communication Theory (4th ed.). London: Sage Publication.