tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46393270337336222652023-11-15T07:21:15.525-08:00Ashes and BeautyLooking at how the media can have a positive impact, and the good that can be found in a broken worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639327033733622265.post-15265683990138976952012-11-12T07:48:00.000-08:002012-11-12T07:51:30.894-08:00Why magazines still matter<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last year I wrote my Honours thesis on the topic of ‘Teen
girls and body image: disparities in the photographic and written text in <i>Dolly</i><span style="font-size: small;"> magazine,’ a title I am yet to be
able to recall in its entirety without double checking, so I understand if you
just zoned out a little there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basically, what it means is that I looked at the way the
magazine’s photos (and other images) and articles sent conflicting messages
about body image and beauty to its readers and the implications of this.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">What I found was that there </span></span><i style="line-height: 115%;">is </i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">a disparity, in that although the magazine seemed to make an
effort to include positive messages about its audience, their appearance and
overall value, they </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">weren't</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> generally backed up with consistent images that
reflect these ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the record, I studied <i>Dolly</i> because at the time it had the highest readership and
circulation for an Australian magazine aimed at teen girls, however, I think
what I found is true of the majority of girl’s/women’s magazines.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Although magazines do not necessarily cause eating
disorders and poor self esteem, they can have an effect on them, being a
particularly visual form of media. So even if a magazine has dozens of articles
telling readers that they are beautiful as they are, if the accompanying images
are of girls who always </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">fulfil</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> the typical idea of beauty, this does not
encourage readers to accept the message that they don’t have to have a model
body/perfect hair/flawless skin to be beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Case in point: one article asking, “What’s your body
happy rating?” accompanied by a full page picture of a girl in a bikini. (It’s
OK, she’s holding a balloon with a smiley face, it’s totally relevant.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even though magazines make attempts to counteract this
problem, by including ‘real’ girls as models, pointing out when an image has
been digitally altered (sometimes- this whole practice is quite unclear) and
including greater diversity of models, there is still an ideal appearance
promoted and most images remain altered, especially as magazines can’t control
this when it comes to stock or advertising images.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But today’s readers are pretty media savvy. Even if they
don’t know all the details about procedures for digitally altering or choosing
images, the affect of magazines and other media is widely known.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So why do they continue to be read and bought, even with
the increase of digital media?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When it comes down to it, people like beautiful things;
they like seeing images and reading articles that are relatable, but also
appealing. Writer Rita Felski said that, “(Beauty) reminds us that the
enjoyment of mere pleasure is an important element of our humanity.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/kathryn/Documents/Kathryn/Misc/Blog/Post%204-%20Why%20do%20we%20read%20magazines%20anyway.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Blogger
Erica Bartle (who kindly responded to questions for my thesis and has a great
blog on issues of media, faith and feminism <a href="http://girlwithasatchel.com/">here</a>) said, </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">“</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">We live in an aesthetic, image-based society and
we are drawn to things of beauty. I think creativity and beauty can be a
positive, but not when it turns into unhealthy idolisation.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This
is why people continue to buy magazines, even though that many of their images
of beauty are seen as unrealistic- we are drawn to their aesthetics. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In
my thesis I found that there is something about beauty that appeals to us
beyond reason and practicality, and what is needed is not to get rid of
representations of beauty, but to manage them responsibly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/kathryn/Documents/Kathryn/Misc/Blog/Post%204-%20Why%20do%20we%20read%20magazines%20anyway.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Rita Felski, “Because it is beautiful: New feminist perspectives on beauty,” <i>Feminist Theory 7</i> 2006, p. 278.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639327033733622265.post-53147310141112821372012-10-20T03:27:00.000-07:002012-10-21T02:01:54.651-07:00Why the title?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Sometime last year I was reading
the book of Philippians with a friend. We came to chapter 4, verse 8, which
says, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything
is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">It was a verse I’d read many
times before, but I suddenly realised that all this time I’d been hearing it in
the context of ‘stay away from whatever is untrue, whatever is ignoble, whatever
is wrong,’ etcetera, when we actually need to actively replace these things
with good things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">That’s a pretty big call. When
was the last time you switched on the television and saw something ‘pure and
lovely,’ even on the shows that celebrate things like family and friendships? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Which brings me to my choice of
title, which I mulled over for some time. I’ve never enjoyed coming up with
titles, but a while ago I came across the phrase ‘beauty for ashes’. It stuck
out for me and I wondered if it was a Biblical term. Turns out it comes from
Isaiah chapter 61 verse 3:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">"To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy of mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">You may note two things here:</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">1) </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">This isn’t talking
about ‘beauty’ as the phrase is used in magazines and such, is it? You are
correct. While I assume that definition of beauty will come up often as I talk
about the media, beauty can be found not just on people or in tubs of
anti-ageing cream, but in everything from nature to people’s actions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">By the same
token, brokenness and despair are also found, but what this verse illustrates
is the promise that, one day, the Lord will change the bad for the good, our
pain for joy. Not that everything that has ever happened to us will be made
pointless, but it will be used for His glory and our good. He does that in many
ways today, but it’s often hard to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">2) </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Technically, I called
the blog ‘Ashes and Beauty,’ not Beauty for Ashes. Also correct. This was, at
first, because other forms of the phrase were taken, but it’s already grown on
me. Sometimes, ashes and beauty do seem to be two different things, but ‘ashes’
also indicates it once used to be something whole. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">The whole
concept can be confusing, but take for example, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">Downton Abbey</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;"> (hey, it’s historical drama at its best). The
characters and setting are beautiful on the outside, but plagued by drama
inside (will Mary and Matthew live happily ever after? Will Branson be accepted
by the family?). Prime example of beauty and pain co-existing, but we also see
the good (Edith finds her place during the war, Violet gives Mr Molesley the
flower award) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">If you're still </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">with me, awesome, because hopefully this explains where I’m coming from for
future posts. Promise I won’t write about </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">Downton
Abbey</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">too</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"> much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">Kathryn</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639327033733622265.post-42176867590628607012012-10-20T03:14:00.000-07:002012-10-21T02:02:11.503-07:00First things first<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Before I go any further I thought
I should explain the title and verse that I chose to use. But before I do <i>that</i>, there’s something else I want to
say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I asked you in my last (also
first) post to bear with me, and I’d like to ask that again, if the mention of
God makes you want to close the page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I am hesitant to make anyone feel
uncomfortable, so for a time I thought I’d just focus on what I knew about the
media and telling people about their true worth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">That’s the thing, though. The
reason I care about people realising they’re worth more than any ideal image
the media can present, even at its best, and furthermore, the reason I believe
anything or anyone can change for the better, is God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I believe every individual is
valuable because God loved them first. When He created this world and humans he
said everything was “good.” It, and us, are no longer perfect as a result of
sin, which would mean eternity away from God, but He loved us too much to let
that happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">So He sent His Son Jesus to be
crucified and pay the price of death, meaning we can now have eternal life with
Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">These are words I hear often. I
write them often myself. I grew up knowing that God loved me enough to
sacrifice His Son. But it’s still pretty hard to comprehend sometimes, while easy
to forget that it should change the way I live now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Maybe, like me, you’ve accepted
what Jesus did for you on the cross. Maybe you’ve heard about it but are unsure
whether you can really believe it, or have decided it’s not for you. Maybe you have
no idea what I’m on about but are still reading because you hope I’ll get to my
point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Well, this is it: If I can have
known God all my life and still be susceptible to forgetting where my worth
lies, I figure others must be too, especially if they don’t know how much they
are loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Also, I read back what I’d
written before I decided to mention God and it was kind of boring. Technically,
it was correct; you could read it and be none the wiser as to the fact that I’d
left something out. But you’d also be none the wiser as to what is most
important to me and I don’t want that to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">So, if we differ in this regard,
I hope it won’t put you off continuing to read. My posts will be about all
sorts of things, but I thought I’d level with you here before I go on to
further explain my motivations. I do hope you’ll keep reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Kathryn<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639327033733622265.post-39707680829991283452012-10-20T02:34:00.001-07:002012-10-20T02:34:39.098-07:00Welcome, welcomeHi all, welcome to my blog.<br />
I've actually been meaning to start this for ages, but the idea of putting my thoughts out there for all to read is a bit confronting, which is an ironic problem for a journalist to have.<br />
With journalism, though, someone else is giving you the go ahead to publish your work, so you know that at least one person thinks it's readable. Also, I stubbornly wanted to give print media a go and prove the naysay-ing "print is dead" types wrong.<br />
I still work in print journalism, I should point out, but I've also realised that, with the rise of digital media, I have a great opportunity to write about things that I'm interested in here and now.<br />
That brings me to the main point of my blog. Overall, what I want to do is create positive media.<br />
Most people, when I mention this, ask what 'positive media' means. For me, it means making sure I write about things that are important, interesting and true, while realising the inherent value of people.<br />
I don't think it means filling people's brains with videos of cute animals acting like people, as adorable as that is, but media that looks at issues and information in depth.<br />
It almost feels like a cliche to say that media promotes negative body image, materialism, or pretty much any societal problem. It is capable of this, but the way I see it, the industry is capable of so much more.<br />
People are doing something about it, as well. It's difficult to see and not always effective, but certain media makers are taking note of increased media literacy and dissatisfaction.<br />
However, I think a lot more could be done. I think we have a responsibility to use such influential methods of communication to benefit others, not tear them down so others can build them up for the price of the latest fad.<br />
There's nothing wrong with enjoying beauty or entertainment. On the contrary, I think this world is full of beauty and joy and interesting ideas. They are rarely found easily, or even whole, but they are there, hidden under discrimination, war, abuse and so many other issues.<br />
So basically, this is what I'm attempting to do, try and balance the struggles we all see with the good I know is possible, at least in an arena I'm familiar with (ie media). On that note, if this all sounds a bit serious, bear with, because I'm also quite fond of looking on the bright side of life. Also, apparently, quoting British comedies. (Brownie points for you if you recognised both references)<br />
Hopefully through this blog I'll share a bit more about what we can do for each other through a very influential part of life.<br />
KathrynUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0