The Beauty Myth

Advertisement is a product of culture and, in turn, exerts impact upon culture andsociety from multiple levels. Cosmetic advertisements, as a special form ofadvertisement, prospered with the advent of American consumption age. This kind ofadvertisements on the one hand severs as the stimulus to consumption, on the otherhand creates ideal beauty standard.In chapter one, the author will illustrate the codes of ideal beauty constructed bycosmetic advertisements. In chapter two, the author will explain the appeals utilized byadvertisements to convince consumers that the ideal beauty is accessible. In chapterthree, the author will unveil the negative implications as a result of internalizing thebeauty ideal. Ultimately, the author will conclude that the “ideal beauty” constructed inAmerican cosmetic advertisements is unattainable, and internalizing this ideal bringsnegative implications.Pursuing beauty is every person’s freedom and right. However, mass media,especially cosmetic advertisements constantly promote “ideal beauty”. The uniform andunattainable beauty standard constructed by cosmetic ads not only fails to represent thereality of American women, but also exerts severe impact on women, including bodyimage crisis. Therefore, women should establish an autonomous and diversifiedstandard of beauty instead of conforming to the ideal.