(Magazine article source: Shape Singapore, September 2009 issue)
The above article is taken from September’s Shape Singapore, a mind and body fitness magazine for women. It features several women giving their take on how they learn to love their own bodies. The purpose of this article was to help body-conscious women learn to embrace their bodies.
Let us face it, we humans are visual creatures and I am no exception. I personally do care quite a bit about how my body looks and therefore, I found this article interesting. This article is very effective in reaching its aim of helping body-conscious women love their bodies more through various communication techniques used.
Very importantly, they have adopted the use of visuals to get their message across. Notice that not only are they good looking, they also exude positive energy through bright-coloured clothing and “positive” settings. For example, Jade Seah is radiant in tennis attire and Shirlyn Tan very into her music performance. All these contribute to create a very upbeat and encouraging atmosphere. This use of pathos certainly makes the article more convincing as we strive to look and feel as happy as the women featured in the article.
Then, the layout also contributed to the article’s success because of the informal style adopted. Body issues are usually very sensitive topics and thus, few are open to discuss about it. Therefore, this creative and fun layout lends a more light-hearted tone, making women more susceptible to reading up on this article. This light-heartedness also makes it seem less severe and therefore, making some feel more encouraged.
After looking at the photos, one would naturally look at the text and the use of text has been very intelligently used too. For one, the main points are in a different colour from the other text. This gets the message across to readers more clearly as it emphasizes what one can do to feel better about one’s body. This use of logos is effective as it shows readers that learning to embrace one’s body is within their reach in small, simple steps. This is further emphasized by the bolding of the main points. The length of the text is also kept short, making the message clear and contributing to the light-heartedness of the article once again.
Upon further evaluation, one can see that they have used mostly celebrities. If not, it is the use of other famous female figures. This lends credibility to the article, making readers more convinced of their ability to turn their negativity to positivity. They have even carefully picked out women from a range of age groups to further emphasize that everyone can do it. This use of ethos can be further seen at work with the photos of Singaporean celebrities being enlarged as they are more well-known among Singaporean women as compared to the Shape Run 2008 10km winner or a sailor from Team Singapore.
Although it might not be realistic as the women featured are mostly from occupations which require them to look good or in the process, look good in the first place, the article contains all three persuasion techniques, making it an effective persuasion to convince women that their unique bodies are beautiful. After all, beauty is the eye of the beholder and learning to love your own body simply makes you a happier person.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Valerie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the bit that the Shape magazine has weakened its persuasion of its female readers to love their own body through the use of celebrated figures! Not all the different types of "body shapes" are represented in this article and this may marginalize some of its readers. I personally feel that if the magazine features all the different body types, it'll convince more of its readers to embrace their own body no matter how it looks!
Then again, since this section of the magazine comes as a bonus, I might think the magazine is more interested in interviewing these celebrated figures and how they have come to love their own body. Perhaps, it is less of persuading its readers but more for their own reading entertainment, just like how we like to read about celebrities in tabloids!
Overall, a very analytical review!
Hi Val, interesting post!
ReplyDeleteLoving your body is loving yourself! That's one of the most important things in life. I think many men and women within our generation take health and fitness for granted. We make up excuses for not exercising or eating right.
Maybe you had that special assignment at work that needed extra time or that you've been extra "busy" with school.
Or perhaps you have a bad shoulder or elbow or knee or ankle that prevents you from exercising.
You can see where I'm going with this. If how you look and feel is important to you, then there really isn't an excuse. Either you want it or you don't, and it's either going to be a priority in your life, or it's not!
Your health and fitness determines not only how good you're going to look and feel every day that you're on this planet, but also how long you'll exist on this earth to enjoy the time you have with your friends and family... So with all of that said, why wouldn't you make your fitness a priority in your life!
Loving your body means treating your body well. And that means exercise and good eating habits!
Hi Valerie,
ReplyDeleteThe above article was definitely effective in carrying out the message that one should be proud to be in their own skin!
As it consists of an array of viewpoints from various women, it brought out a spectrum of different perspectives in relation to this issue about loving one's body. The tips shared were interesting and useful and it will be easy for girls/women to relate to them as the tips were all from those women's personal experieces. Whatmore, all the women interviewed possess a certain degree of fame & thus their words will definately hold some weight.
"I don't think i'll ever have a perfect body. But the older i get, the more comfortable i am with myself." I feel that readers will be responsive to this statement whereby they'll reflect on their stand on this body issue & recognize marie digby's idea that having the perfect body is simply idealistic and instead, one should embrace the qualities we've been bestowed with.
I feel that this article will be helpful in instilling a new and positive mindset to all the 'negative self-image' people out there and hopefully it'd give them a boost & help them understand & love their body better!
Indeed, loving your body is loving you, and it is interesting, also apt that you brought up this matter as women these days are constantly grappling with their physical image. This article evidently encourages a more holistic view of the outlook of a person instead of focusing on material needs, hence advocates against a capitalist society where women have to constantly keep up with their images to superficially 'fit in'.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the article promotes exercising as the most basic form of looking good, without having to spend tons of money on it. Being featured in a magazine(as we all know to be one of the effective mediums of communication), this message could influence the audience to start adopting a healthier lifestyle which would attribute to a better physical outlook.
I also agree that using celebrities allow readers to familiarize themselves with the product the article is selling, in this case, exercising to look good, and hence has strong persuasive effects which communication greatly embodies. However, it is good that you pointed out one advertising gimmick the media always uses- Featuring celebrities to enhance their products, to show that the media is not always credible.
You have effectively woven the various communication forms, pathos, logos and ethos into your entry, however you should be careful not to make the entry seem too technical.
Overall, an insightful critique! :>
-Amadea
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ReplyDeleteBody issues will always be apparent in society, it is just something we cannot deny like you stated "we humans are visual creatures".
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are many ways to make you feel good about yourself from the inside out and this article is evidence of that. The tips and advice given in the article are all practical and achievable, proving that you don't need to go to extreme measures to look and feel good. Instead of showing people how to do strenuous exercises and going through torturous diets, the tips are simple, doable and esteem-boosting advice on how to feel good so that you look good.
The celebrities add a persuasive push to the whole article as they are mostly recognisable to Singaporean women and thus make great role models and inspirations. All the advice given were asking women to be themselves and not try so hard to become someone else which I feel is very important. However, all the women featured are slim and attractive. It might have been slightly better if a few curvier celebrities were added in so that women of all shapes and sizes could relate to it better.
Your observations of the way the pictures and text were placed is not something everyone would notice so kudos to you for that!
The article claims to help us love our body. But by using mainly thin models, does it really help us love our body? Or does it shape consumers' sense of body to be associated only with a thin ideal?
ReplyDeleteSince most people cannot be lean like Jade, I argue that this article is part of mass media's larger efforts to perpetuate the thin ideal. The thin ideal refers to the social desirability of a body's aesthetic appearance.
Why would the media and magazines such as Shape want to perpetuate this? Because they profit by tapping on women's insecurities. All women who feel like they are not like the thin models want to take fitness classes and read more Shape to learn how to be like the thin models.
Many so-called Health magazines claim to help women love themselves and become fitter. In reality, they are actually creating psychological dependency in women for the magazines. This helps the media and fitness industry make more money.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us not be fooled. Beauty is not an external standard dictated by mass media. We need to work on forming a purer self-concept of beauty.
Reply to Jasmine:
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that the article could have been more convincing if they included women of different sizes to prove that everyone, no matter how different they are from one another, can look and feel good.
I am not sure what was the intention of putting in this bonus section but it could be for a variety of reasons such as celebrity entertainment like you mentioned, publicity for the respective women or perhaps the editor herself simply found an inspiration for that subject and put it in. We can never be too sure but only guess(:
Reply to codename-tong:
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that Singaporeans are not fitness-conscious and health-conscious enough. Like you said, many come up with a variety of excuses such as being too "busy" to exercise, seeing no need for it or simply being plain lazy. I think this has got a lot to do with how they prioritize health and fitness, which is perhaps lower down their lists.
Like you mentioned, there are many benefits that arise from keeping fit and being healthy. Not only are there social and psychological benefits, there are economic benefits too! Who knows you could make a friend or two from that yoga class or your evening runs! Then, it does great stuff for your self-esteem too. Plus, do everybody not already know the tremendous amount of benefits exercising and eating right can do for your body? It can certainly help you save on medical bills!
Do continue to eat right and live right code-name tong!
Reply to Dawn:
ReplyDeleteI am comforted to know that you got the message the article was trying to get across. Like you said, the tips were both useful and practical easy-to-do steps! Hopefully you will remember some of them and continue to embrace your unique body!
Also, I agree with you that there is no such thing as a "perfect body". The media will constantly play on women's insecurities and get them to subscribe to the idea of a certain body ideal. In reality, we are all made differently and it is only in celebrating these differences that we truly learn to love our bodies!
Do continue to keep that positive mindset Dawn!
Reply to Amadea:
ReplyDeleteOh yes, you have definitely pointed out some image issues our society is facing now that ties in with the subject of this article. I agree with you that many women nowadays are getting increasingly image-conscious, forgetting about the importance of a whole self. Just look at the increasing amount anorexia nervose and bulimia nervosa cases. How about the increase instances of young women going opting to go for plastic surgery? The mass media has certainly been constantly playing on women's insecurities and conjuring up this notion of an ideal look. It is sad how many young, even educated, women today are being swayed by the mass media, instead of learning to love their unique self.
However, I do not agree with you that the article promotes exercising as the most basic form of looking good. Perhaps it could be the use of the sporty photos that made you feel that way but I feel that the article was trying to drive more at the women's mindsets. This can be seen through the words the women used such as "As long as I feel good and comfortable with myself", "..accept myself for who I am" and "It's about being healthy on the inside" just to name a few. I thought they were trying to tell women that it is all about perpective. Only you yourself can genuinely make yourself feel good about yourself. When you feel good, you would naturally look good because of this inner radiance and confidence that you exude.
I have also noted your point about me being careful not to be too technical in the entry. Perhaps I was too caught up with trying to tie in the article with communication concepts and thus, got a little carried away. I was actually just doing an evaluation of the article with respect to the communication techniques used and its effectiveness. I will certainly try to be less technical in my entries to come! Thank you for your honest feedback!
Reply to sundaytv:
ReplyDeleteThe article has certainly given us some simple, useful tips to feeling better about our bodies. I have personally taken some of them back with me. I hope you do too sundaytv!
Certainly, it is very important to be oneself and not try too hard. Nobody likes anybody who tries to be someone they are not. Afterall, it is those who are comfortable with themselves that are attractive!
You have also raised a point that Jasmine raised earlier on that I agree with. It is about the point of the article being able to be more effective in its persuasion if they had chosen women who are more "real" and like the majority of us. I would certainly love to have seen women of different shapes and sizes give their take on how they learnt to love their bodies!
Reply to Wilfred Chua:
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have interesting insights Wilfred! With regards to the issue that this article is in fact promoting a consumers's sense of body to be associated with a thin ideal, I feel that perhaps some might have misread the producer's intentions. While some may feel that the usage of thin models only further perpetuates the idea of an ideal body, perhaps they have used thin models instead to serve as a form of motivation to show people that it is possible to be like them with enough hard work and discipline.
While it is true to a certain extent that the media and magazines profit by tapping on women's insecurities, it is not entirely true. I am certain that there are confident women out there who read these magazines for entertainment or simply to broaden their knowledge. Magazines are not only for the insecure.
However, I do agree with you that we need to adpot a purer concept of beauty. Perhaps the forces of globalization and modernisation are to blame for corrupting our minds but sometimes, it is inevitable. Time and circumstances have changed and will constantly change but it is important that we learn to stay grounded despite all this. We do not have to have the perfect skin or a curvy figure to be beautiful because what is most important is that a person is complete in himself. That is what makes us truly beautiful.
Analysing the ways of knowing and rhetoric through emotion, reason and morals effectively draws readers into acceptance and agreement, which seems to be the underlying idea that is usually conveniently overlooked.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in Wilfred's comment, it is certainly true that the condoned ideal in today's society is generally the visually-pleasing and socially-accepted 'thin ideal'. This concept perpetuates today's society, evident from the high proportion of women (and an increasing number of men) who take immense pains to mould and correct their bodies to a stage of perfection- which is once again, often defined by social acceptance. One's personal opinion and standards are apparently stifled as we conform to the world's standards, whether consciously or not.
I'm relieved really, when I see that the recent trend has been a shift towards the 'fit ideal' more than the stick-thin ideal. At the very least, with all that obsession over accomplishing the fit (and considerably sexy) ideal comes the real benefits of being healthy and keeping illnesses at bay. This paradigm shift is momentous and has been effectively furthered through media, such as the article above.
One question I would ask is: will there be another paradigm shift? Well, in the renaissance and romantic period, the socially-accepted idea of the female body seemed to be skewed towards a chubby, fleshy, voluptous figure. This was proclaimed in all the renowned paintings of the time.
In the 20th century, the paradigm shift graudally brought the thin ideal into focus and conferred upon it value and importance. Society defined this new idea as the ideal.
Now, in the first years of the 21st century, the fit ideal has emerged. Given the fickle minds of humans, is it not expected that the ideal can change soon?
And if it does do so during our lifetimes, does it mean we will conform once again and change our personal image and body shapes to suit the new fad, in a desperate bid to gain acceptance? Through observations, it is apparent that our socio-cultural paradigm entrenched minds do fail to recognise the notion of independence at times.
Really, if loving our bodies means that we have to attain a certain ideal as trumpeted in media and advocated by society, then it seems we arent' really giving ourselves enough self-respect- the notion of lack of self-confidence scares me more than the lack of the ideal.
Ironically, I think that we can declare that we love our bodies (as how the article boldy asserts) only when we are able to disregard the article's attractive visuals and logos, when there is no longer any need for or acceptance of such articles intended to influence and impress.
Hey val! yeah i saw this article as well, my eyes quickly went to the eye candy on the paper.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I asked my sister who read the article too as well and I asked how did she find about the writeup and she said "huh? I was just looking at the pretty girl"
Well, the article was succesful in the sense that it did captivate the reader, but whether its content was sold is another thing.
This article, in my opinion is quite effective in the sense that it balanced both the star factor and the mirror factor. the mirror factor meaning how ordinary readers of the article would feel that they are relevant to the writeup.
and good call on Pathos! :)
isaac chan zhi yang
Hello val!
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that by using famous celebrity figures it gives the readers a motivational force driving them to strive towards a healthy body, positive image. I also agree with you that non celebrity would also have added more credibility and give a more accurate perception of the "positive self-image". With your average plain jane coming in different (healthy) sizes, I believe that the persuasive intention of convincing women that their unique bodies are beautiful will be much stronger and embrace their bodies.
What I love best about the article is the personal touch added from each of the celebrities featured. Like you mentioned, the messages are short, enabling the readers to digest the intended advice from each celebrity. This method of featuring them enhances the main point, like how we need to " Respect our bodies because its the only vehicle to get us through life" and that "each person is special". Helping to carry across the tips clearer and making them easier to remember.
However, the article together with your in-depth analysis makes the whole article more fully developed. Very interesting and definitely taught me more about learning to love my body! Thank you for sharing this article with us! Keep up the good work!
Serena
hahah hey val very interesting article you have here and I think with current trends and with the media defining what it means to look good, more and more people are focused on a healthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteOk i know that sometimes the things i do dont always tell people i'm healthy, but honestly I believe in eating well and that prevention is better than cure. I'm not an active person, and that is also probably why i try to keep my diet balanced and basically eat enough to keep me going and at least maintain some level of healthiness?
Your analysis is very good, and i agree with you about the points brought out on how the article is trying to persuade female readers to love their bodies by leading a healthy lifestyle and learning to accept themselves for who they are at the same time is really encouraging especially towards people who are overly sensitive about their appearances.
The portrayal of having fun is also pretty good, making healthy lifestyles more appealing to the readers. Good call i'd say. haha
'Loving your body, loving you'
ReplyDeleteThe title says it all!
Body issues, especially for women, is a very sensitive issue to talk about. But how the magazine has made it light-hearted for readers, including the pictures in the article, definately a plus point too! (:
you do feel good when you look good. many movies have been depicting that. such as 200pounds beauty and bodysuit. After a change in their looks and size for that matter.. they attitudes change as well. A boost in confidence both depicted verbally and through their body language. However there are so many people who are actually exercising for aesthetic's sake more than that of their health. But I personally don't find that wrong because end of the day it benefits both ways. The society emphasizes alot on physical appearances nowadays. It's like the notion of how 'sex sells'
ReplyDeleteHi Val,
ReplyDeleteNice piece! I always thought that celebrities were freaks who were unnaturally good looking. It is really nice to know that even celebrities like Marie Digby used to be unhappy with her body.
Also, i realized that a lot of the celebrities interviewed are quite mature? That is really a huge inspiration for me even thou the article focuses more on women. I have always had this impression that when I am 35, I would be bald, fat and slow. Well..that is what I noticed during my army days at least :D BUT! Looking at the article, I guess it is POSSIBLE to be "mature" and fit at the same time.
P.s I'm cutting down and chips and going jogging tonight!
Cheers,
Chin (not chuan)
Reply to Hilda Foo:
ReplyDeleteHi Hilda! I am glad that you are able to see the works of rhetoric through emotion, reason and morals in this article and other articles alike.
I am very impressed that you are able to bring out a whole new point of view that I have missed. That is the pardagim shift from the thin ideal to the 'fit ideal'. Now that you have mentioned it, I do realize that this has been increasingly the case. Just take the new section in The Straits Times, "Hot Bods" for instance. In the past, this section was not present. Perhaps this is one of the efforts on the media's part to promote people to work towards a 'fit ideal'?
Given men's indecisiveness and everchanging times, I would not be surprised that a new ideal would emerge in the years to come. We have seen the voluptuous ideal, thin ideal and now, the fit ideal. Perhaps it might be time for the oversized but healthy ideal one day? Just look at the rise of plus-sized models being promoted. Take Whitney Thompson, America's Next Top Model Cycle 10 Winner and model Lizzie Miller for example. They have been applauded for being healthy and beautiful in their own skin despite being bigger than "normal" girls.
Whether people will confirm to this possible new ideal, I am not too optimistic. I do not think anyone would deliberately put on weight just so to gain acceptance if this ideal really comes into play. Rather, it would be more of a source of comfort for people who have gained weight unintentionally but are still healthy or those who already are in that catergory.
I agree with you that the lack of self-confidence is more scary than the notion of a lack of the ideal. Ideals will always be changing but it is important that we get our self-confidence in check all the time despite all this. Afterall, what can be more sexy than loving your own body despite what people may otherwise think?
Also, I agree with you that we can only say we really truly love our bodies only when we are able to love our bodies even without seeing this article in the first place. It would show that you do not need anyone or anything to influence your confidence. That, would truly be beautiful.
Overall, a very insightful and stimulating comment. Do keep them coming! Thank you Hilda(:
Reply to touchmybeaver:
ReplyDeleteHi Issac! You see, your first paragraph immediately shows how we humans are visual creatures! That said, it has been effective in attracting readers to the article.
Perhaps we will never truly know whether the content was sold unless we did a more in-depth study of it through research efforts! But this article definitely shows that even stars adopt "ordinary" ways to love their bodies, so we can do it too!(:
Reply to Serena:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Serena! I am glad that you have taken away a few tips from this article!
Yes, many people have been telling me that it would have been even better if they had more "ordinary" people of different but healthy sizes brace this article! I also agree on that as it would have been more credible and encouraging.
For many of us, celebrities seem like a "far away" object and sources like these enable us to get to know them better. Like you mentioned, they add a personal touch to this article. Together with the straight forward, simple messages, it helps readers to remember the messages more clearly!
I hope you continue to love your body Serena cos as the article says, everyone is special(:
Reply to J-max:
ReplyDeleteIt is comforting to know that more people are taking efforts to stay healthy J-max!
You know, you do not have to prove anything to anyone else but yourself but I am glad that you see the importance of having a balanced diet and the efforts you put in in doing so. However, a balanced diet and adequate exercise goes hand in hand. So, hopefully, you will find the motivation to kick start your exercise regime sometime soon J-max!
Leading a healthy lifestle is within everyone's reach. The article effectively brings out some simple tips and makes it lighthearted so that it is more encouraging!
Remember, if everyone can do it, so can you!(:
Reply to dailypostcards:
ReplyDeleteHey! I am glad you found it interesting because usually when it comes to health and fitness issues, most women just find it uninteresting! Hopefully you have taken back some things from this article and continue loving your body!
Reply to Cheryl:
ReplyDeleteSomehow, how we feel about ourselves depend to a certain extent about how we feel we look. However, it is important to note that everyone is unique and we should focus on the positive parts! I personally feel that it is all about one's attitude and how they choose to look at their bodies!
I agree with you that there are people out there who exercise for aesthetic purposes more than for the sake of being healthy. Like you said, at the end of the day, it is still beneficial. One just has to be careful not to overdo it in a way that harms the body! For many, this might very well just be their motivation to kick start their exercise regime. Who knows, this might turn into them loving the sport as they progress further!
While it is not entirely true that looks do not matter at all, we should also always keep in ming that looks is not everything! I hope you found this article interesting Cheryl!(:
Reply to ablinddeer:
ReplyDeleteHi Chin! I am glad that your perpective of celebrities have changed for the better and that you do not think of them simply as freaks anymore because they are humans too! Being human, everyone has their own set of insecurities(:
I am happy that you realize that being mature in age does not mean that you are unable to be fit anymore! Just look at the number of mature people taking part in marathons and whatnots, they can easily outnumber the number of youths!
It is all about aging gracefully and exercise sure helps! Exercise is meant for people of all ages and I am heartened by your effort to go jogging that night and cut down on unhealthy snacks Chin! Keep up the good work!(:
Using celebrities to endorse a product is common nowadays. As they have the physical attributes to lure readers of various ages. Perhaps for this advert of maintaining a healthy body, eating right and exercising regularly, the celebrities physical appearance sells pretty well. Not only that, their dressed in sports attire which immediately picture their hot bodies to the readers. As a guy, it doesn't seem to motivate me in any way to eat right or even exercise right. It will probably be only for my viewing pleasure. But whereas for the ladies, my guess is you will want to look just like Jaymee Ong, and start to eat right and exercise regularly after reading this article.
ReplyDeleteReply to kandidkester:
ReplyDeleteHey kandidkester!
Great to see your observations! Yes indeed, being a girl, looking at celebrities who have a good body gives me the motivation to be like them! It gives me the drive to be more active and healthy so that I can stay in shape and be radiat like them!
Well, it is natural that for guys who read this article, it is more of a viewing pleasure than a motivation. However, if this article was to be feautured in a guy magazine with guy models instead, it would probably have a positive impact like how it does for girls too!
Perhaps this artice could even encourage you to encourage your girlfriend or girl friends to adopt a healthier lifestyle!