Mind Diminishing

Mind Diminishing

Reality TV seems to have taken over television in America today. Shows such as The Real World, Elimidate, American Idol, and Extreme Makeover are just a few of these reality TV shows that are being watched in our living rooms today. While many of these shows display the reality of day-to-day life of certain people, various reality television shows effect American society as many become idealistic to the people on the shows. Shows such as, The Swan and Extreme Make Over are shows that completely remake and rebuild one’s outer image. Episode after episode women change their weight, nose, lips, etc. by plastic surgery hoping to become “beautiful.” Unfortunately, The Swan and Extreme Make Over make transform the meaning of beauty on the show and hypnotize many into believing that beauty comes in a certain shape and form of skinny and thin. Skinny and thin may seem to be “reality” on television, where in actuality; the average American woman is about a size 8 and is going to grow as obesity has spread throughout the U.S. The Swan and Extreme Make Over are shows that are far from reality and diminish the minds of young women in America as they brainwash these teens to completely change whom they are just to be accepted and acknowledged in a society based on looks and outer beauty.

The Swan and Extreme Make Over are similar reality TV shows that turn the” ugly" into "beautiful" through plastic surgery. Both reality television shows begin with women who have self-issues on how they look as well as issues with their self-confidence. The people in these shows have no physical features wrong with them what so ever, they unfortunately are just

not content with themselves. They begin on these shows hoping to change one or two body parts, yet, undergo whole head to toe transformations. From liposuction, tummy tucks, lip and breast enhancement, the women end up looking completely different. The participants on The Swan and Extreme Make Over are mainly women who do not fit society’s norm of what we call beautiful, as society has a certain form of beauty. Beauty is tall, skinny, and long legged. Women appear on The Swan and Extreme Make Over hoping to completely change their outer looks as well as gain self-confidence and self worth within themselves. While the makeovers only change their outer looks, they cannot change deep feelings that are really going on in ones head.

The shows like The Swan and Extreme Make Over have a large effect on young girls and adolescents as they look up to these women on the shows. Young women at ages 16 for example, have large issues on fitting in, worry about being popular and how they dress, and are unsure of whom they truly are. The Swan and Extreme Make Over brainwash these inexperienced and adolescent minds in believing that beautiful is having large breast, and a thin body and you will be well liked and popular if you are this way. So many teens have weight issues and eating disorders because they want to be as the beautiful and thin person displayed on the television screen. These “reality” television shows are only truthfully displaying the easy way out of sadness, depression, and unhappiness with oneself. The Swan and Extreme Make Over exhibit to young women that anything you dislike about your body can be changed and you do not have to be comfortable with who you are. Sadly, these shows are teaching young women that our definition of beauty as well as acceptance can be achieved through plastic surgery.

These shows like The Swan and Extreme Make Over reveal that our culture is acceptable to "Fake" bodies and beauty begins on what is physically there. These bodies are fake

and unreal in the sense that these outer looks were not achieved through human nature but by a surgeon with a knife. Our American culture has made young women as young as 16 want to get plastic surgery to look like famous Hollywood’s J Lo and Beyonce. America has accepted the work that the Hollywood stars get done to their bodies and faces as if it is a part of human nature. I have witnessed my own friends comment things such as “I wish I was pretty like Beyonce” or “I wonder how much I’d have to pay to get a tummy tuck.” It is depressing that average weighted beautiful women would feel this way. We have come to be an idealistic