The Body As Never Ending Project
February 20th 2008 03:26
Since ancient times, body creation and development have been natural processes in people’s day to day lives. The Ancient Egyptians adorned themselves with jewellery, basked their skin in oils, and sort to present their bodies in a form closest to perfection. Like the mind was seen to be in need of continual development by Greek Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle; the body too desired for perfection, which was done slowly over time, unlike today where it is done through spontaneity, for the purpose of conformity. As Bauman (1998:24) suggests, the impact of capitalism and the consumer society has led to this natural process of self creation changing into a never ending project, sustained and promoted by the media through its ability to turn the body into a commodity, and also by the seduction of its representation (Baudrillard, 1998:129). Baudrillard (1998:49) argues that consumerism is equated to happiness, and since the body itself is now objectified, people are increasingly pushed to sculpt and mould themselves until they inevitability conform to what the status quo deems as happiness. In this case being beauty, youth and elasticity.
Conversely, the liquidity of modernity that Bauman (2001:2) speaks of, suggests that there is no definite meaning of what is considered to be normal, therefore implying that to some, the body is just that, a body; not in need of continual alteration and modification. In addition, as people are all different, what is normal to one person may not be considered normal to another. Like the saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, there is uncertainty to what beauty entails as there are so many versions of what beautiful is described to be. This being a characteristic of modernity, Bauman (2001:7) writes “these days patterns and configurations are no longer ‘given’, let alone ‘self-evident’; there are just too many of them, clashing with one another and contradicting one another’s commandments…”. Also for some people, having reached a sense of satisfaction within themselves even when living in a consumer society; changing the body, once again, becomes the natural process of self creation that was governed throughout the ages. Instead of it being a continuing project, the body is developed now and again when circumstances arise.
It is true that there are many people who follow this line of thought, and can see the inner beauty and perfection of a person, but for most modern men and women who are directed by the media; perfection lies in its superficiality. As the body is increasingly seen as an extension of one’s capital (Baudrillard 1998:132), popularity, or success, people are forced to treat it like any other commodity. Since the body is, ultimately, a biological entity, it forgoes any attempts of long time control, and continual work is needed to maintain the idea of satisfaction generated by the media. Since the concept of satisfaction is prescribed by the norm (Bauman 1998:29), this vicious cycle is incessant. Therefore, for the people being born into a world of mediated culture, for them in their everyday lives, it is normal to think of the body as a never ending project.
References
Baudrillard, J (1998) The Consumer Society – Myths & Structures, London: Sage Publications
Bauman, Z. (1998) ‘From the Work Ethic to the Aesthetic of Consumption’ in Work, Consumerism and the New Poor, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Bauman, Z (2001) ‘On Being Light and Liquid’ in Liquid Modernity, Cambridge: Polity Press.
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