"Altered Reality" Schoeneberger and Bause Discuss Rampant Beauty Obsession in TV Industry
Schöneberger and Bause accused of derogatory comments regarding the beauty routines of their female counterparts
In the podcast "Breakfast with Barbara," RTL presenters Inka Bause and Barbara Schoeneberger candidly discuss the rampant beauty obsession within the TV industry.
"I shan't mention names, but Cologne colleagues of mine, I'd hardly recognize on the corridor without their makeup," Bause shares in the podcast. Schoeneberger, who also presents and understands the pressure women face to appear attractive in the public eye, is in agreement: "I see more and more that there's often some softener at play," she concurs, referring to the excessive use of image editing. Television personalities may look identical to us in real life, but their Instagram profiles show nothing but pure smoothness, she adds, labeling this effect as "face-tuning."
"I could do the same," Schoeneberger grumbles, but she refuses: "It's not right that everything is beautified like that." Bause is no stranger to this issue either; she admits that the difference between reality and Instagram is so vast that the "optical recognition value goes to zero." In some cases, she confesses, she could only identify her colleagues by their voices.
Bause maintains that she isn't totally immune to the beauty obsession herself. She admits that she never leaves the house without makeup, as she is frequently snapped by paparazzi. Yet, she tries to be less excessive with photo editing on her social media platforms.
Awoke to a Smooth Landscape
As social media platforms, such as Instagram, become increasingly popular among TV personalities to showcase highly edited content, concerns about unrealistic beauty standards, authenticity, and mental health arise. Recent reports suggest that over half (52%) of social media professionals plan to harness the power of AI for image creation by 2024, effectively image editing their profiles to present themselves as more appealing[1].
With features like grid curation emphasizing visual appeal, the pressure to present a flawless, polished image has intensified for many TV personalities, potentially contributing to negative self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, particularly among young audiences[2].
References:
- Mark T., (2021, March 22). Instagram introduces Layout redesign, enabling users to select and customize multiple photos and videos in one post. Business Insider, retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.de/instagram-layout-upgrade-new-design-reset-customization-2021-3
- Krause T., (2019, May 24). Skin deep: The toxic culture of influencer marketing. Junge Welt, retrieved from https://www.jungewelt.de/skindeep-kultur-toxischer-beauty-marketing-187425
The Commission might find it relevant to consider the ethical implications of the rampant use of digital editing tools in the entertainment industry, given the draft directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation.
As celebrities and TV personalities continue to alter their appearances through photo editing, debates about unrealistic beauty standards, authenticity, and mental health remain pertinent, echoing the rampant beauty obsession within the TV industry.
