Abstract
Discourses of Perfection explores the representation of editorial and advertising discourses related to cosmetic procedures and beauty products and services in UK lifestyle magazines, addressing the social contexts which may have contributed to their increased normalisation. The book has two key aims: first, to provide an overview of the current cosmetic surgery market in the UK with particular reference to previous research on the (gendered) body; second, to examine the representation of cosmetic procedures and other beauty products and services in UK lifestyle magazines, feeding into current debates around the cosmetic surgery market in general and around how cosmetic procedures are conceptualised. In achieving these aims, this volume fills a clear gap in the existing literature. Whilst previous research within discourse analysis has looked in some detail at beauty product advertising in magazines, there is only a limited body of work exploring either the construction of masculine identities within these contexts or the discourse of cosmetic procedure advertising in the UK.
The focus for analysis is threefold: (1) the producers of the magazines/advertisements and the cosmetics market; (2) the advertisements and editorials themselves; and (3) reader reception data. Within the overarching framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) the author uses a range of approaches to the data, such as (corpus-assisted) CDA, qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. This is a complex, multi-layered approach, but one that is arguably necessary considering the complex and multi-layered nature of the multimodal data under investigation. Given the huge difficulties in obtaining copyright for advertising materials in academic work such as this, the author is to be commended for the use of visuals to complement the detailed textual discussions.
Hermans finds evidence for a recent decline in cosmetic procedure advertising in many UK lifestyle magazines, together with a move away from marketing invasive surgeries towards non-invasive procedures, especially in women’s magazines. These non-invasive procedures tend to be described using typical features of marketing discourse, with a focus on speed and simplicity. The analysis illustrates broad similarities between cosmetic procedure advertisements and those of other beauty products and services, raising important questions over where (and how) the line can be drawn between these two categories.
Masculinities are evoked in beauty marketing through stereotypical discourses of fighting and violence. Both the advertisements themselves and the male participants in audience focus groups showed a practical and somewhat sceptical approach to cosmetics. However, appearance-related insecurities also featured in both, and humour was often used as a deflection strategy by focus group participants. In contrast to much previous literature, the author found several similarities in the marketing and use of grooming products between gay and heterosexual men.
The book is novel in its consideration of audience reception to male-targeted cosmetics advertising, something which has – understandably, given the history of the industry – been overlooked in favour of examining cosmetics advertising for women. Although the numbers in the focus group are small, as the author points out, this is not necessarily an issue, as the views of the participants are not taken to be representative but rather to present an in-depth case study of individual reception. However, as suggested, these findings could be followed up with future reader response work involving larger groups across different demographics and geographical locations. Another key contribution of the book is the argument that cosmetic procedures and other beauty products/services may be best conceptualised as a continuum rather than a more binary classification. The evidence for this argument (via the analysis of previous literature, the advertisements themselves and reader response data) is compelling and does have potential implications for future regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry, especially in terms of how procedures might be classified.
CDA has traditionally eschewed any apparent ‘neutral’ position of the researcher to address inequalities related to language and society, often exploring language that is potentially manipulative or that reinforces power dynamics. It is clear that this volume follows in that tradition: Discourses of Perfection is motivated by the author’s concerns around the seeming normalisation of cosmetic procedures, the lack of clear governmental policy regulating the cosmetic surgery market in the UK, and the current Advertising Standards Authority guidelines for cosmetics advertising. These are undoubtedly valid and significant concerns, as misrepresentation of cosmetic surgery may have negative effects on the target consumer within the complex web of neoliberalism, consumerism, medical ethics, societal pressures with regard to appearance and mental health issues. However, scholarly approaches to bodily modification are not always unilateral or straightforward, and the book does not engage in much detail with alternative (i.e. more positive or ambivalent) views on aesthetic interventions. This is arguably a direct result of the aforementioned critical perspective adopted by the author, who references their own activism in terms of cosmetic surgery normalisation. However, a slightly more nuanced engagement with some of the counter arguments (even if contested by the author) may have been beneficial for the reader in navigating this incredibly complex territory.
Overall, this is an innovative and very timely volume which reports on the under-researched area of the discourse of cosmetic procedure advertising in the UK. It provides empirical evidence to help answer the difficult question of where and how the line can be drawn between beauty product and cosmetic procedure, and, in so doing, has significant implications for policy, especially in terms of responsible advertising practice. In addition to having potential implications for industry, this book will be of interest to both scholars and students within the areas of CDA, especially in media discourse, advertising language and language and gender. It may also be of relevance to students studying communication, marketing and sociology. The writing is accessible for virtually all levels (from undergraduate study and above) and any specialist terms are carefully explained for the non-specialist reader.