And yet we are surrounded by these images to such an extent that we eventually believe such looks are real beauty and we, by comparison, are dull and ugly.

How else can you create a market for breast implants, cosmetic eye surgery, or body-building supplements?

There is nothing of the celestial in these mockeries of beauty. The emphasis is completely on the material. Further, these images of the material are doctored to make the material appealing.

An art photographer says, "Look at the beauty/sadness/poetry in the world."

A commercial photographer says, "The material world is beautiful, if only you spend enough."

Commercial photography distracts us from the true beauty in life. Our constant worries about our physical appearances prevent encounters with the celestial.

"Don't look at me; I'm not ready yet," is our internal mantra. "I haven't (lost 50 pounds/put my makeup on/bought the Hugo Boss suit/had my middle toe shortened)." We are afraid of eye contact because if we make eye contact that means someone else is looking at us, seeing our imperfections.

It's even worse for those outside of the predominant ethnicity of commercial photography - in other words, those who aren't white. While a white viewer might look at an ad and fool herself into believing she can achieve that look (without makeup and fashion consultants, lighting designers and professional trainers), a person of color can't fool herself so easily. Then she finds a new thing to hate about herself and invests money in hair straighteners, lightening creams and perhaps even cosmetic surgery.

The most obvious example of this sort of reaction can be seen in the transformation of Michael Jackson. He has constructed an entirely fantastic face - peering out from giant, lion-like eyes, a wisp of a nose disappearing into his white geisha makeup. He wears a transgender, multicultural, uber-alien mask. But he is still a thrall to the tyranny of photographs. The mass media hypocrites take great pleasure in dredging out old photographs of Michael (dubbed "Wacko Jacko") to show how he's changed. They would not insult Cher with such tactics, and yet she freely admits to having successive plastic surgery operations.

 

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