The Mediated Body: Transformation and Modification in Visual Culture
November 2006
in “
Nordicom Review
”
Studysummary This article reviews the portrayal of the body as a site of transformation in media and fashion, concluding that modified bodies highlight cultural denial of natural imperfection but reports no new research findings.
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The 2006 article "The Mediated Body" explored the concept of the body as a site of transformation, modification, and improvement in visual culture, specifically in television, film, and fashion photography. It focused on two reality programs, "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan", the American drama-series "Nip/Tuck", and a series of fashion photographs from "Italian Vogue" July 2005 by Steven Meisel titled "Makeover Madness". The article argued that the modifiable body has become the new "natural body" in contemporary visual culture. Despite the prevalence of the modified body, digital or not, the article concluded that it primarily highlights what our culture seeks to deny.
