Male VS Female Objectification in Makeover Television Shows

            When one thinks of a makeover program several big names spring to mind – What Not to Wear, Extreme Makeover, The Swan, etc. Most of the contestants on these shows are predominately female; however, once in a blue moon, men become the subjects/contestants of these makeover programs. In my research paper, I would like to compare the male and female makeover. I would like to determine if women are objectified more than men, or, if objectification is simply the nature of the makeover show construct itself. Why are women featured more on these programs than men? Do men compare their self-worth to their physical appearance just as much as women? These are questions I would like to explore. 

            To begin my argument, I will compare the amount of makeover shows geared towards female contestants (such as Bridal Plasty) to the amount of makeover shows geared towards male contestants (such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). Interestingly, all of these makeover programs have a female/gay male target audience. I will also examine external makeover as well as plastic surgery makeover programs that feature both male and female contestants (though the contestants on these programs are overwhelmingly female). I will then pick few key elements of the television makeover and determine if they are similar for both the male and female. For example, female subjects tend to respond to their transformations more eagerly than males. The makeover is represented as a gift or reward, and subjects are predominately shown as desiring a change in increasing their self-worth. Men on these same makeover shows, on the other hand, show a great amount of reluctance when presented with the idea of changing their appearance. This may prove that women believe more profoundly than men that their happiness rests on their physical appearance. Another pertinent question I would like to explore is why these contestants have chosen to get a makeover in the first place. Have they been forced to by family or friends or do they want to make a change because they believe it will increase their chances in the dating world?     

            To back up my argument, I will examine several programs themselves including Extreme Makeover, What Not to Wear and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I will also rely on several academic readings and books. So far, I have collected articles from Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship and Celebrity, “Materialism, Disposal and Consumerism: Queer Eye and the Commodification of Identity” and “Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover.”

            Overall, by exploring the differences between the male and female makeover program, I will be able to determine whether women are objectified more than men in the media in today’s day and age. I believe the makeover program in general contributes to the idea that women are slaves to the male gaze and that post-feministic ideals are, in-fact, causing women to engage in these (sometimes life-threatening) alterations to appear “normalized” in society. I would like to determine if men’s bodies are considered as much of a commodity as a women’s. It will be interesting to compare and contrast how males and females are treated comparatively in the makeover reality world.