"Transformation of Meaning"

How can something so ugly, so impossible and so difficult seem pleasurable and good? It can because of culture. That is what one of Susan Bordos main arguments was, that culture is working to transform something distorted to make it seem wonderful. When Susan was talking about anorexia she mentioned that when a woman decides to go on a diet or fix her appearance that she will begin to get complements. First the complements will come from her parents telling her that she is looking better, then people around her will begin to notice. Her friends, her coworkers, and students at school will begin to pay attention to this woman who is beginning to change. This woman is soon caught in the current of trying to look thin and pretty. All the magazines and media she has seen showed skinny and thin as being "powerful", "sexy" and "controlling". Her body begins to thin to the point where all of her ribs can be counted without taking a second look but she continues to lose weight. Culture has disciplined her that being thin is sexy and powerful. Being thin will feel great, awesome, and liberating. This is not true however because the anorexic person is not getting nutrients, they don't have energy, they are losing normal body functions, and eventually could die from malnutrition. Susan Bordon says that culture transforms the way we view things by making "conditions that are objectively constraining, enslaving, and even murderous come to be experienced as liberating, transforming and life-giving. When Richard Leppert describes the beautiful art behind this artwork, AN ALLEGORY WITH VENUS AND CUPID, he mentions that although it seems pleasurable to us, if we dig deeper it is something that is impossible. He describes that Cupids neck would be too long, that Venus's body would topple over, and that they are both in uncomfortable position.

Does art matter? It sure does because as we see, it shows us how we have been transformed by the culture to visualize something that is impossible to seem pleasurable and exciting.