Representation of Beauty Standards in Films Imperfect: Career, Love & Scales

Abstract

This study aims to describe the representation of beauty standards in the film Imperfect: Career, Love & Scales by director Ernest Prakasa. This research uses a qualitative approach. The method used in this research is semiotics, the semiotics theory used is John Fiske's semiotics by analysing the three levels that exist in John Fiske's semiotics. The subject of this research is the film Imperfect: Career, Love & Scales, the object of this research is the signs of beauty standards in the Imperfect film: Career, Love & Scales represented in dialogue, scenes, and characters in the film. Data collection techniques used in this study were interviews, observation, literature study, and documentation. Imperfect film: Career, Love & Scales tells the standard of beauty that forces Rara to change her appearance to get a position that matches her intelligence. The results of this study were analyzed using three levels in John Fiske's theory of semiotics, the first is the level reality. At this level seeing the reality of appearance, in this film, it can be seen from the aspects of Appearance, Dress (Costume), Make Up, Environment, Expression, Behavior, Speech, and Dialogue. Both levels of representation, this level display technical codes. In this film, it is seen from the shooting category with techniques close up and long shots. As well as the lighting category low key and high key. The three levels of ideology, this level categorizes all the elements that are in signs. Imperfect film contains a patriarchal ideology with demands for feminism.

The cultural construction of the feminine through Disney�s films

“…When describing beauty, facial beauty is regarded as a significant factor. "Women's bodies are categorized as beautiful not only based on facial beauty, but also synonymous with white, smooth, and firm skin," writes Kasiyan in the book Manipulation and Dehumanization of Women in Advertisements, as cited in Valencia and Junaidi (2021). It implies that the Western excellence ideal is basically spinning around an appealing face, slimness, and firm and white skin that connote energetic behaviours.…”