Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream

What do popular television makeover programs like What Not to Wear, The Biggest Loser, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and The Swan tell us about how to look and feel? What do they tell us about what a good life looks like in contemporary America? This new film based on Katherine Sender's book The Makeover explores these questions against the backdrop of American ideals of self-invention and upward mobility. Asking what it means to be an authentic self in an increasingly mediated world -- to be both ordinary and special, to be happy with who we are while always wanting something better -- Brand New You shows how the interventions featured in makeover shows, from weight loss to cosmetic surgery, reproduce conventional norms of physical attractiveness and success.

Director: Katherine E Sender
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 53 min
Editing: Katherine E Sender
Production: Media Education Foundation
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Original Language: en

Keywords

makeover, media criticism

More Films by Director: Katherine E Sender
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream about?
What do popular television makeover programs like What Not to Wear, The Biggest Loser, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and The Swan tell us about how to look and feel? What do they tell us about what a good life looks like in contemporary America? This new film based on Katherine Sender's book The Makeover explores these questions against the backdrop of American ideals of self-invention and upward mobility. Asking what it means to be an authentic self in an increasingly mediated world -- to be both ordinary and special, to be happy with who we are while always wanting something better -- Brand New You shows how the interventions featured in makeover shows, from weight loss to cosmetic surgery, reproduce conventional norms of physical attractiveness and success.
Who directed Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream?
Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream was directed by Katherine E Sender.
How long is Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream?
Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream has a runtime of 53m (53 minutes).
What genre is Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream?
Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream is a Documentary film.
Where was Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream produced?
Brand New You: Makeover Television and the American Dream was produced in United States of America.