Hyper-representing my life: agency and structure when preparing for a holiday

As I am about to go on holiday, my mind is wandering back to some of the concepts I explored at university whilst taking a module about migration and tourism. Some people say that once they graduate they never use what they have learned. This is what I love about parts of my degree: the concepts and ideas I explored at York will follow my thoughts for the rest of my life. One of the concepts I explored whilst theorising about migration and tourism was the idea of the British holiday as the ‘hyper-weekend’.

If you ask anyone why they have booked a holiday, they may reply that they want a relaxing trip away from everyday life. Holidays are often synonymous with escapism: leaving one’s native country to become the authentic traveller immersed in different cultures and scenery. However, it could be argued that the holiday is not in fact an escape from the daily grind, but rather a hyper-representation of an individual’s weekend. As Briggs’ (2013) ethnography of working class Britons in Ibiza found, although individuals believed they were exercising liberation from their home life (e.g. from their job or relationship), they are, in fact, living an exaggerated version of their life at home. Since reading Briggs (2013) I have thought about this idea a lot when thinking about holidays. However, whilst preparing for my next holiday, I have began reflecting upon how the preparation for a holiday is also a hyper representation of preparing for a night out or an event at the weekend.

For myself, getting ready for an event or just life in general involves getting my nails done, lashes bought and tan applied. This preparation is exactly the same for my holiday but just on a grander scale. Within ‘everyday life’ I would prepare for an event by getting ‘party’ lashes: strips of fake eyelashes that are applied with glue and taken off when the event is over, like make-up. For my holiday, I get semi-permanent eyelash extensions: individual fake eyelashes glued to my real eyelashes that stay on for up to 2-3 weeks. Similarly, within ‘everyday life’ I paint my nails with normal nail varnish. In contrast, for my holiday, I have gel nail varnish put on my nails: a more lasting varnish that can stay on, again, for up to 2-3 weeks. Both of these examples show that the preparation for a holiday is a hyper representation of my normal beauty routine. Not only this, but they both also show how I am exercising agency within the bounds of structure. It is my choice to get a more semi-permanent beauty procedure. As I have stated before in my previous blog post, I do not feel that I have to wear make-up or do my hair: I choose to. However, it can be seen that I am making this choice within the bounds of structure: what is on offer by beauty salons and what is ‘trendy’ at the time. Dusty pink gel nails? Yes please. Full brows and extended eyelashes? Sounds good. Although I choose to do this to my face, my choices are restricted by the makers of beauty products as to what beauty ideals are fashionable at any given time.

Indeed, once all this beauty preparation has been done, one is ready for a holiday to ‘relax’ from the exhaustion of preparing. All ready to hyper-represent my weekend for two weeks. 

“Enhancing your natural beauty”: my type of capitalist marketing

Adverts are ubiquitous. When I was growing up, the only time I would see adverts was while watching television. However, with the rise of digital technology, adverts have found themselves penetrating everyone’s life: whether you are watching a YouTube video or scrolling social media, you can even get adverts on the front of your smartphone’s lock screen dependent on push notifications of some apps. The one thing I have noticed whilst being forced to watch adverts is the rise of negative, preventative marketing of consumer products. What I mean by this is the rise of products marketed as “anti” insert an adjective here: “anti-frizz”, “anti-blackhead”, “anti-humidity”, “anti-spot”. This type of marketing perpetuates the idea that we must cover our “imperfections”, imperfections that are created and defined by these companies. Who decided that having frizzy hair, spots or blackheads was not ideal? Is there a health benefit to not having these? As far as I am aware, the only reason products aim to irradiate these characteristics is to profit from cosmetic ideals. This type of marketing is what causes self-esteem and insecurities amongst young women.

Of course, it can be said that any type of marketing involves selling a product to fulfil capitalist created material needs; but I have to say, I am a contradictory fan of capitalism and its many products. There is no way to eradicate these products, in a similar critique to that of work by Karl Marx: overthrowing capitalism is next to impossible. Therefore, my ideal beauty product marketing is selling the purpose of products as “enhancing the natural”. These products minimise the guilt I feel about indulging with capitalism and makes me feel like the product I have bought does not define my beauty: I am already beautiful, the product is just adding to this.  With or without this product my features are valid. I believe taking this marketing approach is beneficial to both companies and the consumer. The consumer will feel good about themselves, which in turn, may increase the chances of repurchasing this item. I have found that responding to this type of marketing is what has allowed me to no longer feel insecure about not wearing makeup. 10 years ago, I never would have considered going “bare-face” at work or at social events, but now it is my norm. Of course, this could also be due to my self-concept as I have aged, but I do think that positive marketing has had an impact.

Altogether, as we cannot stop the inevitability of capitalism, I believe that if companies are going to heavily market consumer products, it should be done in this positive, uplifting manner.