BreakinG the BomBshell

Wxho is the American “bombshell,” and why do we revere her? Perhaps equally important (and far less overtly asked) who is the American “bombshell,” and why do we resent her? There is a complicated identity that accompanies such a title and an even more complicated way of perceiving those who are known by it.

Marilyn Monroe, Brooke Shields, Kim Kardashian, Sele na Gomez, Emily Ratajkowski — the bombshell connotes an aura of unimaginable beauty and power, and it often feels as though the ubiquitous nature of the media is designed to persistently remind us what it is about her that we should simultaneously attempt to be but to which we will never amount. In doing so, the media also enables us to more easily remove the humanity from the figure, as she becomes more of a commercialized entity than an individual woman. Hence, the perception of her perfection fluctuates alongside our satisfaction with her when she reveals her true nature to us.

When an influential woman photoshops images of herself to mask her flaws, it is viewed as wrong — she is establishing unrealistic expectations for what beauty is and, consequently, enabling the rest of us to feel insecure about all of the ways we do not meet them. At the same time, when the bombshell is photographed in an angle or light that showcases her imper fections, the widely-spread images incite a series of their own harsh criticisms. She’s really let herself go. Who let her walk out of the house like that? When did she put all of that weight on? Oh, it must be because He left her.

The female icon is positioned in the world in such