Jessica Maria Manley, the artist behind the Melissa project, posts an insightful question on her Kickstarter page: "is there a definitive turning point in one’s life transitioning from childhood to adulthood?"
As senior at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, Jessica began this project with the goal to raise awareness concerning the ideal image that is being promoted towards young women these days through advertisement campaigns and shows like Toddlers in Tiaras. The Melissa project is a collection of photos that Jessica took of her sister posing in untimely mature context, eliciting an uncomfortable response on behalf of the viewer.
It is precisely this uneasy engagement with this set of photographs that drives the potent message behind the Melissa project and forces people to question what is appropriate and acceptable in regards to endorsed images of the ideal female form.
Innocence-Lacking Youth Shoots
The Melissa Project Raises Awareness Concerning Juvenile Vanity
Trend Themes
1. Youth Vanity - There is a need to address the issues of juvenile vanity through creative arts and campaigns.
2. Ideal Image Propaganda - There is a need to create measures to ensure that young individuals are not forced into the idea of an ideal image.
3. Uncomfortable Engagement - Marketing and advertising campaigns should create engagements that are not uncomfortable for their desired audience.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - There is a need for advertising agencies to reconsider the impact of their campaigns on young people.
2. Creative Arts - There is a need for artists and creative professionals to create works that showcase the negative effects of ideal image propaganda on young people.
3. Fashion Industry - There is a need for the fashion industry to create clothing lines for young people that do not promote the toxic ideal image culture.