The last time I brought this up there was a surprising amount of people trying to defend this behavior from TikTok. Glad to see you bring this up—awful company.
Compared to traditional mass market media is it that different? Actors and actresses on prime time TV are beautiful by western standards, thin and with perfect teeth. Living in beautiful, spacious houses that most people can't afford.
edit: Not that I'm defending Tiktok, just saying that the way it distorts and portrays the world is a continuation of what media companies were already doing. I was going to make a point about how it is a lot like the Society of the Spectacle, but it looks like others have already made the connection:
I suppose the argument would be that there's no illusion that media hiring is intended to serve actors' desires as opposed to building the image that studios want for their product. If tiktok had marketed themselves as a unique kind of curated content company instead of a social media service with democratically-determined exposure, I think the studio comparison would be apt.
You're probably downvoted because of how you articulated your message, but the initial idea is correct. We're biologically programmed to like beautiful things, people, whatever.
edit: Not that I'm defending Tiktok, just saying that the way it distorts and portrays the world is a continuation of what media companies were already doing. I was going to make a point about how it is a lot like the Society of the Spectacle, but it looks like others have already made the connection:
https://blendertrouble.substack.com/p/now-i-know-whats-real-...