Pixel Flesh - by Ellen Atlanta (Hardcover)

About the Book

"We live in a new age of beauty. With advancements in cosmetic surgery, walk-in treatments, augmented reality face filters, photo editing apps, and exposure to more images than ever, we have the ability to craft the image we want everyone to see. We pinch, pull, squeeze, tweeze, smooth, and slice ourselves beyond recognition. But is our beauty culture truly empowering? Are we really in control? In Pixel Flesh, Ellen Atlanta holds a mirror up to our modern beauty ideal, as well as the pressure to present a perfect image, to live in an age of constant comparison and curated feeds. She weaves in her personal story with others' to reconfigure our obsession with the cult of beauty and explore the reality of living in a world of paradoxes: we know our standards are unhealthy, but understand it's a way to succeed. We resent social media but continue to scroll. We know digital beauty is artificial, but we still strive for it"--

Book Synopsis

One of Book Riot's 10 Best New Nonfiction Book Releases of August 2024

A generation-defining exposé of toxic beauty culture--from Botox and Instagram filters to lip flips and editing apps--and the realities of coming of age online

We live in a new age of beauty. With advancements in cosmetic surgery, walk-in treatments, augmented reality face filters, photo editing apps, and exposure to more images than ever, we have the ability to craft the image we want everyone to see. We pinch, pull, squeeze, tweeze, smooth and slice ourselves beyond recognition. But is our beauty culture truly empowering? Are we really in control?

In Pixel Flesh, Ellen Atlanta holds a mirror up to our modern beauty ideal, as well as the pressure to present a perfect image, to live in an age of constant comparison and curated feeds. She weaves in her personal story with others' to reconfigure our obsession with the cult of beauty and explore the reality of living in a world of paradoxes: we know our standards are unhealthy, but understand it's a way to succeed. We resent social media but continue to scroll. We know digital beauty is artificial, but we still strive for it.

From Love Island to lip filler, blackfishing to the beauty tax, Pixel Flesh is a fascinating account of what young women face under a dominant industry. Nuanced, unflinching, and razor sharp, this book unmasks the absurdities of the standards we suddenly find ourselves upholding, and acts as a rallying cry and a refusal to suffer in silence, forming the definitive book about what it truly feels like to exist as a woman today.

Review Quotes

"With kaleidoscopic vision, meticulously researched insights, and the narrative power of a novelist, Ellen Atlanta's Pixel Flesh unravels the complex tapestry of standards and perceptions that shape our identities. Pixel Flesh is not just a book; it's an essential mirror reflecting the profound impact of beauty culture on our lives, urging us to question and redefine our notions of allure and authenticity." --Chloé Cooper Jones, two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and author of Easy Beauty

"A rigorously researched and deeply personal account of the modern female experience. Pixel Flesh is a searing and lucid appraisal of internet culture's most corrosive and diminishing aspects; from predatory algorithms, celebrity, cosmetic surgery, disordered eating and the tyranny of performing a self. A must-read guidebook on the dizzying hall of mirrors that women must navigate online and the dangerous real world consequences that follow. " --Nada Alic, author of Bad Thoughts

"Ellen Atlanta has written an imperative manual for surviving modern womanhood. Equal parts compassionate and fierce, personal and universal, Pixel Flesh delivers a searing account of an image culture that continually asks us to self-harm in the name of empowerment. I couldn't put it down." --Allie Rowbottom, author of Aesthetica and Jell-O Girls

"Atlanta is a whip-smart, full-hearted writer who gets to the core of beauty with expert grace that makes it look easy. Her vulnerability makes you feel seen as a reader and her expertise makes you feel protected as you navigate the chaos of the beauty industry from her perspective. Pixel Flesh a pleasurable read, and one I feel lucky to have on my shelf. The world is lucky to have her writing and her tenderness, too." --Arabelle Sicardi, fashion and beauty writer

"Pixel Flesh is a wise and sensitive indictment of the beauty industry--it synthesizes relatable anecdotes about living in the social media age with vigorous research. If you're struggling with the beauty industry's chokehold, this book can be a tool in breaking free." --mj corey, The Kardashian Kolloquium

"This book is courageous, revealing, and occasionally painful, and Atlanta writes with verve and authority." --Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"An informed look at visual perfection ideals and their chilling contemporary consequences...Atlanta is brutally honest and often uses herself as an example of an informed, intelligent woman who knows she's being manipulated but still obsesses over her physical appearance. She ends with hope for universal adoption of realistic, inclusive attitudes towards natural and unique beauty for future generations. Many readers will relate to Atlanta's experience, and appreciate this thoughtful consideration of physical female beauty and how it's dictated and judged." --Kathleen McBroom, Booklist (starred)

About the Author

Ellen Atlanta is a writer and brand consultant specialising in Gen-Z and millennial culture. She has worked in the beauty industry for almost a decade and was a founding editor of Dazed Beauty and consultant for industry heavyweights such as BeautyCon, Estee Lauder, Boots, FeelUnique, Milk Makeup, Flannels Beauty and The Unseen Beauty. With her focus on female empowerment, Ellen departed from the beauty industry in 2019 to become a founding member of both The Stack World and Communia, reimagining social media platforms and creating better digital spaces for women+ . In 2021, she was headhunted to support UN Women UK on their digital campaigns, creating safer public spaces for women and marginalised genders across the country. She lives in London.