Joe Zee to Explore Beauty on Sundance Channel's REVEALING: FACE VALUE, 12/4

Sundance Channel takes a deep look at the worldwide fascination with beauty in the second of four all-new specials hosted by ELLE Creative Director Joe Zee, "Revealing: Face Value," airing Wednesday, December 4th at 9 pm ET/PT. Continuing his hard hitting investigation into the world of glamour, Zee uncovers both the allure and danger of the obsession with looking good. Through compelling social experiments and in-depth interviews with beauty industry insiders, Zee dives into the beauty industry and how it has exploded in recent years.

The second installment of "Revealing" chronicles the ubiquitous pressure women feel to look beautiful, especially in light of the technology boom of recent years. However, Zee's investigations affirm that it's not just women affected by the race for perfection; men represent one of the fastest growing markets in the US beauty industry today. The special reveals the truth behind the glossy surface of a glamorous business, including the role played by social media in encouraging a heavier reliance on appearance. Beauty icons are seemingly everywhere in the modern world, but Joe Zee wants to know if the fashion world is keeping up with the new demand for diversity.

"Revealing: Face Value" kicks off a new crop of social experiments by making up two identical twins, one as "beautiful" and the other as "ugly." The twins venture out into the world to solicit help from the public on everyday issues such as asking for directions or getting phone numbers from men. The results are wildly different for each girl. Zee then examines whether an attraction to beauty is innate or nurtured. He asks children to judge adults purely on their appearances and finds out which traits they assign to beautiful people. Lastly, Zee tests the boundaries for how far women will go to be beautiful, offering a group of women the opportunity to undergo a trial skin treatment that promises a youthful visage. But when the ladies overhear screams of pain orchestrated from the next room, will they go through with the treatment?

Also contributing their views on modern aesthetic standards are a roster of beauty authorities: fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier; Cosmopolitan Beauty Director Leah Wyar and Cosmo.com Editor Amy O'Dell; fashion model Kiara Kabukuru; IMG Models Senior Vice President and Managing Director Ivan Bart; celebrity photographer Rose Hartman; Feministing.com Executive Editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay; psychotherapist to shopaholics April Benson; "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty" author and psychologist Nancy Etcoff; "The Beauty Bias" author Deborah Rhode; Columbia University History Professor David Eisenbach; and fashion historian Valerie Steele. Returning from "Revealing: Extravagance" to weigh in are model, actress and entrepreneur Iman and fashion designers Zac Posen and Carolina Herrera.

"Revealing: Face Value" will encore on Friday, December 6th at 6 pm ET/PT and on Sunday, December 8th at 1:30 pm ET/PT. Two more specials featuring Joe Zee exploring additional aspects of the fashion world will air in 2014 on Sundance Channel.

As the creative director for ELLE magazine since 2007, Zee has helped to further elevate the publication into the successful fashion magazine that is today. He began his career at Allure Magazine and from there became the fashion director at W Magazine, then contributing editor for Details and Vanity Fair. He has also been creative eye behind advertising campaigns for brands including DKNY, Perry Ellis, Kenneth Cole, Sean John, Banana Republic, H&M, Estee Lauder, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Chanel, Coty and others.

About Sundance Channel

Sundance Channel is the destination for What's Next, Now. Showcasing both today's creative icons and the emerging talent of tomorrow, Sundance Channel tells credible, authentic, and emotionally immersive stories of Invention, Fashion, Film, Travel, Design, and Enterprise. Launched in 1996 and owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc, Sundance Channel provides perspectives dedicated to founder Robert Redford's mission to celebrate creativity; check out sundancechannel.com

About AMC Networks Inc.

Dedicated to producing quality programming and movie content for more than 30 years, AMC Networks Inc. owns and operates several of the most popular and award-winning brands in cable television. AMC, IFC, Suundacne Channel, WE tv, and IFC Films produce and deliver distinctive, compelling and culturally relevant content that engages audiences across multiple platforms. The company also operates AMC/Sundance Channel Global, an international programming business, and AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, a full-service network programming feed origination and distribution company.

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