The difference in how public images of these figures are evaluated indicates that society demands different appearances depending on one's social role and the audience's expectations.

The Social Construction of Public Persona

The difference in how public images of these figures are evaluated indicates that society demands different appearances depending on one's social role and the audience's expectations. The image, or persona, functions not merely as an external look, but as an actively constructed stereotype that conforms to certain social standards. For example, when a celebrity like Elon Musk opts for casual attire (a T-shirt and cap), it can reflect his image as a modern entrepreneur living on the edge between informality and innovation, which is acceptable for his role and audience. On the other hand, when Volodymyr Zelensky appears in camouflage, it can be interpreted as fulfilling a masculine social role – that of a public leader who must demonstrate a certain seriousness, responsibility, and solidarity with society’s collective issues.

This distinction in appearances corresponds to a thesis presented in one of the sources:
"At home, the president is no different from ordinary mortals, but in public he must conduct himself like a president. A person cannot withdraw from society. Even when challenging society, he is bound to it precisely by that challenge. ... psychologist Jung developed the theory of the 'soul' ('anima') and the 'persona' – the 'facade' through which the personality is visible in interaction with members of a certain society." (source: link txt)

It follows that society expects public leaders, like Zelensky, to adhere to certain norms of behavior and appearance that enhance their authority and responsibility, even if they may behave differently in private. Meanwhile, for entrepreneurs or figures from the technology world like Elon Musk, the requirements regarding appearance may be more flexible and informal – their image is also socially constructed, but serves different purposes and is oriented towards a different perception.

Thus, the differing standards in evaluating the appearance of celebrities reflect a deep mechanism of social relations, where each public image – whether strict or relaxed – performs the role of a specific social scenario that meets the expectations and conditions of a particular social environment.

Supporting citation(s):

"At home, the president is no different from ordinary mortals, but in public he must conduct himself like a president. A person cannot withdraw from society. Even when challenging society, he is bound to it precisely by that challenge. We are all multifaceted, behaving differently in the context of one community than in another and than in our purely private life. Bearing in mind this difference between the immediate being of the personality and the social masks that the personality must don in a given community..." (source: link txt)

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So, what then is an image?