Lisa Großkopf takes a humorous look at the dictate of permanent self-optimization. She sheds light on a questionable world view that ascribes responsibility for happiness in life primarily to the individual and largely ignores key influencing factors such as structural inequalities and social disadvantages. Großkopf counters the neoliberal model, according to which health, attractiveness and satisfaction can be increased immeasurably through hard work and discipline alone, with the reality of fully capitalized societies. In these societies, the tireless pursuit of perfection is primarily a question of money. In her performative photographic and video works, she dissects with ironic precision the advertising promises of historical and contemporary products that promise quick success with minimal effort. In doing so, she not only exposes the continuities of the commercialization of well-being, but also the seductive power of pseudo-scientific rhetoric.*