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The effects of the media on a womens self image
The media portrayal of body image
The effect of the media on woman's self image
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The world is becoming so fast paced and society is constantly changing in the blink of an eye. There has been quite a bit of controversy over how perfect everything and everyone has to be and with a combined mixture to be perfect from the pressure and media, people will do anything they can to fit right in, even if it means harming themselves in the long run. There is so much pressure from everyone around one another nowadays to be successful, beautiful, above average and just all around the “best.” It isn’t a good thing that people will constantly try to be perfect and will go as far as hurting themselves in order to meet the image that society pressures them to be. People are constantly being pressured to be perfect and the amount of pressure that is put on them is starting to impact their lives in a negative way. With the amount of media in the world, it is affecting the lives of women negatively. In the 1920’s body image and striving to look flawless was not of as much importance as it is today and nowadays all women care about is looking perfect and fitting the perfect image. The 1920’s were what started the reform; it’s when the women started to think about the importance of body image and self-worthiness. The well-known icon, Marilyn Monroe was a major sex symbol in the 1920s but she also taught women that size does not matter. As Marilyn Monroe once said, “I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.” She proved that women don’t need plastic surgery or any special dieting to be beautiful. She was a truly inspiring woman to many and beautiful not only on the inside but also the outside. One thing that plays a big role in the image of perfection is the media... ... middle of paper ... ...rities, so why not try to be them? Social media opens us up to a world of ‘fake’ beauty that is beyond our reach; no matter how hard someone tries to look like someone off the Internet or his or her favorite celebrity, it simply cannot be done. They can never look like an image off the Internet. To try and attain the image of perfection that women see on the Internet, they will diet, change their lifestyle, wardrobe and will even go as far as changing their appearance through plastic surgery to help them reach the image of perfection that they have instilled in their mind. Plastic surgery is not be the only ‘go-to’ when trying to fit the image of perfection, but dieting to the point of having an eating disorder is something else women will result to. The world of social media can be either a negative or positive thing and it all depends on how you perceive it.
On television, people always see beautiful actors and now with Youtube and Instagram, these effects are even more exaggerated. While watching these people our view of how we and others should act, dress and look is changed. Models not only wear the most expensive clothes and extreme amounts of makeup, but some companies go as far as to photoshop to the point where the models can not recognize themselves. This goes to show even though we push ourselves to look like these famous people they have the same struggles they may just arise in other places.
We continue to believe that men are more important than women. Our society is constructed around the idea of Patriarchy, we are “male dominant, male-identified, and male-centered.” (Johnson,153) Allowing these ideas contaminate women’s minds is what causes them to not want the high paying jobs, it 's what continues to support the idea of women only being a housewife, the idea that they have to be beautiful to find a man that will take care of them and provide for them. By allowing capitalism and patriarchy to put these intoxicating ideas in women 's brains, we encourage women to self-harm. “The capitalist and patriarchal mirror held before them supports and maintains their obsession and insecurity.”
While beauty pageants, Barbie, and icons such as Marilyn Monroe present a more provocative and sexual image than standard 1950s sitcoms, such as Leave It to Beaver or I Love Lucy, they do still fit into a prescribed gender stereotype. Most significantly, do not challenge the overarching notion that women are to be feminine and aim to sexually please males (Meyerowitz 16). Rather, they present and support the culturally-defined understanding of the ideal woman, physically. 1950s beauty pageant contestants, Barbie, and Marilyn Monroe all embodied the ‘perfect women.’ These women, icons, and toys were voluptuous, but petite. They were small in frame, had larger breasts, full hips, and a tiny waist. Their hair was done in a very feminine style
Societal constructs of bodily perfection have a massive influence on both genders and on all ages. If you look at any magazine, you will see women constantly being compared to each other, whether it is in the “who wore it better” section or in the “do’s and don’ts” part of the magazine, comparing body images and overall appearances. All parts of the media that encompasses our daily lives are especially dangerous for young and impressionable teens because they see people being torn down for trying to express themselves, and are thus taught to not only don’t look like “don’ts”, but also look like the “do’s”. This is dangerous in that women in the magazine set very high standards that teens want to emulate, no matter the cost to themselves or their health. Celebrities have the benefit of media to make them appear perfect: Photoshop and makeup artists conceal the imperfections that are often too apparent to the naked eye. Viewing celebrities as exhibiting the ideal look or as idols will, in most cases, only damage the confidence of both young teens, and adults, and warp the reality of what true “beauty” really is. It makes teens never feel truly content with themselves because they will be aiming for an ideal that is physically impossible to attain and one that doesn’t exist in the real
It seems if a woman does not follow what the television or magazines do, they will be considered a ‘disgrace’ to society. “By the 1930’s, mass advertisements on radio and in magazines persuaded women to purchase cosmetic products by appealing to her fear of growing old or being rejected by social acquaintances,” (Gourley 56). The beauty industry specifically targeted women, using the ideas of an often highly feminine related idea of vanity. This also talked about women’s apparel in clothing and how they weren’t able to dress casually since they would be titled, slob. As looks represent a lot in a woman, the body type of a woman has always struggled with maintaining since the ‘perfect’ body types are not what everyone has. “In the 1890’s women had full bosoms, round hips. In actual measurements they were probably no rounder than Miss Cox but they seemed so because they were shorter, tightened their waists into an hour-glass effect … Now, though, the ideal figure must have a round, high bosom, a slim but not wasp-like waist, and gently rounded hips” (“This is What…”). Ideals women that society has pushed onto women to be for them to have any chance in romance. Though many women can drift away from this the women, though they won’t admit to it, had struggled to meet the ‘set standard’ for women. This shows how after women have gained the rights of voting, gender roles
The media is a fascinating tool; it can deliver entertainment, self-help, intellectual knowledge, information, and a variety of other positive influences; however, despite its advances for the good of our society is has a particular blemish in its physique that targets young women. This blemish is seen in the unrealistic body images that it presents, and the inconsiderate method of delivery that forces its audience into interest and attendance. Women are bombarded with messages from every media source to change their bodies, buy specific products and redefine their opinion of beauty to the point where it becomes not only a psychological disease, but a physical one as well.
By definition, eating disorders qualify as 'any range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits’ (Mayo Clinic). Often times, the media, television, movies, and Hollywood, influence this pride of utter perfection through retouching. Photoshop can be used to completely change the appearance of a person though blurring, trimming, and color changing (Extropia.com). This allows the user to completely create a new picture and allow the photograph to look anyway they please. These false images often promote ‘skinny’ and ‘thin’. However this, standard photo editors set is often extremely unattainable. Supermodel Cindy Crawford stated “I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford.” (ABC News), and by this she means that even being described as perfect and one of the most flawless women in the world, she wasn’t. The editing on the photos made her appear that way. These impossible averages are often times what cause those with poor self esteem to turn to eating disorders;...
One of the ways photo manipulation in the media is ruining lives is by destroying the image of female beauty. Through all forms of popular media women are being bombarded with image...
Researchers have used various abstract foundations for examining the relationship between media and body image ( Holmstrom, 2004). Here I review the theory that has been used by researcher in the area. Bandura’s Social cognitive theory (1994) assumed that “people learn and model the behaviors of attractive others”. The supporters of this theory suggest that young women find slim models in the media attractive and try to imitate them through dieting which leads them to eating disorders.
The concept of beauty and racism in modern western society is held to the highest of standards for all of it’s members; including celebrities. The perfect woman is described by Odette (2013), as solely for men’s pleasure and domination. If we look on the cover of any popular magazine, the women are usually: light skinned, slender, and tall. Men on the other hand must be tall and powerfully built. Our culture is valued on the basis of how men and women are perceived by their image, making it impossible for the average man or women to achieve the high beauty standard expected in society. Celebrities play an influential role in the way people view themselves, making the need to look like our favourite celebrities all the more desired. A person's
Women need to feel appropriate and content in their own skin, and to not feel inferior to the model on TV or pasted in a magazine advertisement. We are all different and no woman is exactly the same and even the ones that seem to be picture perfect have flaws and love handles, and women need to realize that is the truth. So, by accepting one’s self for who they truly are and what they have accomplished in life, is what is going to boost our self-esteem. Once the world understands this, then the media won’t have such a monumental effect on society.
Constantly, people are exposed to pictures of models on the covers of and inside of magazines who have perfect skin and what society believes to be a perfect body. The media has greatly changed what we think
Every day there are people criticizing themselves or others on the way they look. Do you know why they do it? It’s because of the media’s distortion of body image. The media’s idea of “real” beauty, such as being the thinnest or having the best skin, are some of the reasons why people of all ages suffer from conditions like bad self esteem, eating disorders, or even depression.
In the Media, women are feed the false illusion of what the perfect woman is supposed to be, what body type is ideal, what color of skin is preferred. In magazines, women are bombarded with suggestions of what men really want by “experts”. Which again, are mostly men. We are not allowed to be our unique selves, to be different, to love who we are. Equally speaking, social media has become a monster in falsely allowing women to believe there is such thing as perfection. Photo shopped pictures are idolized and ordinary women feel the need to change their bodies. When all they want is to feel accepted and
The ideal image that the media has created is to be exceptionally thin and tall. This is what the media considers to be beautiful. This ideal image can be seen on a daily basis just about everywhere on advertisements, which promote this unattainable image constantly. Research has proven that women tend to feel more insecure about themselves when they look at a magazine or television, which makes them feel self conscious(Mackler 25). The irony in this is that not even the women in the advertisements are as flawless as they appear to be. In order for a woman to appear in the mass media her image must be enhanced in several ways. A women is often airbrushed to conceal their actual skin but it does not end there. Through various computerized programs a woman's actual features are distorted until a false unrealistic image is reached.