The Pros And Cons Of Femininity

Media representation of what being feminine is can be persuasive and potentially harmful. Femininity and masculinity are spectrums, not categories that people simply fall into. However, this is how a lot of our media, stemming from the cultural norms of American culture, portrays them. They are cut and dry, simple definitions, and easy to recognize. Though since these ideals are only a representation of a small population of the public, this can become harmful when individuals feel as if they are outcasts. The first two advertisements I came across while skimming a Cosmopolitan were two different makeup companies, advertising to two different population groups. The first ad from Maybelline initially stood out to me for the bold text, “Subtle doesn’t cut it, vivid matters to me.” This is a very strong statement, telling girls that standing out in the crowd is ideal, that blending into the masses is less than optimal. Other text like “make it happen”, is very strong and determined, fitting along with this theme. The woman on the cover is very beautiful, but also blatantly airbrushed to perfection. The advertisement

I was single at the time, as most of the girls in my dorm were, and a lot of the socializing talk was about boys in our classes. One instance I remember was while I was heading out to class one day and a girl I considered to be my friend commenting on my appearance. She was surprised that I wasn’t dressing up more for a class that she knew I had with a boy I had some interest in. I explained to her my logic – that if a guy didn’t like how I looked day to day, then there’s probably a reason I wouldn’t want to be with them. She agreed with me, but said at the beginning of any relationship you needed to dress up and put in a little extra effort in your appearance. She informed me that boys are like fish, you have to attract the fish before you can reel them