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Media representation on gender
Media representation on gender
Media representation on gender
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A women’s body is a great source of art. It has been a part of earth since Adam and Eve. As of today many women do not value their bodies because many are pressured to be or look like something they are not in today’s society. For the last couple of decades, the body of woman has been real big issue since they were created from a men rib. As of today a lot a women’s body image has been transformed into a negative way, because many women do not value and have respect for the body and its nature in the postmodern world today. In today’s society, many people known as video vixen or models does not have any values or respect for their bodies as young women. Being a video model has put a label on African American women for not having no self-respect for their bodies, hyper sexual vixens, and insecure with in their self. In today’s society a lot of woman do not have respect for their bodies as a lady. Instead, they want to shake their behinds in music videos which are known as video vixen, video models, eye candy, and even video hoes in the entertainment industry. Being a video vixen in today’s you are automatically set as a label in the industry because being in a music video do not come easy and if it does it just mean you just did it for free. For instance, in the Puff Daddy, Snoop Dog, and other rap videos all you see is women disrespecting their bodies just to get noticed in the media for a couple of dollars. Many people as of today would consider that UN lady like and trashy as women. Many of the women in these hip hop videos come from within the African- American community and “Black femininity on display in hip hop music videos (Bartlet3).” Meaning, they character traits how black women are treated, what they should look like a... ... middle of paper ... ...tate University, 2010. Kennesaw: Master of Public Administration, 2010. Theses and Capstone Projects. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Saltzberg, Elayne A., and Joan C. Chrisler. "Beauty Is Beast: Psychological Effects of the Pursuit of the Perfect Female Body." Beauty Is Beast: Psychological Effects of the Pursuit of the Perfect Female Body (1995): 1-10. Mayfield Publishing Company. Web. 04 Apr. 2014 Stanford, Karin L., and Ranald J. Stephens. "International Jornal of Africana Studies." International Jornal of Africana Studies 16.1 (2010): 117-40. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. Stevenson, Stephanie Y. "Scholarship and Empowerment in the Age of the Video Vixen:" Thesis. University of Maryland, College Park, n.d. Drum.lib.umd.edu/ Scholarship and Empowerment in the Age of the Video Vixen: Promoting Black Adolescent Females’ Academic Success. Department of American Studies. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. No. 3 (1965): 524-540. http://www.jstor.org/stable/612097 (accessed December 1, 2013).
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
In The Venus Hip Hop and the Pink Ghetto, Imani Perry argues that the over-sexualized, unattainable bodies of black women in popular culture will lead to the breakdown of feminism and the positive body image of the everyday black women. As hip hop music continues to become more popular, the sexist messages presented in lyrics and music videos are becoming more common to the everyday public, including young black girls developing a self-image. Instead of these girls being exposed to healthy, positive role models who encourage individuality and that there is more to a woman than her body they are given hip hop video models whose only purpose is to look sensual on screen. The strong women that do exist in the hip hop genre are pushed to sexualize themselves or their lyrics to sell records or stay relatively unknown. Although Perry’s arguments are logical, I believe that she is creating a slippery slope of logic. A genre of music cannot destroy the self-image of black women that has existed for generations.
In conclusion it is possible to see how the media promotes a physical and psychological disease among women through the usage of unrealistic body images as it urges them to change their bodies, buy “enhancing” products, and redefine their opinions. Such statements may appear to be ridiculous, but for young women who are seeking to perfect their body according to how the media portrays “good looks” it is the basis for corruption. Confidence, contentment and healthy living are the keys to a perfect and unique body image and no amount of money can advertise or sell as genuine a treatment as this.
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
Trupin, James E. West Africa - A Background Book from Ancient Kingdoms to Modern Times, Parent's Magazine Press. New York, 1991.
Women have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality 'supposedly' exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicated, but it is actually being endorsed by some music celebrities. There are a growing number of people who purchase rap albums that support the fallacy that women are mere objects and should be treated as such. As the popularity of rap continues to climb at unprecedented rates, so too does its influence on the perception of women. In the vast majority of hip-hop songs, the depiction of women as sexual objects, the extreme violence directed towards them and the overall negative influence these lyrics have on the average adolescent's perception of women make rap the absolute epitome of female exploitation.
Richardson, Elaine. "'She was Workin Like Foreal': Critical Literacy and Discourse Practices of African American Females in the Age of Hip Hop." Discourse & Society 18.6 (2007): 789-809. ProQuest. Web. 2 May 2014.
Townsend, Tiffany G., et al. "I'm no Jezebel; I Am Young, Gifted, and Black: Identity, Sexuality, and Black Girls." Psychology of Women Quarterly 34.3 (2010): 273.
Body image as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary “a subjective picture of one's own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others” Women are assaulted from all angles about what the perfect body is and how to get it. The media has a very influential effect on society. The media distorts and misrepresents beauty into something that is unattainable for women, especially young girls. Whether it is the airbrushed Victoria’s Secret model in magazines or advertisements about new weight loss options, women are more insecure and unhappy than ever before trying to achieve the ”perfect body” to make them happy. The media as well as our own issues with self-image has pushed the fashion industry into the multi-billion dollar machine it is today. According to Susie Orbach, women are urged to conform, to help out the economy by continuous consumption of goods and clothing which are quickly made unwearable next fashion season styles in clothes and body weight. With the exploits of too thin women on magazine covers, these are the women whom we have chosen to look up to as what normal is even though the average woman is a size 12. We are starving ourselves to fit the ideals of what is visually put out there by the media and what the fashion industry wants us...
Similarly to other industries, females are unequally represented within Hip Hop culture across the board. From the start, emcees were traditionally males, proving the struggle for a woman to pursue a career in Hip Hop difficult. In modern society, it seems the culture is obsessed more with how a woman is portrayed rather than if she is a talented artist. For advertising and recognition, it is almost imperative that a female artist wears tight, skimpy clothes and “give the audience a show” with provocative dancing and lyrics. For women, beauty is basically expected by society. Keyes might refer to most of today’s female artists as “fly girls” (2016). Salt N Pepa and TLC are prime examples of prominent female figures within Hip Hop culture that dressed in a way to attract attention. For these women, the outfits merely grab the attention of the audience so they can then focus on the message behind their lyrics. While women are already underrepresented in the field, they also have to work harder for the same success that male counterparts
Exact Beauty: Exploring Women's Body Projects and Problems in the 21st Century. Mandell, Nancy (5th ed.). Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality (131-160). Toronto: Pearson Canada, Inc. Schulenberg, Jennifer, L. (2006).
Sociocultural standards of feminine beauty are presented in almost all forms of popular media, bombarding women with images that depict what is considered to be the "ideal body." Images of thin, attractive and
Rabin, J. (2003). Encyclopedia of public administration and public policy: K-Z. United States: CRC press.
...econd African Writers Conference, Stockholm, 1986. Ed. Kirsten Holst Petersen. Upsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 1998. 173-202.