Body Image Portrayed by the Media Essay - 1078 Words

Through the use of imagery, the display of life-styles, and the reinforcement of values, advertisements are communicators of culturally defined concepts such as success, worth, love, sexuality, popularity, and normalcy. Of particular concern over the past two decades has been excessive use of sexual stereotypes, especially of women. Women are directly affected by this advertising, beyond the mere desire to purchase the product or service described. The influence of the media on people is tremendous, and the effect of advertisements that direct images of beauty, and the perfect slim figure have a harmful effect on a great deal of the worlds population, especially women. The media has portrayed the â€Å"perfect body image† so successfully,†¦show more content†¦Media brings out the conception that women will look and feel like the models. Media makes women feel bad about themselves and it is because of what is being displayed in the media that exemplifies this feeling. According to the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, an estimated six- percent of American women has eating disorders. Low self-esteem and an unrealistic body image can trigger these eating disorders. A society that allows for such blatant expressions of contempt for women can only expect that women will be victimized. The media must begin to take some responsibility for the images, and the on-going implications of the image, that it presents. When turning the pages of a glossy fashion magazine, women are being invited by the ads and the carefully art-directed spreads to suspend their disbelief. It is hard to remember that the average American womans dress size is sixteen, not six. And the average age is not eighteen. The average working woman doesnt have the resources or the time to devote a narcissistic pursuit of beauty. Models look beautiful for a living. They have hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe people, manicurists, and skin care specialists to make them look wonderf ul. Not to mention the best photographers in the world who employ lighting, film stock and every other trick of the trade to enhance their beauty. The end result is so stunning that people forget to ask themselves why we should care who theShow MoreRelatedTodays Unrealistic Body Expectations1311 Words   |  5 Pagesmeasures, most of the time, spending countless hours in the gym trying to achieve that perfect body. Body image is evident in the gym, as the men are lifting weights they are frequently looking in the mirror examining every angle of their body making sure no area is lacking muscle. On the other hand, women tend to partake in the same behavior as men, showing a sense of insecurity about their own bodies, frequently making trips to the scale to keep track of their weight making sure to stay slim andRead MoreMedias Effect on Teen Body Image Essay685 Words   |  3 PagesMedias Effect On Teens and Their Body Images Through out society many teens and young women have been scrutinized for their bodies and appearance. Media is one of the leading contributor. Media has led to the sexualization and body image issues in teens and women. As the media idealizes women as a miniature size 0 with long blonde hair and blue eyes, it leads to the loss in self esteem. Every girl wants to look like Megan Fox, with her great body and good facial structure. Reality is we cantRead MoreTeenage Girls and Body Image Essay1291 Words   |  6 PagesTeenage girls are at an impressionable time in their lives. Mass Media is a key idea in one of the factors of socialization that become important to teenagers. Teenagers look to the media for a sense of entertainment. Whether it is movies, magazines, or even some aspects of social media, teenagers get a lot of influence from the media’s message. The problem with this is the media has a specific way of doing things and can be negative to a susceptible teenage girl. Media’s way of portraying a womanRead MoreAre Women Portrayed in the Media?1366 Words   |  6 Pages#20 Professor: Guarracino English 1101-135 10 April 2012 Are Women portrayed in the media? The highlight on the latter raises a larger question about the radicalized sexual images of women today. It is most likely the society that is bombarded by the media’s usage of advertisements, television, billboards, magazines and internet. We are surrounded by the images that most people don’t have. Reality shows and entertainment are emulated and are the common choices for teens today. They mayRead MoreThe Effect Of Media On Womens Body Image1247 Words   |  5 Pagesresearch on how the role of media affects how women perceive body image. I was interested in knowing the ways in which the media influenced the ways in which they perceive themselves and their beauty. In order to perform my research, I conducted surveys of female students ranging from ages 18-28, carried out experimental research on them to test whether they feel worse about their bodies after being exposed to thin media models than after being exposed to other types of images as well as conducting seco ndaryRead MoreMedia s Influence On Beauty Standards Of Women1213 Words   |  5 Pagesthat the media is the reason to blame for these undocumented sets of beauty standards that women should abide by because of the types of women that are portrayed through the media. The unrealistic beauty standards the media has helped to create yields several negative effects such as body dissatisfaction, mental and health illness, and even financial issues. These same negative effects can be reversed through the exposure of the truth behind those beauty standards set in place by the media. The mediaRead MoreWomen and adolescent girls are exposed, daily, to the medias portrayal of perfect beauty. Being1600 Words   |  7 Pagesbombarded with images of beautiful women with perfect figures and porcelain skin has had an effect on the way women and young girls portray their own bodies. This, in return, causes a drive for thinness which, ultimately, can ignite feelings of dissatisfaction which can cause eating disorders and poor health decisions. This epidemic has captivated many women and adolescents as they go to tremendous lengths to achieve what the media has defined as beautiful. Consequently, the media, and the distortedRead MoreCertain Groups Being Incorrectly Portrayed in Media767 Words   |  3 PagesIn order to understand the current issue involving certain groups being incorrectly portrayed in media, it is important to first understand exactly what mass media is. There are a variety of technical definitions for the term â€Å"mass media.† According to Bri tannica, â€Å"Media is used to pass on information to many people in a society† (â€Å"Media†). Merriam-Wenster claims media is a â€Å"mean of communication that is designed to reach the mass of the people† (â€Å"Mass Medium†). Recently, a spike of innovations hasRead MoreFemale Athletes And Male Athletes1390 Words   |  6 Pagesathletes, men receive a tremendous amount of media attention than female athletes. Young boys grow up watching television bombarded with heroic images of male athletes. They have something to look up to, while young girls do not receive the same images. Male and female athletes have many equal opportunities when it comes to playing and succeeding in sports. Yet it seems that male sports happen to catch more of the limelight when it comes to the media and the publicity they receive for the athleticsRead MoreAnalysis Of Perfect Woman 931 Words   |  4 Pagesuse sex in the form of a woman, specifically her body, and if a man is not in theimage she is portrayed as passive, innocent, sexy, and aggressive, all at the same time. Onthe contrary, when a man is in an image/shot with a woman she is portrayed as helpless,easy, needy, and dependent. Regardless as to which image the woman is captured, shemost commonly is portrayed as more of an object than anything else. The men in themedia are rarely portrayed as powerless. As Ann Quindlen said, writing about