Media and Gender
MEDIA AND GENDER
Even though media continues to be a powerful tool to breakdown stereotypes, help educate, presents the truth and influence the public, there is also a disconnect in reality and ones ideal self. I have learned that we have three selves; public, private and ideal. Our private self is how we view ourselves, while public is how others see ourselves and our ideal self is who we want to be. Our ideal self is the most influenced by mass media and has a huge impact on ones self esteem. This generation media has hyped up the glamorous lifestyle; money power and fame. The people that fall under the hype are: celebrities, which range from actors, actresses, sports starts to reality starts. This lifestyle also represents perfection, which to the public eye can cause physical and psychological damage to ones perception. For example, woman in the media are viewed as objects. That all women are to have characteristics of a celebrity. Celebrity bodies are desired, both subjectively and objectively, they are attractive, and desirable. If they are perceived "good," then they become national symbols of these characteristics. Conversely, bodies that do not meet these criteria they, consciously or unconsciously, become stereotyped as "bad" or ugly. For the average woman this can alter ones self -esteem. Women try to look like the women on television and magazines. They believe that appearance is everything. where many women have compulsive disorders either eating disorders or plastic surgery. One woman, Cindy Jackson, was so heavily influenced by Barbie that she underwent 20 plastic surgeries (to the tune of $55,000) in an attempt to make herself look just like the Barbie body image.(Murdocca, Jennifer) Another example of media distortion is the Barbie Doll theory- If Barbie was a real woman, she would be 5’6” and weigh 120 pounds. Her body fat percentage would be so low that she would not be able to menstruate. Her
Even though media continues to be a powerful tool to breakdown stereotypes, help educate, presents the truth and influence the public, there is also a disconnect in reality and ones ideal self. I have learned that we have three selves; public, private and ideal. Our private self is how we view ourselves, while public is how others see ourselves and our ideal self is who we want to be. Our ideal self is the most influenced by mass media and has a huge impact on ones self esteem. This generation media has hyped up the glamorous lifestyle; money power and fame. The people that fall under the hype are: celebrities, which range from actors, actresses, sports starts to reality starts. This lifestyle also represents perfection, which to the public eye can cause physical and psychological damage to ones perception. For example, woman in the media are viewed as objects. That all women are to have characteristics of a celebrity. Celebrity bodies are desired, both subjectively and objectively, they are attractive, and desirable. If they are perceived "good," then they become national symbols of these characteristics. Conversely, bodies that do not meet these criteria they, consciously or unconsciously, become stereotyped as "bad" or ugly. For the average woman this can alter ones self -esteem. Women try to look like the women on television and magazines. They believe that appearance is everything. where many women have compulsive disorders either eating disorders or plastic surgery. One woman, Cindy Jackson, was so heavily influenced by Barbie that she underwent 20 plastic surgeries (to the tune of $55,000) in an attempt to make herself look just like the Barbie body image.(Murdocca, Jennifer) Another example of media distortion is the Barbie Doll theory- If Barbie was a real woman, she would be 5’6” and weigh 120 pounds. Her body fat percentage would be so low that she would not be able to menstruate. Her
Cited: Boys to Men: Media Messages About Masculinity. Children Now, 1999. http://mediasmarts.ca/gender-representation/men-and-masculinity/common-stereotypes-men-media Murdocca, Jennifer, Barbie And Body Image http://www.mirror-mirror.org/barbie-and-body-image.htm http://www.metrolyrics.com/bitch-bad-lyrics-lupe-fiasco.html