Women In The Media

Charisma Kyles

Adriane Brown

Blog #2

03 December 2013

Portrayal of Women In The Media

The stereotypes of gender roles, has had a powerful impact on how society looks at women and how women view themselves. Many might say there are certain ways a man and woman should act because it is what they are “supposed” to do. Opinions of how a male or female should act begin from schools, parents, and friends…but the major factor that has the most impression on humans today is the media and how they portray how one thinks they should act or how one should look, according to their sex. There is no “right” way to how human beings should act nor look; gender is just the psychological characteristics and a social category that has been created by society. In this broadcasting era, they portray females as mother's, innocent, passive, sexual objects, or not as important as the male figure. The media portrayal of women is huge reason why women are expected to act and look a certain way today.

            There is not right or wrong way to how one should look, but in the United States there is a set image of the “perfect” woman. Today in the westernized eyes, mass media tends to idealize thinness, in order for a women to even be considered “attractive”. Advertisements, television, and music videos usually interpret the "ideal woman" as tall, white, and thin, with a "tubular" body, and long hair (Dittmar & Howard, 2004;). As to why so many women across the world is now receiving plastic surgery in order to “fit” the look. Like in China, as said in the article “Changing Faces” so many women there are having surgery done to them, to help them stand out and receive careers in the media. Kawinna Suwanpradeep, an actress known throughout Thailand for her roles in TV soap operas, was not scared of getting plastic surgery. She was more worried about losing her job than any health or medical problems after, so she changed her “hefty” thighs (Cullen 152).  As the Asian culture is now implying their surgeons to give them features not “typical” to their race, “The culturally loaded issue today is the number of Asians looking to remake themselves to look more Caucasian” (Cullen 150). Women think in order to be attractive and to get places, you need to change how you look, which happened to Julie Chen. Julie wanted to become a news anchor, but could not because she did not fit the “look” of one. Julie was told in order to get the position, she had to have surgery on her eyes to make them appear more open so she would look more “aware” (Abraham). Because of how the media sets this ideal image of women, sometimes changes to one’s self is need to even be considered to be put on television. But even once one is on, the media does not always give women the power and respect like they should.

The media majority of the time tends to underestimate females as a whole and lessen them into passive human beings and sexual objects. Like according to a search done by Children Now, there are 38% of female characters found in video games that are wearing skimpy clothing and 23% that are showing their cleavage. Every day we are exposed to women being sexualized in the media, but half the time we do not seem to notice it until somebody points it out because we are so used to it being on television, we think nothing of it. Women are used to sell items or make males seem more dominant and powerful by showing off their bodies. In advertisements, they sell the products by showing off the female body. Like to buy a pair of shoes, they will show the woman thighs or butt and to sell perfume, they will advertise the woman in sexy clothing or half naked.  Or in music videos, they tend to have women surrounding the men giving off the thought of them being in control and wanted by all the females. Women are under-represented in the media most of the time, they are made out to be only good for their bodies and being under the male figure. Most do not understand, how this could leave a huge impact on women mentally.

Images in the media nowadays envision an impractical standard of feminine beauty that is actually sometimes dangerous. Not many know such things can have a can have a strong impact on the way women view themselves. So much money is going toward plastic surgeries these days to “change” how women look because of what they think is needed in order to look “beautiful”. Low self-esteems seems to be the link between women and plastic surgery; “The real problems lies in the society that has been so brainwashed by the media…” (Nithin).  Mass media is causing women to feel less attractive and it can also cause depression if they cannot afford to make changes to their features. It is also not just the media fault, it is good to remember it is the women who agree to change their beauty in order to “fit” into society. Images of females who achieve these improbable standards throughout the media, makes it seem as if it is ordinary for women to abide this ideal image, but in reality, “No matter how much we try to control or diet or deodorize our bodies, we cannot hope to match the illusion on the screen or the printed page” (Hutchinson 64).  

            The media portrays women to believe that beauty is only skin deep, but alternating the reality image of bodies today. The United States media is a huge factor to why so many women receive plastic surgery; they give off a set image of how “western” women should look like. This then affects other countries, with the Asian countries being number one. However, even though the media might not intend to make the women feel less pretty than they are or less powerful, the media affects their minds in such a negative manner usually causing these women to look at themselves with disgust and dissatisfaction. Women should be appreciated and cherished more than for their looks, but for what they have done to help make a difference in the world today.

Works Cited

Dittmar, Helga, and Sarah Howard. "Professional Hazards? The Impact of Models' Body Size on Advertising Effectiveness and Women's Body-focused Anxiety in Professions That Do and Do Not Emphasize the Cultural Ideal of Thinness." British Journal of Social Psychology 43.4 (2004): 477-97. Print.

Lee, Janet, and Susan M. Shaw. "Changing Faces." Women Worldwide: Transnational Feminist Perspectives on Women. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 149-54. Print.

Hutchinson, Marcia Germaine. Transforming Body Image: Learning to Love the Body You Have. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing, 1985. 64-68. Print.

C, Nithin. "Low Self Esteem and Plastic Surgery in Today's World." (n.d.): n. pag. Yahoo Contributor Network. 9 Jan. 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. <http://voices.yahoo.com/low-self-esteem-plastic-surgery-todays-world-13117.html?cat=5>.

"Media's Impact on Children." Children Now—Media’s Impact. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. <http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/medias_impact/>.

Haas, Cheryl J., et al. “An Intervention For The Negative Influence Of Media On Body Esteem.” College Student Journal 46.2 (2012): 405-418. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Nov. 2013