Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Portrayal of Women in The Media

Not a day goes by where I do not notice the way women are portrayed in the media... whether or not that's a good thing depends on the day. Some days I feel completely inspired by the women I see on TV, magazines, billboards, for they may exist as a strong female figure such as Oprah, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez. However, this is not my most common emotion associated with women's portrayal in the media today. More often than not, upon viewing ads, magazines, commercials, I begin to think twice about the way I look or the way I dress. It is as if these women exist as unattainable goals for young girls, teens, and adults. It does nothing but create a desire within to become this sexy, perfect BEING. The portrayal of women is becoming less and less human and more of an idealized, eye candy, object for the public's enjoyment (and by public I mean men). 


This above picture is of the Victoria Secret Angels. Victoria Secret is well known for their bra and panties sales line. To refer to their most famous models as Angels speaks for itself. This suggests that their, so-to-speak, beauty has gotten them to an unearthly realm, as if they exist as divine objects of heaven. The fact that these women are, in a sense, praised for their beauty implies that this body image is one to work toward achieving if one desires similar praise or approval of the male gender. This leads to a magnitude of problems. First off, is there any places on the angel's bodies where a bit of fat or excess skin may be pinched? Women of all ages go to extreme measures to become this idealized female figure, including measures that put ones health at risk: Anorexia, bulimia, and depression mention a few. Secondly, women portrayed in such a way creates the notion that they are objects for pleasure which is degrading for the female gender. More often than not, the positions in which the models pose are sensual, tempting, and inviting. This objectification (practice of treating people as objects) of women leads to a separate division of issues relating to pornography, abuse, prostitution, etc. Lastly, upon receiving spring and summer additions of their swim suit catalogues, buyers have an unrealistic perception of how the clothing will appear on their body. It is a situation that sets itself up for failure. To think that the swim suit one purchases will make one appear sexy and angelic just as the models do leads to disappointment. Although this may be a successful marketing technique, it eats away at the self esteem of women across the country. 


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