Jaspreet Kalsing.
Media Coursework: Sugar.
The cover of “Sugar” Magazine is heavily decorated with colourful slogans, a dominating image of a celebrity and, of course, the huge masthead reading “Sugar”. We of “Parental Guidance (PG)” feel that the magazine is jam packed with inappropriate information that, frankly, should not be released on teenage girls as it has the power to influence them.
On the December 2009 issue a huge overpowering image of X factor winner Leona Lewis covers the front page in a suggestive pose, her face airbrushed to perfection. It is this idea of the perfect face, body and skin which encourages young girls to diet to obtain the unobtainable. There are headings such as “Skin and Hair secrets of our Beauty Editor”. It seems innocent enough but in the article itself the images they use of a flawless young girl can damage a teenage girl’s confidence. Because when young girls realize that they cannot look like celebrities and models, whose flaws are smoothed away, their self esteem plummets. In the UK 56% of young girls suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia which can be worsened by the images of women who are skinny in the extreme and carefully masked beneath layers of make-up. The magazine contains information that puts pressure on girls who feel the need to mature early and start wearing make-up in order to become “perfect”. However, in truth there is no actual definition of “perfect”, it simply does not exist; yet almost all young girls strive to achieve this image, unaware that they will only damage themselves in the process.
The Term Paper on Cosmo Girl Articles Young One
Periodicals found today on news stands differ greatly from those of the late nineteenth century. While periodicals of the nineteenth century such as "The Girl's Own Paper" focus on self-improvement in terms of living up to societies expectations, today's magazines tend to focus on the individuals self-improvement. Although "The Girl's Own Paper" highlights ways in which the young reader can ...
The views put forward in the magazine are very stereo-typical and controversial, it is a recurring idea in all magazines that all teenage girls are interested in is fashion, make-up and boys. They offer no articles for the more tomboyish girl; the magazine is reserved only for girls who want to be “pretty” and “perfect”. However the magazine promotes this behavior in such a way that it is almost exploitation, “4 Steps to Snog – Welcome to his mouth!” Also this use of colloquial language, which is used to relate to the reader, does not teach girls the correct English language, it does in face teach them something completely inappropriate for their age. Why should young girls even be thinking about involving themselves with boys at ages like 11? It is magazines like “Sugar” that teach girls
that behaving in a provocative, immoral manner is acceptable! Articles like these encourage sexuality which is the reason why so many teenage girls are falling pregnant and finding themselves more prone to sexually transmitted diseases. The magazines may not realize that the articles they print can have serious consequences but we parents do. Is it really acceptable for an 11 year old girl to be exploited in a sexual way?
Another article asks “Big Mistake? ‘I got a celeb tattooed on my face” The article is asking whether the reader who is probably a teenage girl if they think it is a bad idea to get a celebrity tattooed to a person’s face. It is a ridiculous concept because it could convince a young girl that it is acceptable but it is in fact the total opposite. Misleading infatuations with celebrities are not healthy for girls who might just be lead to extreme consequences such as getting a tattoo symbolizing their “love” for a celebrity. Also these unhealthy obsessions can lead to early maturity with the false hope that the celebrity just might fall
The Essay on Magazines Do Provide Helpful Hints For Teenage Make Girls Magazine
To teenage girls magazines are very important along with television and the ... impressionable minds with stereotypes. I now buy 4 magazines these being Sugar, Sneak, J 17 and More. I have to ... read the same sorts magazines. When I read the magazines I just read some of the articles and cut out the ... to this highly critical world I like so many face the taunts everyday. To many the likes of Britney ...
Jaspreet Kalsing.
for the teenage girl which, lets face it, is very unlikely.
When this is eventually realized the girls probably have no self esteem left for the magazine to feed off. Mission accomplished.
However the magazine does redeem itself, with articles that advise people about the stages of life. “The truth about your teens – Virginity, Puberty, Divorce . . .” These articles can be very useful to teenage girls who are undergoing changes such as puberty or might be witnessing their parents get divorced. Problem pages are good way for girls to write in to talk about their problems anonymously, if they are too embarrassed to discuss it with their friends or their parents.
Overall the writers at “Parental Guidance” disagree with a lot of the articles featured in “Sugar”. As a parent myself I would not allow my daughter to read “Sugar” because I would not want her to be learning how to flirt or be sexy at her innocent age. The way the magazine advertises sexuality to teenage girls is completely
inappropriate because it has the power to influence their diet, image and self esteem. After flicking through the magazine, with its “sugar sweet” image, I am disgusted and appalled, the damage some of the articles can have on a young girl’s view of herself is ridiculous. The media has far too much control over girls who are vulnerable and it can lead to extreme dieting which in the worst cases can lead to death. All of this is triggered by the beast that is “Sugar” Magazine.
