Media’s Misleading Issues On Women Cultural ideals shape and body image changed through the ages. For example in 1890’s a rather plump body and a pale complexion considered as the pink of perfection. Such appearance emphasizes the wealth state of the family the woman belonged to. In early 1900’s woman considered astonishingly beautiful if she had hourglass figure. Such look demanded tight corset, which in turn leads to different health problems. In 1920’s came the era of the flat-chested, slim-hipped flappers. If we examine closer the conception of feminine beauty slowly changed from full-figured shapes of Marilyn Monroe to waif-like figure of Kate Moss.
Nowadays beautiful woman is in average 179 cm height, 50 kg weight, with narrow hips and full breasts. Today’s advertisers go to huge lengths to sell products and to convince women that their bodies are never good enough. Female models are typically tall, thin, young, white, and they appear “perfect”. (Body Image & the Media…) Mass media has great influence on womens self-esteem. Women become shy and unsure about their own appearance. According to research made by Harvard scientist 60% of women said that media influenced on their attitudes about body shape. Today, you cannot read a magazine or newspaper, turn on the television, listen to the radio, or shop at the mall without being assaulted with the message that fat is bad. (Media and Eating Disorders) Average and overweighed are not sown in movies, commercials, and television sitcoms.
The Research paper on Young Women Media Research Images
... body shapes. Showing that women are not comfortable with their body image and I believe there is a direct correlation to that and the media. ... a) the figure that looked most like their current shape, b) the figure that looked most like their ideal body shape and c) ... the figure that they thought was ...
Messages in the media have given many young females warped priorities. Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents. (Women React) Women forget that their bodies have to maintain some fat for future child bearing. These women panic as their expectations are rejected by nature’s reality. The media plays a major role in a woman’s self-esteem, self-worth, and self-image. The more media portrays the “ideal” woman, the worse girls and women feel about themselves.
(Mary Thigpen) As result many women do everything to fit the popular body image. They forget that people are very different and that such model shapes are not available for all and literally starve themselves. In 1994 Kristen Harrison, U-M assistant professor of communication studies, made research at a large Midwestern university. According to that research, in which take part 232 female undergraduate students, about 15 percent of the women met criteria for disordered eating signs of anorexia or bulimia, body dissatisfaction, a drive for thinness, perfectionism and a sense of personal ineffectiveness. (Kristen Harrison).
Harrison says, Magazine reading and television viewing, especially exposure to thinness-depicting and thinness-promoting (TDP) media, significantly predict symptoms of women’s eating disorders. The women who suffer eating disorders do not read fitness magazines and dont consult with doctors. They know nothing about proper, balanced diet. Instead, while reading fashionable magazines and watching popular shows such as “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills 90210” they become attracted to thin characters.
Such fondness sooner or later grows into desire to be like that women. According to Kristen Harrison It seems clear that young womens patterns of disordered eating, including both attitudinal and behavioral tendencies, are related not only to the types of media they expose themselves to, but also to the way they perceive and respond to specific mass media characters.” When women start to starve them selves they do not realize the danger. According to Women React 34 percent of women said they would be willing to try a diet even if it posed health risks. They do not understand that uncontrolled diets and starving usually lead to electrolyte imbalances caused by dehydration, low potassium, possible heart failure, and death. According to “Health Consequences of Eating Disorders there is also a great possibility of sudden death due to gastric rupture during a binge, or the rupture of the esophagus while in the midst of purging by means of vomiting The main problem is, I think, that media influence greatly on people with low self-esteem. Unfortunately, it seems that it is a majority of all people.
The Essay on Media and eating disorders
... conditions of woman, family characteristics, and visual exposure to ideal image of the female body in the media would influence eating disorders (Bordo 52). First, eating disorders are ... increased. Many young women have role models in media images of very thin women. Extremely thin runway models influence young women to develop eating disorders. A study ...
My point of view is that: if you really appreciate and valuate your own body and appearance, media can do nothing for you. You must realize that films, shows and fashionable magazines are one big trick. They usually used computer graphics and different special effects for getting desirable sight. According to Media’s Influence on One’s Image by Mary Thigpen in Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts’ head appears several times on another woman’s body. A body double is used because Julia’s wasn’t “good enough.” You also must understand that actors and models were not born with perfect bodies. Usually they achieved their appearances with the help of numerous plastic surgeries and implants.
I think that everybody know who the Cher is and how she looks like, and how she looked before all this plastic surgeries. Now she is really beautiful but what is the price of this beauty? Deleted ribs, not less than five surgeries per year, and lot of which we haven’t even a clue. Remember that your body is the most valuable asset you ever own. Your appearance is not your identity. There is a lot about you that is not just your body. Persuade yourself that you are not a flesh but a living human being with a good amount of self-dignity. Dont try to become somebody else (youll never success, only ridicule yourself).
Be natural, be yourself. We are not perfect but there is no beauty in perfection. Beauty is in variety. Appreciate the gift, which was given you by Nature. Be aware of the “flawless” images, the stereotypes based more on looks than on talent, and the put-downs of people who don’t fit the narrow definition of ideal. (Body Image & the Media…) Bibliography Body Image & the Media…, Mary Thigpen, Media’s Influence on One’s Image, Women React, Health Consequences of Eating Disorders, Media’s thin celebrities influence womens eating disorders, Media and Eating Disorders, .
The Essay on Mass Media and Its Influence in Shaping Ideas
Dramatic advances in mass communication and transportation during the past 50 years have truly created a global village; a mass society. Things occurring anywhere are now quickly known everywhere. Mass media both overwhelm us with information and help us to sort it out. The development of mass media has had a great influence on our lives. We have come to depend on it for information and so forth. ...
