Women In The Media

As much as we like to consider ourselves as being progressive, optimistic, modern, and moving forward with how things were back-in-the-day, I still unfortunately look at the media that is being presented and am embarrassed. The way women are portrayed has shown just how little we have progressed. Being a strong woman myself, I look at this as an opportunity to stand up and stand against the way in which the media portrays us, because more often than not we are being portrayed in a negative light; we are seen as weak, we are un-athletic, we are incredibly thin, we have perfect hair, flawless makeup, we are considered "the dumb blonde", and we are the pretty little wife that cleans the whole house, etc.

Because we are in a digital media era, every aspect of our life consists of technology
and media. We essentially cannot get away from it because it is woven into our daily l
ives. By consuming this media at such a young age now, children are subconsciously
being taught specific things about gender roles and the way a woman should look.
The media is shaping their minds into thinking that is reality, when it is actually not.

The way women are portrayed in the media is impractically perfect, and we will never
be able to live up to that standard. With the technology and touch up tools today you
can create your ideal women behind the computer. Take a look at this video. It is
a perfect example of just how much time, editing, and effort it takes for them to capture
a women for a billboard ad. It is no wonder why women and girls feel the pressure to look
perfect and be perfect because we are trying to live up to an expectation that is not real
and will never be achievable.

The sole purpose of media and advertisements is to sell something, but they are selling
much more than a product, they are selling values, love, sexuality, success..etc. Ads
continue to tell us who we should be and that the most important thing about a woman i
s how she looks. Time and time again advertisements have surrounded us with this idea
of “ideal female beauty” - we need to be thin, young, have flawless skin, and a perfect smile.
Growing up with this idea has create an enormous amount of stress, anxiety, and pressure
to be thin, to cover up any blemishes, to not eat very much, to be perfect. We need to begin
to stand with other women to fight against this idealistic idea of beauty because it is only
going to get worse.

More Information:

Jean Kilbourne has been studying the way in which women are portrayed in the media for decades now, and contines to speak out all over the country. If you would like to know more information about this topic and Jean's heart behind her passion, here is a link to her most recent TED Talk

- Sophia Criswell