...Taylor Barto English 101 Holman 4/4/2012 Portrayal of Women in the Media In society today attractiveness can be the base of the empire that one builds. A certain look could be the entire reason someone gets a role in a movie or television show. Everything today is flashier, bigger, better, and more glamorous than before so why would women fall to any exception? These women on television can all play different roles, for example, the corporate climber, the supermom, the social butterfly, the ruthless villainess, but they all have one common denominator; their attractiveness. The women seen on television are beautiful, thin, and primarily white. These are the types of women the media wants us to strive to be like because it boosts their ratings. How many people would watch a television show about someone’s life that was less successful and less attractive? Many would agree that the last 30 years some progress has been made in how the media portray women in film, television, and magazines and there has also been a growth in the presence and influence of women in the media. Nevertheless, female stereotypes continue to thrive in the media we view every day. The media’s portrayal of women plays a significant impact on the effects to body image and self-esteem to implications in sports and politics. One current popular show that many young adults watch on television is a show, Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl follows the lives of Manhattan’s Upper East Side socialites. Each show...
Words: 1647 - Pages: 7
...Introduction Growing up with three sisters and a successful mother, I constantly heard about the struggle women continuously face in the workforce. My mother, having outstanding credentials, constantly reiterated to us how she had to knock down some barriers due to her sex. Because of her female empowering approach of raising her daughters, I read many books growing up about prominent women of our time and of years before. I never truly observed the misogynistic instances she told us about until I matured and reached high school. During my senior year of high school, I elected to take AP Government. During the year, we closely examined the Primary elections for the 2008 Presidential campaign. Over the course of the year we discussed the importance...
Words: 3555 - Pages: 15
...Media representation of women Media have been reflectors of dominant values and work as an active agency aiming at reinforcing and strengthening dominant value structure. There is no doubt that mass media like TV, film, radio newspapers and magazines mould opinion, thinking, attitudes and behaviour. TV and films are more powerful as their reach and impact is greater than that of other media. All of these media have greater reach among men than women, but what catches the attention of the feminists and other concerned people is the unrealistic, negative portrayal of women in these media. Mass media do give coverage to women and their issues but damage done by media to women is more than the help offered to them. The role of media in the development of women and enhancement of their status in the society is very depressing. All mass media are being blamed for this. Mass media have been powerful agents of social influence but they have not been effective in portraying women in meaningful, respectable and positive manner. In 1978, a major UNESCO study on the portrayal and participation of women in the media found that the portrayal of women in the mass media globally was consistently poor. The study also confirmed that there was severe under-representation of women in the upper cadres of all media organizations, and that the average media woman earns less than her male counter-parts. Studies carried out in South Asia in 1986 confirm that women are portrayed either as docile...
Words: 677 - Pages: 3
...R 7 Gender and Advertising How Gender Shapes Meaning The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, “It’s a girl.” —Shirley Chisholm Men are dogs and women are cats. Women are from Venus and men are from Mars. Writers, filmmakers, psychologists, and advertisers all have used the idea that men and women are different to develop stories, create conflict, and provide persuasive imagery. Not only do advertisers view men and women differently, but men and women also bring different perspectives to advertising. Thus, we can assume that men and women create dif-ferent meanings from the advertisements they see. Gender roles in our society have changed dramatically since the 1950s, and portrayals of men and women in advertising have been researched since nearly the same time. Researchers have consistently sought to evaluate these roles to examine whether advertising has kept up with societal changes. In this chapter, we examine the different ways men and women view advertising and mes-sages, as well as some of the ways that advertising portrays gender roles today. The last several decades have seen changes in the role of women in society, both as those who earn money and those who spend money. In 1940, women comprised about 20% of the workforce in the United States, while today that percentage reaches 50% (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000). In addition, the family structure in the United States has changed: smaller proportions...
Words: 7641 - Pages: 31
...the Study of Visual Culture? In this essay I plan to explore the meanings that are found within the concepts of gender and sexuality and the presentation to which they are given in all types of visual culture. I wish to look into the reasons behind the current stereotypes of gender and sexuality which are used in day to day life. The origins of such clichés and the reason why stereotypes are so heavily used in visual culture, to try and understand the disadvantages and advantages they bring to the media. I will begin by trying to give an explanation of the definition of the terms, gender, sexuality and visual culture. Gender is often depicted to a simple non-complex term which is based upon an individual’s biological sex. Thus presenting the theory that the sex of an individual will biologically predetermine their mannerisms and actions; behaviours that are associated with being male or female. Although it is necessary to understand that there are differences between men and women, to assume that all behaviour can be categorised as male or female could be considered to be ignorant. In more recent times gender has become less fixated upon the biological sex of the person and is more determined by the individual themselves (Kirsch, 2000). Sexuality is the term used to demonstrate the type of person an individual is sexually attracted to and would like to pursue. The idea of sexuality is divided into three types’ heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality. Heterosexuality defining...
Words: 2343 - Pages: 10
...o What are the effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality on adolescents’ sexual lives?What are some negative and some positive effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality? o How has the media’s portrayal of sexuality affected your life? The effects of the media’s portrayal on sexuality on adolescent’s lives are vast. Most media in today’s society portrays acts of sexuality as commonplace and expected. It shows young girls being flirtatious and having sex. It shows young men as sexual predators or pressuring the girls. It is far and few between that a show displays age appropriate sexuality for it’s viewers. The media also represent’s young gays and lesbians more readily than it would have years ago. I think this is a good idea since that demographic of viewer base has increased greatly. This increased awareness for young people has both positive and negative impacts. The increased awareness of the effects of sexuality in early ages such as pregnancy and STD’s are more prevalent than in yester years. However, the increased stimuli of sexuality leads to more exploration of our younger generations to have sex earlier than they should be and producing babies at a younger age as well as they are contracting more STD’s. I think the media’s influence on our future generations needs to be tempered and that is the job of the parent or caregiver. The media’s portrayal of sexuality has not has as great an effect on my life as it could have as I do not watch much TV and tend to...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...The articles “Male-Bashing on TV’ by Michael Abernethy and “TV’s New Wave of Women: Smart, Strong, Borderline Insane” by Heather Havrilesky are articles that talk about genders being portrayal on television. In Abernethy’s article, he explains to his readers the problem with the portrayal of men on television and ads and gives examples towards his argument. As for Havrilesky’s article, she reveals to her readers the problem of women getting portrayed as “crazy” by television and also gives examples of different actors on different TV shows. In Abernethy’s and Havrilesky’s articles, they both argue about the media’s...
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...or, as implied by the title, misrepresentation - of women by the media. In the documentary, Newsom discusses the effect the portrayal of women in the media has on every aspect of the lives of women in America - from women’s perceptions of their bodies to their ability to participate in government. She uses quantitative data, her own story and the stories of other women, famous and not, and various aspects of the visual track to successfully communicate her message that the media’s portrayal and treatment of women is harmful and must be changed in order for...
Words: 1158 - Pages: 5
...examined to analyze if and how representations through media sources and stereotypes influenced or effected lesbians’ identity. All 6 participants self-identified as lesbian women, however interestingly enough, none of these women self-identified with any other denomination of lesbian (femme, butch, etc.). Four of the women gave no reasoning as to why they did not self-identity as such but one response included that others may have perceived her to identity as “femme” but that she did not identify Another response expressed her rejection of such categories of lesbianism, as they bring with them too many stereotypes that she felt were not always accurate of how she identified. We...
Words: 1690 - Pages: 7
...Media Influence on African American Males Keana Noyd California State University, Northridge PAS 325- The Black Male in Contemporary Times May 12, 2014 Abstract If a black man is mentioned in the news, newspaper, magazine ads, television shows, or internet blogs, it is usually related to a negative, stereotypical thought of black men as a whole. The media constantly produces images of black men as sexually-instable, violent, and unintelligent. Such portrayals ultimately influence the nation when it comes to what black men are thought to be like. If the media gave honest and positive portrayals of black men, less racism would exist because people would be able to see the black men of this world for who they really are. In this paper, I give examples of how black men are negatively portrayed in the media and suggest how such misrepresentation can be stopped; by positive portrayals of black men in the media. Over the decades, the media has become an extremely influential power tool when it comes to making assertions about certain groups of people. African-Americans are one of the media’s many victims of false generalizations that influence the world beyond the television screens. Black men are constantly depicted as sexually-instable, angry, uneducated criminals throughout the media, in which, has an ultimate effect on how these men are represented throughout this society. Such depictions are one of the reasons why racism and stereotypical beliefs continue to exist throughout...
Words: 1709 - Pages: 7
...To have human nature on earth, one needs to have human body and human soul regardless of how minimal it is. 5 MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF ABORTION… Abortion is when a pregnancy is ended so that it doesn't result in the birth of a child. Sometimes it is called 'termination of pregnancy'. There are two types of abortion treatment, 'Medical' and 'Surgical' abortion. Medical abortion makes use of the abortion pills. Some women feel that a medical abortion is a more natural process. While surgical abortion involves a quick, minor operation. Sometimes abortion happens on its own. In this case it is called miscarriage or spontaneous abortion. But women can also choose to end a pregnancy by getting surgery or taking medicine....
Words: 1194 - Pages: 5
...American Portrayal in Media As the day progresses into the late evening hour most of America sits in front of their televisions impatiently waiting to watch their favorite shows. From prime time television to viral videos on YouTube, media has become one of the most influential areas of life. The clothes we wear, slogans we say, and actions we portray are all influenced by media. For example, in 2012 “Ain’t nobody got time for that” became a popular slogan which transcended from a news interview that went viral. Although the slogan was catchy, it became famous more so for the way it was presented. The interviewee was an African American female who was a victim of a house fire. With the female being very passionate and animated while speaking in an urban accent, it provided for great entertainment. Sadly, that news interview lacked the appropriate representation of African Americans. The way media portrays a certain message “can have an inordinate influence on the public’s perception of blacks” (Holt 6). Audiences have been a witness to negative portrayal of African Americans since the days of “blackface”, where Caucasian American actors painted their faces black to depict African Americans. According to blog author Michelle Whalen, “now, more than ever, images of African Americans are transcending racial stereotypes and forging ahead into the fight for equality” (1). In the past two decades, media has been successful in providing positive progression in the portrayal of African...
Words: 1614 - Pages: 7
...The Image of Women in The Media Cheneka Wright PHI 208: Ethic and Moral Reasoning Instructor: Justin Murray June 7, 2016 We all seen the different stereotypes that the media has portray women to be from the femme fatale, the supermom, the sex kitten, the nasty corporate climber. Whatever the role, television, film and popular magazines are full of images of women and girls who are typically white, desperately thin, and made up to the hilt—even after slaying a gang of vampires or dressing down a Greek phalanx. There has to be said that there have been some strides that have been made in which the way that women are portrayed in films, television, and even in magazines, and this has been over the last few decades. The presence as well as influence of women behind the scenes has also grown in many ways that were not so before. But have we come far enough. So my question is Has the Portrayal of Women in Today’s Society Health Role Models to Our Young People of Today? With the television shows that are aired on a day to day basis it’s hard to expect the portrayal of women to be any less than what it is…..negative. Is there an obligation for the media to show young people a more positive image of women or is it a duty of the parents? The notion of common good does not just happen. Establishing and maintaining it is the responsibility of everyone. Maintaining the social conditions from which we all benefit requires the cooperative efforts of all citizens. These efforts pay...
Words: 1485 - Pages: 6
...Images of the unobtainable thin body can be seen anywhere. The media has many different outlets; television, movies, magazines billboards, and the internet. I myself can attest to watching television and thinking why isn’t my body like that. I know what it feels like to not feel beautiful because the image of beauty that the media portrays is the complete opposite of myself. The media portrays tall and thin as the “ideal” image of beauty. The National Eating Disorder Association (2012) reports that the media and its portrayal of beauty is acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders. In our culture, the media portrays tall and thin as the ideal image of beauty. Magazines, television , movies, commercials, and more portray attractive women as being extremely thin. It is nearly impossible to escape the influence of the media and children today are being exposed to these portrayals earlier and earlier in life. Since we have immediate access to all sorts of media, could the constant reminder of the “ideal” body type cause a negative body image and low self-esteem? Body image as defined by Dina L.G. Borzekowski and Angela M. Bayer is “the internal representation of one's own outer appearance which reflects physical and perceptual dimensions.”(Borzekowski & Bayer, 2005) They also state that body image is closely related to self-esteem and self-concept. During one’s juvenile years, poor body image is especially harmful, because all of the rapid...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Images of the unobtainable thin body can be seen anywhere. The media has many different outlets; television, movies, magazines billboards, and the internet. I myself can attest to watching television and thinking why isn’t my body like that. I know what it feels like to not feel beautiful because the image of beauty that the media portrays is the complete opposite of myself. The media portrays tall and thin as the “ideal” image of beauty. The National Eating Disorder Association (2012) reports that the media and its portrayal of beauty is acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders. In our culture, the media portrays tall and thin as the ideal image of beauty. Magazines, television , movies, commercials, and more portray attractive women as being extremely thin. It is nearly impossible to escape the influence of the media and children today are being exposed to these portrayals earlier and earlier in life. Since we have immediate access to all sorts of media, could the constant reminder of the “ideal” body type cause a negative body image and low self-esteem? Body image as defined by Dina L.G. Borzekowski and Angela M. Bayer is “the internal representation of one's own outer appearance which reflects physical and perceptual dimensions.”(Borzekowski & Bayer, 2005) They also state that body image is closely related to self-esteem and self-concept. During one’s juvenile years, poor body image is especially harmful, because all of the...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
