Media And Gender

Media and Gender

When we as individuals have the desire to learn more about current events and the condition of the world it is only natural that we turn our heads towards the mediums that broadcast information. These mediums can be televisions, newspapers, magazines, and most recently the internet. Though considered to be pastimes, devices such as the television have been proven to be much more than just an amusement for many Americans. In fact, a study by the University of Michigan Health System has shown that "an average person will have watched 7-10 years worth of television by age 70", a statistic that is more frightening than surprising. The study also revealed that "TV viewing starts earlier than other forms of media, often beginning before 2 years old, with the exception of the generations preceding the 1950's". With awareness of the power that television possess, it is also a given that the content that is broadcasted through a television also possesses great influence. Without us realizing it, the media is becoming an ever more powerful force in shaping the world's perception of itself. An individual's struggle to maintain a unique identity and self-understanding apart from media's influence is quickly becoming more difficult. In addition, the amount of information that is broadcasted to the youth of America has also been a major issue that many experts believe, has raised an entire generation of youth based on pop culture. When the people of the world absorb the many manifestations of the media they believe that they are simply viewing reality, but on the contrary the media often proves itself it to be the instigator of stereotypes and the creator of adverse social problems that often plague our society.

In order to eliminate the stereotypes that the media generates the public must have a heightened awareness of both the existence of and potential damage caused by the stereotypes. In truth though, they are difficult to fight and even to identify because of the ways in which they are presented. Overwhelming amounts of time and money are devoted to raising a small, specially selected portion of the population as models of physical perfection. These individuals are, mostly, television and movie celebrities, fashion models, and sports figures. The glamorous ways in which these occupations are portrayed by the media are seemingly impossible to separate from the physical appearance of the people who hold them. The glamour that surrounds the media presentation of the lives and careers of these individuals extends, not surprisingly, to the clothes that they wear and the way that they look. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton both created their own clothing and perfume merchandise, both of which are prospering due to the constant bombardment of self improvement that television urges teenagers to make. In fact, so much attention is given to celebrity appearances that entire television programs are devoted to little else but visual exploitation of celebrity clothing, and their tangible products of their latest fad workouts.

The media presentation of the celebrity body has a single unifying image, regardless of the specific job title of a given celebrity. Celebrity bodies are desired, both subjectively and objectively. The media, without question, shapes this public response. It can be argued that, because the media portrays celebrities' bodies as attractive, desirable, and "good," they become national symbols of these characteristics. On the contrary, bodies that do not meet this lofty goal frequently are, consciously or unconsciously, regarded as "bad" or ugly. Consider a very popular and successful advertising campaign used by Subway, the national fast food sandwich chain. "Jared," the protagonist of the recent number of television commercials, supposedly lost hundreds of pounds while on a diet consisting mainly of the chain's sandwiches. Jared's "before" pictures show him considerably larger than his current size, but they also show him alone, with no friends or family. In stark contrast, however, his "after" action shots consistently show him not only thinner, but also constantly in the presence of a beautiful woman, presumably his significant other. The advertising message is clear: fat=bad, ugly, unhappy and alone, thin=happy and with attractive partner. Through these commercials, Jared has assumed celebrity status, solely on the basis that his body has changed to approximate more closely the current standard of what the media considers to be attractive.

In truth, there is a huge difference between the male and female body types glorified in the media and those of the public at large. A shockingly small minority of the population has the genetic privilege to match with what the media portrays to be attractive. For women, "desirable" physical characteristics (as they are portrayed in the media) include being thin, long-legged, slim-hipped, and large-breasted. Some have even suggested that the media has taken the female figure to the extreme. Elizabeth Tassaro, a writer from the Notre Dame "Fresh Writing" archive has suggested that the media portrays the ideal female form in a completely unrealistic way:

"Various sources indicate that female body images presented through models, mannequins, and even Barbie dolls are strikingly deviant from the actual female form. One such example occurs in the January 1998 issue of Marie Claire magazine, which states that the average American woman is 5'4" and a size 12. She has a 37-inch bust, a 29-inch waist, and 40-inch hips. A mannequin is 6 feet tall, a size 6, with measurements of 34-23-34. A life-size Barbie doll would be 7'2," with bust, waist, and hip measurements of 40-22-36, respectively. A woman of these measurements would have to walk on all fours to balance her disproportionate body. Considering that Barbie's physical characteristics are outrageous and ultimately unattainable, how has she come to be an "icon" of femininity". Stereotypes and Ideals: Femininity in the Media. Fall 2002 Issue. Fresh Writing.

In addition, the media-portrayed "desirable" physical characteristics for men include being muscular and possessing a full head of hair. This has been the normal projection of a "desirable" man for decades, but in some cases this desirable form has also been altered to an extreme. In "The Evolution of G.I Joe" by the New York Times, the argument notes that "just as Barbie dolls have taunted little girls with an impossible ideal of the female body, G.I Joes have morphed over the last three decades into muscle bound hunks that can harm the self