Caroline Stevens
1/30/15
Entry 1
From Images of Women to Woman as Image
In the article "From Images of Women to Woman as Image", it explains how women are portrayed as sex symbols in the media and how they are seen by the public. Women feel the need to act different in the media because they want to be seen. Women being portrayed in the media could give them a bad reputation. The media makes all women look their best because it attracts people but in reality that is not what they actually look like.
"Taking as their object of analysis the images of women in the mass media, researchers explored sexism and sex-role stereotyping in a wide variety of media forms, including television, film, comic books, and newspapers". This statement makes women feel like they have to act sexy and be very attractive to be shown in the media. There are companies who have pretty girls trying to sell their product. It is the best way for that company to use a sexy, skinny and pretty girl because it is an easy way for consumers to make money. In the article, Walters makes statements about women being portrayed to the media in negative ways and I 100% agree with that. Women are supposed to feel like themselves and not pretend to be someone they are not.
Many people in the world have different opinions about different things. Some agree with feminism and some believe that they are not a feminist. In my opinion, if people can not see that women are being used to portray their bodies on television or magazine ads, then they need to look more closely. For example, Miss America. The ladies are all skinny and pretty and it probably took them years to look like that. There are girls who would kill to be in magazine ads or on TV or be a Victoria Secret model, but according to the media they are "too fat" or "not pretty". There are people who are struggling when they see skinny and pretty girls because that is who they want to be but in reality that is not them. A fat girl could be used in a magazine ad, but media will crop the body to make the girl look skinnier, and edit the face to make her look prettier. They just want to show their beauty and show the media who they really are.
The world is not all about skinny and attractive girls being portrayed as sex toys. I can speak for everyone when I say that when I see a Victoria Secret model that everyone wants to be one. Anyone will say "I wish I could look exactly like that girl because she is skinny and pretty." These girls are famous and are being looked up from girls who want to be like that. The world does not work that way. "The media reflects "reality" like a mirror." Men are viewing women as toys and that is inappropriate. There may be at a standard where people judge them for portraying their bodies but in reality it is a stereotype and there are stereotypes all around the world.
I 100% agree with your points made in this entry. Women should be comfortable with themselves not made to be someone that they're not. It's always the skinny attractive girls that are used to sell products or are seen in the Victoria's Secret catalogs and commercials. Rarely do we see a plus size model or women advertising whether it's on television or in a catalog. The media has made all of us feel we have to look like the girl we see on television and we have to realize that none of that is real at all.
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