Body Image
Through the use of imagery, the display of life-styles, and the reinforcement of values, advertisements are communicators of culturally defined concepts such as success, worth, love, sexuality, popularity, and normalcy. Of particular concern over the past two decades has been excessive use of sexual stereotypes, especially of women. Women are directly affected by this advertising, beyond the mere desire to purchase the product or service described. The influence of the media on people is tremendous, and the effect of advertisements that direct images of beauty, and the perfect slim figure have a harmful effect on a great deal of the world's population, especially women. The media has portrayed the "perfect body image" so successfully, that women's self-image, self-esteem and even their health is affected.Looking at the media, it's almost impossible to ignore the many images of thin, beautiful women. In many women's magazines, nearly every other page is covered with an advertisement that displays a person with the "ideal body", a slim figure, a happy face, and trendy or chic clothes. Most of the advertisements in magazines try to present models as realistic representations for c
What society must do is tell the beauty industry, tell the magazines, and tell Hollywood that what they are doing is not acceptable. The image they portray is unrealistic, unhealthy, and irresponsible. However, it is unlikely that the beauty industry will loosen its grip on the minds of women and try so hard to make them think they are ugly. That would of course hurt sales and cause them to make only millions instead of billions of dollars. It is also improbable that Hollywood will break perhaps its only rule, because that too would disrupt the bottom line. So, for the time being anyway, we are a society being told how to look, and trying to live up to an impossible standard. According to the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, an estimated six- percent of American women has eating disorders. Low self-esteem and an unrealistic body image can trigger these eating disorders. A society that allows for such blatant expressions of contempt for women can only expect that women will be victimized. The media must begin to take some responsibility for the images, and the on-going implications of the image, that it presents. When turning the pages of a glossy fashion magazine, women are being invited by the ads and the carefully art-directed spreads to suspend their disbelief. It is hard to remember that the average American woman's dress size is sixteen, not six. And the average age is not eighteen. The average working woman doesn't have the resources or the time to devote a narcissistic pursuit of beauty. Models look beautiful for a living. They have hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe people, manicurists, and skin care specialists to mak
Some common words found in the essay are:
Miss America, Anorexia/Bulimia Association, Portrayed Media, America Baywatch, women feel, beauty industry, perfect body, body image, women feel models, women compare themselves, fat ugly, selling lifestyle, ads selling, women women, slim figure, eating disorders,
Approximate Word count = 1117
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
