Media outlets have shied away from fully covering feminism, opting often to sensationalize feminist critiques of the balances of power. The media shows those feminists who fit popular stereotypes, the most common being the young lesbian feminist. Connie Squire explains in her essay 'Empowering Women? The Oprah Winfrey Show' that "Openly lesbian or gay guests appear rarely, the show carefully establishes the heterosexuality of well-known guests, and when it addresses homosexuality directly it tends either to problematize it or to mainstream it as a human issue, distanced from sex and politics." Media attention depicts issues related to feminism such as sexuality in a manner that it makes the average person apprehensive to accept the presence lifestyles that differ so drastically from their own, for fear of sending their lives into a similar turmoil. The social construction of feminism has hindered the ability to get messages and awareness in the general public. It has formed an image of feminism a

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Show' Openly, Syracuse University, Lesbian Existence, Feminist Frontiers, Connie Squire, Adrienne Rich's, social constructions, feminist ideals, women's studies,
Approximate Word count = 675
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)