The Media: Does It Shape Societies View on Femininity? :: essays research papers

The MediaDoes It mannikin Societys View of Femininity?The question answers itself. Yes, the media definitely influences todays society via messages through the television, radio, magazines, and billboards. It seems that in todays day and age to even be noticed as a woman iodine must be tall, skinny, blonde, and countless other things that the middling woman could only hope for. Today, if one is not comfortable with who or what they are, they may encounter many dilemmas. I found three win over reasons to support my claim the ski tow of eating disorders throughout history, percentages and statistics, and my own person-to-person experience.The Rise of alimentation Disorders Throughout HistoryAs far bear out as the 18th century, women began dieting. They submitted themselves to food deprivation, enemas, and purging. In order to achieve that hourglass figure, round women went as far as having their lower ribs surgically removed.(Collins 199) In the mid-forties and 50s, full figur e females were popularized by movie stars like Ava Gardner, Jane Russell, and Marlyn Monroe, but they were, however, terse lived. With the introduction of Playboy, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan, eating disorders have right away taken over our society. The great majority of American women are culturally conditioned to strive for a slender figure. Advertising, television, films, and the fashion industry relentlessly drive home the message, and women who dont naturally fit the mold often do by dieting or even surgery.Percentages and StatisticsAccording to the National Eating Disorders Association, Media images that help to create a cultural definition of beauty and attractiveness are often acknowledged as being among those factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders(165). Media messages screaming thin is in may not capture eating disorders but help to create a context in which people learn to put a value on their body.The medias cater over our development of self-esteem and body image can be incredibly strong. According to a recent survey of adolescent girls, the media is their master(prenominal) source on womens health issues ( Common Wealth Fund 348) , and researchers regard that 60% of middle school girls read at least one fashion magazine regularly (Levine 1997). Another study of mass media magazines spy that Womens magazines had 10.5 times more advertisements and articles promoting weight loss than mens magazines did (ctd. in Guillen & Barr 465). on that point was a study of 4,294 network television commercials which revealed that one out of either 3.8 commercials send some sort of attractiveness message, telling