Media Analysis: Women 

Media and entertainment has negatively influenced the way society portrays women. This false portrayal then pours into the eyes of those growing up, and seeing their own body as not good enough. A figure that can never be looked at as beautiful because their waist is too big, or their boobs are not large enough. Media engrained this idea into us thus giving women a reason to change their bodies even if their level of comfort has been diminished to nothing, but because their now praised as beautiful and the perfect body, it is okay. Since media is continuing to expand and spread its influence on children at younger and younger ages, society needs be more aware of what it being pushed into media for the viewing pleasure of everyone. Women are becoming more displeased with their bodies because of advertisements and entertainment industries, thus creating a source for young men to interpret these false representations for what all women should look like.

Women’s bodies are valued more than their intellect. This creates a divide in the many job fields, specifically congress. “Only 34 women have ever served as governors” (Miss Representation, 15:12). Data like this comes in to view and young women are being fed information that says politics and leadership positions are only for men. The constant depictions of men as presidents and men as CEOs, creates a divide in what young women see as realistically obtainable. Furthermore, when women begin reaching those same accomplishments that were male dominant, their voice continues to be minimized as if they are not suitable for that specific position. Entertainment industries in Hollywood have played a large part in continuing the depredation of women as they grow in their personal careers. Even to the point that a woman actor could not include her MBA because it may be “threatening” (Miss Representation, 23:42). Hollywood doing this should not be surprising, since movies are really good at continuing to push the stereotypes that are not true for the majority. Women are never put in a protagonist role and when they are, for example in the genre “chick flicks”, a man becomes a close second in hopes of changing the woman’s life for the better. In parts that show woman with a leadership position, Hollywood depicts their attitude as “a bitchy boss who has sacrificed family and love to get where she is” (Miss Representation, 26:38). Media creates this false interpretation that women cannot be without men and having a women who provides for the family, or holds the status of “alpha” in a relationship, is big no no.

A woman’s place of comfort is beginning to grow smaller and smaller as young girls are pressured to change their physical appearance because of media. 53% of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies and it grows to over 78% by the time they reach age 17 (Miss Representation, 7:15). Society sexualizes women and when you are young, and seeing this play out, a young girl begins to question why she is not like that. Instead of young girls growing intellectually, entertainment and media are shooting over sexualized perceptions of women as the only way to become successful. Young girls are put in a predicament since many are not comfortable going through all that change, but for them to make it in this society, their physical appearance must change.

            This pressure is plastered on everything ranging from magazines, bill boards, television, music videos, etc. for not only women to see, but young men. These young men are given this false representation, and then begin to judge real women much harshly (Miss Representation, 10:15). Men are, in addition to how media represents themselves, taking the “non-threatening” woman, as the ideal woman to be in a relationship with. A woman with too many accolades or a job that makes yours seem like its part-time, becomes unwanted. Young men are developing this idea of that women must fit a checklist. A set of standards that must be fulfilled that are typically all physical traits, with no regard of what she may be like on the inside.

Media continues to be the source of these advertisements and false understandings. Yet despite this realization, media presents the current state of society. If society were to have an opposing viewpoint then media would change their approach. This approach would attract much of the audience thus representing the current state of society and how women are portrayed. Many cultural critics aim at changing the way young men and women grasp this information. Bell Hooks hopes to use education as way to transform the mind of young adults growing up. Providing students with a reliable set of tools and resources to inform them on these false portrayals and the misrepresentation media spreads. In addition to Hooks, Jean Kilbourne takes a huge stab at how misrepresented women are in media advertisements. She does a great job at tying together the problems in society with the media, and how media represents what is wrong with society. Activists like Hooks and Kilbourne aim at changing the way society comprehends these media advertisements. Like stated before, mass media uses these advertisements because the audience targeted stands as the majority position. Educating those who are misinformed can provide a solution to what plagues society.