The media is constantly brainwashing us and making us buy objects we do not need. In addition, the media is a tool used to dictate women to think and behave a certain way. The images portrayed through television depict a false reality that forces people to look like what is being depicted.
Women, for example, subconsciously grow to idealize female fashion models in today's society. These women are the standardized representation society’s perfect woman. Their glamour, and stunning physical appearance, often modified with filters, makes women desire what these models are wearing. In addition, they also want to look like them, and since the models are mainly fair skinned women with golden hair, tall and skinny, most women will be more likely to work towards getting at least one of this characteristics.
Models are not in a better situation than ordinary women because just like ordinary women, female models are emotionally conflicted with the idea that their body should be a certain way. For example, women that wish to enter the modeling industry must be within the range of size 0 to 4. They do not have the will to present themselves with a weight other than that, or else they will not be hired. Therefore, ladies that aspire to work as models, begin to submit to strict diets to lose weight. Even if they are skinny, they do not feel they are skinny enough for the job.
Today, it is common to notice the effect the media has on teenage girls and women based on the way they portray themselves through the social media. They like to have filters on their "selfies" to make them look shades lighter because that is how they look better according to what is portrayed through the media.
It is not only what women see through media that affect their identity, but also what they hear should be the way they should behave. Take for example Selena Gomez’s song “Come & Get It”, in this song there is a female voice that is speaking to a male audience demanding that whenever he is ready to come and get it. Then the song goes on saying You ain't gotta worry, it's an open invitation/I'll be sittin' right here, real patient/All day, all night, I'll be waitin' standby, clearly, the female voice is stating that she will wait until he is ready for “it”, in fact she will be waiting patiently for him. This song, often played on the radio, contributes to the constant reminder that women have to wait for their prince to come. Of course they will wait forever if necessary because women must not go looking for a man because that is wrong.
Women are not the only ones being targeted by the media, everyone is. However, it should not be that way because we are the ones who should be defining and shaping our identity. Pictures, movies, songs, and texts get publicized to make other women embody a surreal personality that dictates that light skin, colored eyes, silky hair, and a slim curvy body is how one should look. In the long run, media is taking advantage of people’s vulnerability of being rejected by society to oppress people. The media is a false image of reality and we should not let it interfere with our identity.
Interesting. I'd like to hear a little more about how the media creates these ideals. What can we do about it? Also, you are very academic here. Feel free to let loose and write like yourself on the next post.
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