The Media: Does It Shape Societies View on Femininity?

The Media:

Does It Shape Society's View of Femininity?

The question answers itself. Yes, the media definitely influences today's society via

messages through the television, radio, magazines, and billboards. It seems that in today's

day and age to even be “noticed” as a woman one must be tall, skinny, blonde, and countless other

things that the “average 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 convincing

reasons to support my claim: the rise of eating disorders throughout history, percentages

and statistics, and my own personal experience.

The Rise of Eating Disorders Throughout History

As far back as the 18th century, women began dieting. They submitted themselves to

food deprivation, enemas, and purging. In order to achieve that “hourglass” figure, some

women went as far as having their lower ribs surgically removed.(Collins 199) In the 1940s and '50s,

full figure females were popularized by movie stars like Ava Gardner, Jane Russell, and

Marlyn Monroe, but they were, however, short lived. With the introduction of Playboy®,

Vogue®, and Cosmopolitan®, eating disorders have quickly 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 don't “ naturally” fit the mold often respond by dieting or even

surgery.

Percentages and Statistics

According 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 cause eating disorders but help to create a context in which

people learn to put a value on their body.

The media's power 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 main source on

women's health issues ( Common Wealth Fund 348) , and researchers estimate that 60% of

middle school girls read at least one fashion magazine regularly (Levine 1997). Another

study of mass media magazines discovered that Women's magazines had 10.5 times more

advertisements and articles promoting weight loss than men's magazines did (ctd. in Guillen

& Barr 465). There was a study of 4,294 network television commercials which revealed that

one out of every 3.8 commercials send some sort of “attractiveness” message, telling

viewers what is or is not attractive ( Myers 114). These researchers estimate that the average

adolescent sees over 5,260 attractiveness messages per year, through television alone.