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shethang/stories
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In a study of the
problem, lead author Duane Hargreaves of Flinders University in South
Australia was quoted as saying: "Viewing television commercials
containing images of the unrealistic thin-ideal for women caused adolescent
girls to feel less confident, more angry and more dissatisfied with
their weight and appearance." In another study 400 young girls
and boys were shown 10 minutes of commercials. Before the students watched
the commercials they were asked to fill out a questionnaire which asked
about the importance of their body image. By the end of the experiment
the females showed a higher amount of body dissatisfaction. Alan Mozes,
one of the researchers, noted: “The researchers found that girls
shown commercials with a focus on female appearance experienced a higher
subsequent decrease in confidence than those watching the non-appearance-related
spots.” When all a male
in our society sees are scantily clad women presented as victims/not
in charge, it makes sense that they may have trouble also viewing them
as strong, independent persons with brains and follow-through. Though
many people say they see the equality progressing, I see it getting
worse. Here
are some facts you should know: We
have only to look at Sports Illustrated models from 1970 and compare
them to the models of today to see that somewhere within those 32 years
alot of clothes were lost. Unfortunately, in our society lack of clothes
tends to equal lack of respect. Women are too often generalized and
cannot be sexy and smart, but only one or the other. Hopefully, sooner
rather than later, a woman who is not flaunting her body will have just
as many places in the media as a woman who is.
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Women
in media are more often portrayed as sexy Doritos girls or half naked
in beer commercials – images that have never been hard to find
in our society than as clothed, intelligent women with valid beliefs
and concerns. But it’s the 21stcentury; isn't it about time to
find well-dressed, educated women represented in the media? No matter
how much American society has grown and no matter how much it seems
as though we have taken steps forward in equality of men and women there
is still quite a long way to go. Things have improved, don't get me
wrong, but when I turn on the TV I see that things can also get better.
Not only do depictions of scantily clad females make the women look
bad, but they also hurt the image, expectations, and self esteem of
other females. When I walk through midtown Manhattan all I see are billboards
of cleavage. It is sickening to know that so many women and girls would
do anything it takes to duplicate the currently popular body image:
tall, thin, flat stomach and large breasts. They’ll try plastic
sugery, spending money they don’t have or participating in a variety
of eating disorders just to obtain this ideal. 
