We all know that media inspires us in all aspects. It can be in cosmetics, beauty, models, advertisements and much more. But do you think whatever the media shows is the right way to influence us?
Well, in my opinion, media can never be trusted. Every single thing which media shows has flaws but people tend to ignore it and become the victim of it. Let's talk about the main topic here.
How many girls (you have seen) are influenced by the models shown on the cover page of magazines or in the advertisements? Among all the individuals in this society, media have the most influence on women. The models shown in the advertisements makes us believe to have an "ideal" body like them. Some of the stereotypes of the "ideal" body are:
- Be tall; look as thin as you can.
- And, if you are thin, you'll look beautiful
Media promotes the shape of "ideal" woman which is unrealistically thin. Many adolescent girls follow this trend of "ideal" body shape and end up getting eating disorders.
Here is the video:
Questions to be discussed:
- Do you think this video is exaggerated or it's giving us some serious message?
- How do you define an "ideal" body? Do you know anyone who has diet problems or eating disorders because they have been influenced by these models? What about the students at KCI?
- Do you think media is always successful in gaining attention of women all over the world by portraying such models?
- Why is it always women who are displayed as "models" and not men? How can you compare men and women according to media's effect on them?
I completely agree to what Prutha has stated in her blog. Media can’t be trusted completely. People must start using their own common sense. When we carefully looked at the models in the video, they all looked similar to the beggars who never have enough food are dying because of malnutrition and ultimate shrinking and thinning of body. The video does give all the viewers a serious message that no matter how much the media concentrates on thinness of women’s figure, people must learn to ignore it and start using their own consciousness to think what is wrong and what is right.
ReplyDeleteActually in my opinion the term “ideal body” should not exist at all. Every human is different from another and no matter how hard we try we can’t be same as others. Hence trying to be like others will actually make us loose our own identity.
Media actually has been quiet successful in gaining attention of women all across the world by portraying such thin bony models. But this fact must also be considered that now a days awareness has indeed been created among young women in developed countries that they no longer go after the “size 0” trend. They have indeed learned to be happy at what they are and trying to be normal neither too skinny nor too obese.
It is always women who are displayed as models and not men because women are the supposed to be the one who are more health conscious than men. And as the women are supposed to be the ones who buy the magazines more, media has attracted them more. Hence by this we can clearly say that the effect of media on women is more than men.
I do agree with Rakesh's comment that media makes women an easy target for their advertising. Women are definitely more vulnerable to such messages. This is because women have always been objectified whether it is in media or in a household. Most of the time, we see that a man falls in love with a girl because of her beauty. How many times have we seen a romantic film in which the girl is "not pretty" or the guy is not charming? The answer is not a lot of them. This creates an impact on girls and guys mind that they need to look pretty in order to have their happily ever after. Then they look at these advertisements showcasing different products to enhance their beauty so they fall for it.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to comment that media also influences male populations. Guys keep it more hidden than girls but most guys also wishes to be masculine in the same way as every girl wants to be beautiful. Everone tries to fit in. However, the main concern is who decides what these ideal imaages are?
We have given media a great amount of power to shape us according to their beliefs. We need to stop and think before falling prey to such advertisements.
There is no such idea about perfect ideal size. Everyone’s body is different and gradually individuals are understanding it as well through education. I think it is about education and providing society with relevant information so that they can make educated choices on their own.
I disagree with what Rakesh has commented about how girls today are satisfied with the body they have. In today's society, women are more concerned about their body by seeing advertisements, magazines, and all the things which show the "world of glamour". It is shown in the video that many famous people died because of eating disorders and they were influenced to become models, and it's true. This is the issue all over the world and not only in North America. I have a friend in India who's on diet because she wants an "ideal" body shape as defined in the video. When I look at her pictures now, she looks dead and looks undernourished. So, it's true that "media has the power to shape us".
ReplyDeleteSo, Gurpreet, how many guys have you seen who are influenced by media in comparison to girls? In my opinion, you cannot actually compare because there's a huge difference.
Clarifying back to my point what I stated earlier; I meant that women in developed countries where media has been influencing for a really long time, some awareness has been created within them so that they don’t kill themselves trying to gain the so called “ideal body”. And if we look at the developing countries where the world of glamour has been recently introduced, women are indeed killing themselves off to get into the size and figure they want.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do agree with Prutha and disagree with Gurpreet that comparatively, men are not influenced by media in comparison to women. There indeed exists a huge difference between the statistics of men versus women regarding the effect media has created.
I disagree with Prutha because as I stated earlier that guys are also influenced my media and want a specific masculine body image. It is just simply because they are able to better hide their emotions. Of course there is a huge difference but that does not mean that guys are not influenced by media. When you look at magazines you do see shirtless men showing off their six-packs. This leads guys to the gym. Media affects guys in a different way than women.
ReplyDeleteThe advertisements especially beauty products for women are advertised more and that can probably lead you to believe that media affects women on a large scale. This can also be because women come out and say that they want certain body-image whereas guys do not.
I do agree that there is a huge difference simply because men keep it more hidden but it would be incorrect to say that guys are not influenced by media.
Men or Women I think both are influenced by what the media portrays. We have all done it before looked in the mirror and wished we were slightly different. Where do these ideas come from? obviously the media. It about being that one popular kid that one beautiful person because what the media tells us that’s exactly what we imply. I don’t like how the media portrays beautiful as skinny, tall, or having high cheek bones. I believe everyone is unique in their own way. If you look at today’s society most young teens are going through a hard time trying to figure them out. Most young teens hit mental disorders because they are neglecting their body with proper food and nutrition. They want to look a certain way so they can fit in, and they are willing to do anything to hurt them.
ReplyDeletePeople need to be more aware of the fact that what is being shown on TV is not real. What gets more young teenagers influenced or wanting to follow these trends because they don’t want to get bullied at school or feel left out. If you look at this we, actually make these decisions of whats “beauty” and whats not. We tend to judge ourselves and others according to their appearances. I think this should change, if we continue to do this then more and more people will only suffer and nothing will be fixed.
Since the beginning of time, people have been searching for the ideal body. The Venus de Milo and the David (Michelangelo) are examples of people’s ideas of ideal body types. These are people’s ideas to what is considered to be beautiful but what makes it dangerous is the fact that people are trying to follow these certain ideas. For example in the fashion industry, designers think of ideas to what they think is beautiful. When they establish it within society, people take it the wrong day and try to follow it. I believe the term “ideal body” is an idea that no one should try to follow as it is unattainable. But just like Rakesh had mentioned, women all over the world try to follow these ideals. Some believe that large breasts and plump bottoms are beautiful that some may do plastic surgery. Some believe being voluptuous and fat is beautiful, so they eat plenty. But I have to disagree that women in general are aware and that they are happy with themselves. For myself, I am happy and comfortable with my body type. I can say that I am comfortable with myself but sometimes I am not happy with it and sometimes there are certain things that I wish that I could change. I believe that it has to do with how I was brought up and how I perceive things to be. I also think that it depends on what the society perceives society to be. I also agree with Gurpreet on women’s vulnerability when it comes to beauty and as well as that men too are influenced by the media. It is true that it isn’t as much as women, but some are influenced. For example, how many times do men watch tv? They watch sports games, ads as well as tv shows that often encourage things such as being very masculine. There are hardly any shows showing men being vulnerable. There are some males out there who are starving themselves because they think they not as cool or as toned as other men. Some also view ads in a way that they try to compete with. For example, when some guys say “I can do that" or “I can do better than him” kind of shows that they too are affected by the media.
ReplyDeleteI still disagree with what Gurpreet K has commented. Okay, emotions is not at all RELATED to this topic. So, you can't compare emotions with the influence by media.
ReplyDeleteRakesh, I agree with what you said about developing countries. As I have come from a developing country, the world of glamour has been recently introduced. So, probably that's the reason why we get to see more people with eating disorders.
As Gurpreet F said that many teens face mental disorders in today's society. It's true because teen girls have become very conscious with what they wear and how they look. There's a huge competition. They always compare themselves with people who just "look" beautiful and wish to be like them.
Yes, men are influenced by media but not as much as women are.
I disagree with what Diane has stated about " it has to do with how I was brought up and how I perceive things to be". It has nothing to do with your religion or how you have been brought up. It depends on your surroundings, meaning where you spend your day and with whom. But media contributes the most.
I think that this is definitely trying to convey a serious message. I think that this video is kind of sad actually. I, myself have been told I was too skinny. And to be honest, I could care less of what people think. I also think that on the other hand people have no right to comment on the way someone looks because they do not know what is going on in their lives. Like me for example, I was just born this way. I eat A LOT and still gain no weight so that is not my fault. And for someone to comment on my body is just ridiculous. However, as we all know women are more emotional and take things more seriously than men. Therefore, we would be more emotionally hurt my people's comments.
ReplyDeleteAs for media, it is most definitely the biggest contribution to how women portray themselves. Nowadays people, especially young people, in society watch way to much television, movies, music videos etc. Like this video shows, the only women in the pictures and ads are ones who are photo shopped and skinny. But I have a question to pose...why is it that we all know what the media is trying to do but us women still try to act and look like people from the media? I don't get it.
Of course emotion is connected to this topic. If we don't have emotions and don't want to look better then all the companies will be shut down. It is noticeable that when companies advertise their products they are appealing to our emotions and what we need to do to look better. If we don't have emotions and don't care about our looks then there won't be any point to advertising about products that people are not going to use to look better and feel more confident.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alysha that we when are well aware of media's objectives then why are we still falling for them? It might be because everybody wants to boost up their confidence and "fit-in" in society.
We all know media's objectives, still we fall for it. It's may be because the way media present themselves, just force us to go behind them. In present society, even brand named clothes carry a status! So, if media didn't present themselves in an attractive manner then no one will go for it.
ReplyDeleteFor example, clothes look pretty when they are on banners or the brochures which we receive at home. But, when we go to buy them and wear it ourselves, it isn't that attractive ! Similarly, adolescents who are influenced by media might think that they'll look similar to the models presented, but in reality, some of them won't look good. So, I think presentation can be one of the factors.
I completely agree with Gurpreet, emotions have everything to do with this topic. Emotions are what drives us to do the things we do. If someone didn't care about how thin the model on the cover of Vogue was, then they wouldn't starve themselves. I also agree with Diane that it has to do with the way you were brought up. I feel that if a person grew up in a household with parents that taught you strength and self-esteem then you would be less vulnerable to the influence of media.
ReplyDeleteI think the "ideal body" is abody that someone is comfortable with. Everyone has a different opinion of what beautiful is. If your healthy and happy then you have the "ideal body".
It might not be as apparent in society, but media has just as much influence on men as it does women. When you go to the check-out at shoppers you still have a shirtless man on the cover of Men's Health. Men feel the "pressures" of the media also. Media might influence more women (population wise) but its affect on men can be just as severe in terms of the personal affects. Its unfair for you to say the media affects women more then men.
Just to clarify to Prutha on what I had said about how I saw myself was from how I was brought up, I do believe that the media has a big influence on how a person perceive one’s self. But my main point was that even though I see these things, it's totally up to me whether or not I will follow them. My values are the things that shape up my life and that is what influences how I perceive things. It’s just for some people, they use the media to compare one’s self to what they think is beautiful or not. For me, I know that I am not that type of person as my values that I grew up with seems more realistic to me.
ReplyDeleteI also like the point that had Ashleigh brought up. An Ideal body is something that someone can say that they are healthy and happy. This should be the mindset of everybody. I think that there should be more to promote these positive outlooks. But in contrast to that I believe in, it's just business. Everything in our lives and in the media is just business. Like Prutha had mentioned, brand names even carry a status. From the type of clothes you wear to the brand of water you drink, it is all for business. Money is clearly the most important thing here. It's just part of life and sometimes people have to stop and think of what is best for themselves.
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ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that many people fall prey to these falsehoods that spreads like fire throughout the world and becomes a trend. I personally believe that the best looking body is when we have the right amount of tissue and fat covering our bones. Neither is too little sufficient nor too much is healthy. I agree with Dian that we have a mind to decide what is beneficial or harmful for us. If committing suicide became a trend, would everyone do that too? This is like committing suicide but a more torturous and slow death!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ashleigh and Gurpreet. Emotions have a lot to play on this topic. If a person doesn’t feel confident about themselves, they follow the trend they see on the TV to make themselves feel “better” about them. This may give them confidence to come out in the public.
ReplyDeleteMen are also influenced equally as women. Like Ashleigh mentioned about the Men’s Health cover page. They also have their idealistic figure which they try to maintain. Let me mention, not ALL males feel that way about their body. Agreeing with Dianne, it also depends on the way a person is brought up. When I was small, I always saw my mom put on makeup on special occasions. As I grew older, she enforced that I should also use makeup when attending special occasions but it really doesn’t make a difference to me. It’s just the way I look at myself. I don’t think makeup defines someone’s beauty. It really depends on the individual how much they let media affect their lifestyle.
Forgetting about media, family, friends, and other influences, it’s the inside that counts more than the outside. A person’s beauty is defined by their inner self than their outer self!
It’s Sageena! There’s a lot I have to read and catch up on, so bear with me as I go through what I agree and disagree with.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to know why everyone is blaming the media. The media is not person/persons that can do anything to mankind. It’s the people behind the media that we should blame. Also, if we follow what the media portrays as “ideal,” we are the ones to blame. It just means we can’t think for ourselves. Celebrities themselves aren’t even “ideal”. They wear a lot of makeup; go on crazy diets, etc. Magazines are Photoshop like crazy; I wouldn’t be surprised if “photoshoping” people a new profession of the 21st century. I also heard somewhere that the reason thin women are used on runways is because they use “less” materials. This of course, is completely ridiculous. What do you think? Is this a good reason?
The definition of beauty is always changing. I was watching a documentary one day, and it described the body image of an “ideal” woman is like a roller coaster ride. Before the 1900’s, women who were voluptuous were considered ideal. Between 1920’s-1930’s (I think sometime around this time), “thin was in”. People behind the media in the 1950’s portrayed voluptuous women as beautiful again. They were voluptuous because that meant they were rich and powerful. In the 21st century, thin is the new beautiful again. I wouldn’t be surprised if 50 years from now, voluptuous women are considered the “ideal” woman again. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe (1950’s) and someone like Lindsay Lohan (today) would probably be “cussing” each other on what is the “ideal” body for a woman!
@ Prutha: There are male models as well. As many people already mentioned, men are less influenced by the covers on magazines and the shows that they watch.
@Rakesh: Women are supposed to be more health conscious? It sounds as if you telling women what they are supposed to be like! If you aren’t saying this, then please re-phrase.
@ Alysha: I agree that people shouldn’t comment on how others look, because they themselves are uncomfortable with there own body, and people who make comments on someone else is being hypocritical. EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING THEY DON’T LIKE ABOUT THEMSELVES. We just have to learn to deal with it!
Well, I don't want to move in circle, and keep on talking about the same thing again and again. It depends on how people think ! My thoughts are different from what you people think, and no one can change that.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that thin women are used because they use "less" materials. It made me laugh and it sounds ridiculous at the same time. I completely agree with Ashleigh on the definition of an "ideal" body.
Also Heli pointed out the right thing that inner beauty matters than the outer look.
Hey Sageena, I indeed said that women are supposed to be health conscious. Regarding this topic, we are not only talking about women in developed countries, but are talking about women in developing and underdeveloped countries. I think even you would agree to me that women’s population in the developed countries is far less than the women in developing and underdeveloped countries. Overall in the world, majority of women are housewife which makes them the typical magazine readers in free time. So as they are thought to have more leisure time than men, they are expected to be influenced by media so much that they try to be what the models in magazine and advertisement are.
ReplyDelete@Rakesh: I disagree with this comment you bring forth to the blog. I don’t think that women are “supposed” to be more health conscious. We choose who we want to be and don’t want to be. It’s unfair that guys place limitations on women, because we don’t go around limiting men’s abilities to achieve and become successful. I do agree with you that there are less women in developed countries than in developing and undeveloped, but these people are not exposed to the media as developed countries are. How many undeveloped countries do you see with a magazines, televisions, internet, etc? With this said, I don’t agree that women are “supposed” to be more health conscious because they have “leisure” time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sageena that women are supposed to be more health conscious because they have more leisure time. Staying at home does not mean that women have no work to do instead I think that stay-at-home-mothers and wives do more work than a mean does at his workplace. Managing home, take care of the children and the husband is a tough job, believe me or not. Even now, in developing countries women have started to work and same time manages their family.
ReplyDelete@Sageena: I wouldn’t be surprise that in the near future having a little bit of a belly would be the trend. I agree that we should be ones to be blame because we are the ones encouraging this idea of the ideal body image. I mean, why you think this trend of “ideal body image” changes, it because we change our views on what is ideal body size and what is not.
@Ashleigh: I agree with the definition that if you are health and happy with what you are that is “ideal body”. If you are happy and love yourself then your confidence and beauty is visible to the people around you.
@Alysha: I agree people will comment about everything it depends on us what we should take in and what should we ignore. Also it makes me think that when we are aware that these women in the magazine and TV shows don’t really look like that in real life, then why we still try to become like them.
Wow a mind blowing video, i think the media in its self is a big factor of putting these pictures in our mind i think the reason for that is because they want to put their brand on these models so they show or portray them as models, but this video in my opinion gave me a serious message and showed me that the way women are portrayed in media changes a lot of lives and most women want to be like those women. But wanting to be like one and becoming one is two different things.The reason men are not models like this is because us men have huge bones and these bones wont be as small as shown in the video . Most women who try to look like these women will have a very hard time, and in my opinion women are better to be a little healthy instead of being boney.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I strongly think this video is giving people serious messages, because everyday more and more girls feel depressed about their physics state and highly consider suicide, disorders and prostitution. The video shows an extremely large variety of cover's of popular magazines girls are interested in, but they all had one thing in common. The females shown do not depict the majority of females, instead the small amount that has this extreme ectomorphic body shape. I believe there is no such thing as the "ideal" body. This is because different cultures have different perceptions. What people think is attractive in western society may seem disgusting to people living in the east, and vice-verse. I do not know anyone that has diet problems or eating disorders, mostly because of my genetic traits. Nearly everybody in my family is ectomorphic. The Media is always successful in gaining attention of women all over the world by portraying such models, because now a days the majority of people own a TV, have Internet and other entertaining devices that constantly commercialize.
ReplyDeleteI think that media is a huge influence to many women, just by looking at many magazine covers, models and advertisements in a magazine or television makes a women wish that she would look exactly like that, but in real life women don't realize how the model would actually look in real life, for example during this summer I was told that there was an advertisement for hair which makes a women's hair permanently straight, so I thought that why not try it, but I never found the advertisement of me in a magazine until last month, and when I saw my picture I didn't even realize that it was me, unless if I looked at the clothing to know that, yes that was me advertising that ad because of the amount of make up they put on my face and the way they made me look it was hard for even my parents to identify if that girl was me. Also, Ashleigh had mentioned Men's Health, men do get influenced by media because men always want to maintain a type of body and by looking at a man on a magazine would want them to maintain that sort of body, women should be happy with the way they look because inner beauty is what really counts not what is shown on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shraddha, Soonho, and Prina.
ReplyDeleteAt Shraddha, it's true that women do more work at home by staying at home. It's not easy.
At Soonho, agreed that some people might think that being thin is beautiful while other people think that it's ugly ! That's why there are stereotypes about everything all over the world.
At Prina, I know that modelling for magazines or any media related work, they change your whole identity and make it difficult to identify yourself. They photoshop your pictures and use all software to makes it look beautiful. This is the reason why women become a prey of these glamorous things.