Sunshine
Posts: 408 
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
December 1st, 2007, 10:13 AM
As I began to read the magazine, it became clear to me that there was a nice variety of articles. Although most of them were rather boring and unimportant (topics featured include “The Secret Lives of Men” on page 294 and “Wow, they were oscar dates?” on page 239) there was a small selection of pro-women articles, such as “Real Life Drama” (which features an Afghan woman forced to live as a man to feed her family on page 222) and “Global Diary” (an interview with a chinese female politician on page 216). Included in the selection were a few (2 to be exact) articles focused on body image and how it needed to be changed – a real life issue which I'll address shortly. The first to make an appearance was “Let's change the 'dream' body,” page 50 , which, for all intents and purposes, was a decent article about celebrities and their weight – or lack there of. What concerned me, however, was some of the claims – such as the appearance of fat women like America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) that are starting to make a comeback on TV. The Editer-in-Chief, the author, didn't mention that America was chosen for the role because she was big, and because she was less than perfect when it came to beauty. Afterall, she's supposed to play an ugly woman. The next article to be scrutinized was on page 306 with the catching title “How to stop punishing and start respecting your body” which also masquerades as a decent article. It addresses the real issue of body image and it's negative affects on women. However, what really bugged me about this one was it's bold claim that the fat women on the next page were normal. The only picture they had of a bigger woman was a medieval painting.
The overall image however, is that the articles are unimportant. The most controversial of the articles, the ones that were political and moving, were near the end of the magazine, where the reader is less likely to pay attention to them. They are hidden. When I flip through the magazine, certain pages pop out (through the use of thick paper, short paper, coloured paper – anything to grab attention) and these were nowhere near the interesting articles. Infact, when trying to find these articles, I had to go through the magazine three times before finally giving up and looking in the index for the page number (which is also hard to find, since half the pages aren't numbered). To add even more complication, the articles often start on one page, and end at the end of the magazine. So even if you do accidentally read one, it won't keep your attention for long. As you swing through page after page of ads, celebrity gossip and dieting tricks, you lose your focus, and the thing that peaked your interest to begin with is lost in the folds. When reading the highly interesting and heartbreaking story in “Real Life Drama,” I was attacked by an 8 page spread of age-defying advertisements right smack in the middle of a woman's rights controversy.
The advertisements work to ensure the reader, a woman, is feeling inferior and intimidated. Afterall, you can't sell a product if the customer feels they don't need it (Beauty and Body Image in the Media, 2007). The ads, the majority of which are about beauty and fashion, use skinny models, the female ideal, to promote an impossible idol for girls. The women shown are mostly caucasion and young, very very young. As discovered by MacKinnon and Moore, advertisements tell young girls and women to be sex objects (2001). They discovered that girls do in fact feel pressure from the media, and that they are in fact aware of it. They feel that the media is consumer driven, that “we construct, and are constructed by, the media.” (2001). It has been shown in a wide range of studies that the thin ideal is linked to depression and health problems, and that 90% of women are unhappy with their body – a serious cause of serious health problems (Body Image and the Media, 2007). The marketing gurus that dream up these ads have taken into account the uprise in feminism throughout the recent decades. They often use “pro-feminism” terms, such as “Do it for yourself” (Bordo, 2006). By simply flipping through the magazine I found several ads using the same scheme. “You have radiant skin, you just haven't discovered it” appears on page 115 in an Aveeno ad. Funny, I thought having radiant skin was a bad thing, like I'd just come out of a nuclear war zone or something. The photographs shown in the advertisments are often airbrushed and touched up (Dove, 2007). I flip through the glossy photos of the magazine and can't help but see Naomi Wolf's proclamation, “... we as women are trained to see ourselves as cheap imitations of fashion photographs, rather than seeing fashion photographs as cheap imitations of women...” (1997, p 105). It scares me, but it's true.
The magazine, using it's trashy articles as well as its images of lust, the advertisements, brainwash the reader into believing that they exist solely to please men. It's a harsh accusation, but the evidence is bountiful. In the study by MacKinnon and Moore, young girls no more than the age of 10, believed that girls can't dress the way they want to, they have to dress the way boys want them to (2001). By showing images of sexy celebrities, dressed to impress, and by using articles such as “Two steps to sexy!” the magazine ensures that the reader feels in order to be feminine, she must be beautiful and sexy. Advertisements such as the Nivea ad on page 175 feature a woman and a man, in love and happy, with the words “Touch and be Touched” at the bottem. It creates an illusion in which the reader feels that in order to be loved, she most be young, beautiful, sexy and submissive. In the words of John Berger: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only the relations of men to women, but the relation of women to themselves” (Wolf, 1997, p. 5
. This phenomenon is not present in only magazines, either. As found by Goodman, TV and movies enforce importance of a thing body as a measure of a woman's worth. It seems that fat men are okay and should be loved for who they are, but in order for women to be loved she must be beautiful. We as women are forced into the belief that we exist solely to please men. In a religious context, we saw this as Eve being born from Adam. A woman from a man, secondary, made of flesh not of God's image, a replica of a replica. It is this mindset that drives the media and the society it represents (Wolf, 1997). Women can be carved into whatever image man decides, and treated accordingly. It's common to hear, on a woman's crisis line, the words “What did I do wrong?” (Rape Relief, 2007). Why?
The beauty ideal promoted by magazines, including Glamour, encourage girls to dress like little vixons, prime targets for rape and abuse. MacKinnon and Moore discovered that girls had succumbed to the cultural ideal that women be submissive towards men, and that they should always appear sexy (2001). Bordo found that young girls are more likely to be raped by their close family, and that very few men were not affected by the advertisements of sexy young women (2006). Girls often see their own mothers dressing erotically to impress their fathers, and it's been proven time and again that girls find their mothers and peers more influential than any other source (Patnode, 2005, MacKinnon, Moore, 2001). By allowing ourselves to be manipulated by the magazine, by allowing the brainwashing to continue into our children's lives, we are allowing these young girls to be abused. The mission statement of Conde Nast Publications is to bring readers to what they call “the point of passion,” their method of advertising (2007). The campaign states that they want to create “[a] more engaged reader [and] a connection that drives culture [using] the most effective media-choice” (2007). Oh, it's effective alright. It's effective at creating depression in teens and promoting the rape of children. They are in fact driving culture, promotting the oppression of women through the more subtle means of beauty and weight control. Actually, it's more like mind control.
So what's the average age of Glamour readers again? Oh yeah, 33! The age of motherhood. Readers beware, this magazine is full of malicious tactics to brainwash it's victims into believing women are nothing more than expendable tools. It lures people in with it's promises of beauty and love, it's pictures of glorious women, but fails to provide a fair warning that it will lead to serious physical and mental health issues. Year after year it publishes the same type of content, never swerving from it's disastrous course, leaving nothing but destruction in it's wake. We are trapped in this media net.
I wrote this essay for an english project. It focuses on one particular magazine, but the ideas apply to all types of media. I would have written more, put in more evidence, etc. had I been without limits. It is incomplete in many ways. There are still many spelling mistakes and such, which have already been changed. I'd appreciate some comments 
The Glamour Project
I tried looking at this issue with no biases, no motives, and no idea of what to expect. My purpose was research, and my goal was to create a clear picture of the situation regarding Glamour magazine and it's effect on it's target audience. The magazine is intended for young women, with a median age of about 33, and is meant to “inspire” and “empower” readers (Condé Nast, 2007). However, a more thorough analysis of the magazine's content makes me wonder just what about it is supposed to inspire and empower me. With nothing more than elementary articles and flashy pictures of beautiful women, the magazine leaves me feeling drained, not empowered. My own response to it's content leaves me wondering: are we, as women, stuck inside some kind of media driven competition to be beautiful, thin, and sexy for men? Are we nothing more than mere sex objects, playthings to be manipulated into believing we should become sexy in order to stay feminine? It seems that this magazine, and many others like it (such as those owned by its parent company CondeNast, names such as Vogue and Vanity Fair ring a bell?), are part of a backlash against the feminist movement, a punishment for being bad. As I began to read the magazine, it became clear to me that there was a nice variety of articles. Although most of them were rather boring and unimportant (topics featured include “The Secret Lives of Men” on page 294 and “Wow, they were oscar dates?” on page 239) there was a small selection of pro-women articles, such as “Real Life Drama” (which features an Afghan woman forced to live as a man to feed her family on page 222) and “Global Diary” (an interview with a chinese female politician on page 216). Included in the selection were a few (2 to be exact) articles focused on body image and how it needed to be changed – a real life issue which I'll address shortly. The first to make an appearance was “Let's change the 'dream' body,” page 50 , which, for all intents and purposes, was a decent article about celebrities and their weight – or lack there of. What concerned me, however, was some of the claims – such as the appearance of fat women like America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) that are starting to make a comeback on TV. The Editer-in-Chief, the author, didn't mention that America was chosen for the role because she was big, and because she was less than perfect when it came to beauty. Afterall, she's supposed to play an ugly woman. The next article to be scrutinized was on page 306 with the catching title “How to stop punishing and start respecting your body” which also masquerades as a decent article. It addresses the real issue of body image and it's negative affects on women. However, what really bugged me about this one was it's bold claim that the fat women on the next page were normal. The only picture they had of a bigger woman was a medieval painting.
The overall image however, is that the articles are unimportant. The most controversial of the articles, the ones that were political and moving, were near the end of the magazine, where the reader is less likely to pay attention to them. They are hidden. When I flip through the magazine, certain pages pop out (through the use of thick paper, short paper, coloured paper – anything to grab attention) and these were nowhere near the interesting articles. Infact, when trying to find these articles, I had to go through the magazine three times before finally giving up and looking in the index for the page number (which is also hard to find, since half the pages aren't numbered). To add even more complication, the articles often start on one page, and end at the end of the magazine. So even if you do accidentally read one, it won't keep your attention for long. As you swing through page after page of ads, celebrity gossip and dieting tricks, you lose your focus, and the thing that peaked your interest to begin with is lost in the folds. When reading the highly interesting and heartbreaking story in “Real Life Drama,” I was attacked by an 8 page spread of age-defying advertisements right smack in the middle of a woman's rights controversy.
The advertisements work to ensure the reader, a woman, is feeling inferior and intimidated. Afterall, you can't sell a product if the customer feels they don't need it (Beauty and Body Image in the Media, 2007). The ads, the majority of which are about beauty and fashion, use skinny models, the female ideal, to promote an impossible idol for girls. The women shown are mostly caucasion and young, very very young. As discovered by MacKinnon and Moore, advertisements tell young girls and women to be sex objects (2001). They discovered that girls do in fact feel pressure from the media, and that they are in fact aware of it. They feel that the media is consumer driven, that “we construct, and are constructed by, the media.” (2001). It has been shown in a wide range of studies that the thin ideal is linked to depression and health problems, and that 90% of women are unhappy with their body – a serious cause of serious health problems (Body Image and the Media, 2007). The marketing gurus that dream up these ads have taken into account the uprise in feminism throughout the recent decades. They often use “pro-feminism” terms, such as “Do it for yourself” (Bordo, 2006). By simply flipping through the magazine I found several ads using the same scheme. “You have radiant skin, you just haven't discovered it” appears on page 115 in an Aveeno ad. Funny, I thought having radiant skin was a bad thing, like I'd just come out of a nuclear war zone or something. The photographs shown in the advertisments are often airbrushed and touched up (Dove, 2007). I flip through the glossy photos of the magazine and can't help but see Naomi Wolf's proclamation, “... we as women are trained to see ourselves as cheap imitations of fashion photographs, rather than seeing fashion photographs as cheap imitations of women...” (1997, p 105). It scares me, but it's true.
The magazine, using it's trashy articles as well as its images of lust, the advertisements, brainwash the reader into believing that they exist solely to please men. It's a harsh accusation, but the evidence is bountiful. In the study by MacKinnon and Moore, young girls no more than the age of 10, believed that girls can't dress the way they want to, they have to dress the way boys want them to (2001). By showing images of sexy celebrities, dressed to impress, and by using articles such as “Two steps to sexy!” the magazine ensures that the reader feels in order to be feminine, she must be beautiful and sexy. Advertisements such as the Nivea ad on page 175 feature a woman and a man, in love and happy, with the words “Touch and be Touched” at the bottem. It creates an illusion in which the reader feels that in order to be loved, she most be young, beautiful, sexy and submissive. In the words of John Berger: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only the relations of men to women, but the relation of women to themselves” (Wolf, 1997, p. 5
. This phenomenon is not present in only magazines, either. As found by Goodman, TV and movies enforce importance of a thing body as a measure of a woman's worth. It seems that fat men are okay and should be loved for who they are, but in order for women to be loved she must be beautiful. We as women are forced into the belief that we exist solely to please men. In a religious context, we saw this as Eve being born from Adam. A woman from a man, secondary, made of flesh not of God's image, a replica of a replica. It is this mindset that drives the media and the society it represents (Wolf, 1997). Women can be carved into whatever image man decides, and treated accordingly. It's common to hear, on a woman's crisis line, the words “What did I do wrong?” (Rape Relief, 2007). Why?The beauty ideal promoted by magazines, including Glamour, encourage girls to dress like little vixons, prime targets for rape and abuse. MacKinnon and Moore discovered that girls had succumbed to the cultural ideal that women be submissive towards men, and that they should always appear sexy (2001). Bordo found that young girls are more likely to be raped by their close family, and that very few men were not affected by the advertisements of sexy young women (2006). Girls often see their own mothers dressing erotically to impress their fathers, and it's been proven time and again that girls find their mothers and peers more influential than any other source (Patnode, 2005, MacKinnon, Moore, 2001). By allowing ourselves to be manipulated by the magazine, by allowing the brainwashing to continue into our children's lives, we are allowing these young girls to be abused. The mission statement of Conde Nast Publications is to bring readers to what they call “the point of passion,” their method of advertising (2007). The campaign states that they want to create “[a] more engaged reader [and] a connection that drives culture [using] the most effective media-choice” (2007). Oh, it's effective alright. It's effective at creating depression in teens and promoting the rape of children. They are in fact driving culture, promotting the oppression of women through the more subtle means of beauty and weight control. Actually, it's more like mind control.
So what's the average age of Glamour readers again? Oh yeah, 33! The age of motherhood. Readers beware, this magazine is full of malicious tactics to brainwash it's victims into believing women are nothing more than expendable tools. It lures people in with it's promises of beauty and love, it's pictures of glorious women, but fails to provide a fair warning that it will lead to serious physical and mental health issues. Year after year it publishes the same type of content, never swerving from it's disastrous course, leaving nothing but destruction in it's wake. We are trapped in this media net.
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 8,422
Videos: 1
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
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Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 1st, 2007, 10:35 AM
I liked your essay, it had good flow for ease of read, stuffed with observations and facts and peppered with questions. I was able to build a good mental picture of the physical layout of the magazine and the associated problems. 53 out of 60 There's a book or two in you Amber.
I liked your essay, it had good flow for ease of read, stuffed with observations and facts and peppered with questions. I was able to build a good mental picture of the physical layout of the magazine and the associated problems. 53 out of 60
There's a book or two in you Amber.
Time Out
Posts: 415 
Videos: 3
Videos: 3
December 1st, 2007, 11:05 AM
I have just a couple of questions. Do you buy Glamour Magazine regularly? Do you subscribe to the magazine? If so, why do you buy it?
Your essay talks a lot about how women are being "forced" to be submissive, to put all of their energies into being appealing, etcetera. You suggest that media, and magazines like Glamour, in particular, are the primary weapons in this repression of women. I'm just curious about who is forcing you to buy this magazine and other similar magazines? Is it not plausible that women have a natural lust for love, affection, attention, whatever? Is it not plausible that magazines like Glamour just feed a part of the female psyche that is just naturally there?
Even cavewomen wore makeup. Women belonging to African tribes with little to no exposure to Western Society pierce their ears, noses, and paint their faces. They didn't learn this through media. So I think your logic is flawed, but that's ok. It's an English project, right?
I have just a couple of questions. Do you buy Glamour Magazine regularly? Do you subscribe to the magazine? If so, why do you buy it?
Your essay talks a lot about how women are being "forced" to be submissive, to put all of their energies into being appealing, etcetera. You suggest that media, and magazines like Glamour, in particular, are the primary weapons in this repression of women. I'm just curious about who is forcing you to buy this magazine and other similar magazines? Is it not plausible that women have a natural lust for love, affection, attention, whatever? Is it not plausible that magazines like Glamour just feed a part of the female psyche that is just naturally there?
Even cavewomen wore makeup. Women belonging to African tribes with little to no exposure to Western Society pierce their ears, noses, and paint their faces. They didn't learn this through media. So I think your logic is flawed, but that's ok. It's an English project, right?
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 8,422
Videos: 1
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Videos: 1
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 1st, 2007, 11:22 AM
Quoting warrior_won
Excellent observation Warrior, she could do the next essay from an anthropological perspective, it would be revealing. I noticed a piece of the book of enoch the other day that ascribed the art of painting the eyes to a particular angle of god.
I have just a couple of questions. Do you buy Glamour Magazine regularly? Do you subscribe to the magazine? If so, why do you buy it?
Your essay talks a lot about how women are being "forced" to be submissive, to put all of their energies into being appealing, etcetera. You suggest that media, and magazines like Glamour, in particular, are the primary weapons in this repression of women. I'm just curious about who is forcing you to buy this magazine and other similar magazines? Is it not plausible that women have a natural lust for love, affection, attention, whatever? Is it not plausible that magazines like Glamour just feed a part of the female psyche that is just naturally there?
Even cavewomen wore makeup. Women belonging to African tribes with little to no exposure to Western Society pierce their ears, noses, and paint their faces. They didn't learn this through media. So I think your logic is flawed, but that's ok. It's an English project, right?
Your essay talks a lot about how women are being "forced" to be submissive, to put all of their energies into being appealing, etcetera. You suggest that media, and magazines like Glamour, in particular, are the primary weapons in this repression of women. I'm just curious about who is forcing you to buy this magazine and other similar magazines? Is it not plausible that women have a natural lust for love, affection, attention, whatever? Is it not plausible that magazines like Glamour just feed a part of the female psyche that is just naturally there?
Even cavewomen wore makeup. Women belonging to African tribes with little to no exposure to Western Society pierce their ears, noses, and paint their faces. They didn't learn this through media. So I think your logic is flawed, but that's ok. It's an English project, right?
Time Out
Posts: 415
Videos: 3
Videos: 3
December 1st, 2007, 11:58 AM
Regardless, she is doing an English project. I expect she will be graded more on style and ability to communicate effectively an idea, as opposed to the validity of the idea itself. Which is sort of ironic, given the subject matter.
Quoting darkbeaver
I actually disagree with the premise of her thesis. I believe that the opposite to what she suggests has occurred. Women of Western Society actually take personal beauty to a lesser extreme than those of their less advanced counterparts. I'm thinking specifically of women in underdeveloped portions of the world.
Excellent observation Warrior, she could do the next essay from an anthropological perspective, it would be revealing. I noticed a piece of the book of enoch the other day that ascribed the art of painting the eyes to a particular angle of god.
Regardless, she is doing an English project. I expect she will be graded more on style and ability to communicate effectively an idea, as opposed to the validity of the idea itself. Which is sort of ironic, given the subject matter.
Sunshine
Posts: 408
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
December 1st, 2007, 05:43 PM
I was forced to write about the subject, alas. No I do not buy the magazine, it was given to me. I do believe some of the things I wrote - do enough research and so would you. It isn't just about makeup, it's about being thin, being young, being the "maiden." Most people feel, when they are young, that to age is bad, and this is especially so for women. We are told that to be old is to be useless. I've talked to many women about aging, and a lot of them feel that the older they get, the less beautiful they feel, and feel they will become victims of cheating and abuse. When a man ages, he becomes distinguished and respected. When a woman ages, she becomes asexual, old, motherlike but not sexy. Do you see middle-aged women stripping, in porn, in billboard ads, as models? Not very often.
Girls are taught that to be feminine means being sexy. When I was a kid I thought that, and ended up being abused. You often hear pedophiles claiming the kid "had it coming."
Makeup is simply one part of the problem, the subject needs books to be discussed properly. I can't write one unfortunately, as a student I simply have no time! hehe. But thank you for reading it
I was forced to write about the subject, alas. No I do not buy the magazine, it was given to me. I do believe some of the things I wrote - do enough research and so would you. It isn't just about makeup, it's about being thin, being young, being the "maiden." Most people feel, when they are young, that to age is bad, and this is especially so for women. We are told that to be old is to be useless. I've talked to many women about aging, and a lot of them feel that the older they get, the less beautiful they feel, and feel they will become victims of cheating and abuse. When a man ages, he becomes distinguished and respected. When a woman ages, she becomes asexual, old, motherlike but not sexy. Do you see middle-aged women stripping, in porn, in billboard ads, as models? Not very often.
Girls are taught that to be feminine means being sexy. When I was a kid I thought that, and ended up being abused. You often hear pedophiles claiming the kid "had it coming."
Makeup is simply one part of the problem, the subject needs books to be discussed properly. I can't write one unfortunately, as a student I simply have no time! hehe. But thank you for reading it
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 4,323
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
December 1st, 2007, 05:47 PM
``I'm thinking specifically of women in underdeveloped portions of the world.``
Actually, among Hispanics in the developing world, beauty pageants are far more culturally significant than they are in North America and Europe. Beauty pageant contestants are revered and have a far greater celebrity status as well.
Several of my female co-workers read Glamour and none would agree that it is exploitative or demeaning to women. Quite the contrary, they would say it enhances their lives and does the same for all women. In fact, of all the magazines that are passed on from worker to worker, Glamour is the most popular. And, just for balance, among the men in the work place, Maxim is the most popular. In my view, that magazine presents women in a more disagreeable light.
Gopherland is the most liberal of all places and generally sympathetic to feminist claims. But this is one topic that doesn't hold much water here as beauty is revered and not thought to be demeaning or unwanted.
While I accept that some may not view it that way, others say beauty is a gift and something to be cherished. The fact that there are so many more mags like Glamour and the like compared to the now disfavored Ms should bear that out.
``I'm thinking specifically of women in underdeveloped portions of the world.``
Actually, among Hispanics in the developing world, beauty pageants are far more culturally significant than they are in North America and Europe. Beauty pageant contestants are revered and have a far greater celebrity status as well.
Several of my female co-workers read Glamour and none would agree that it is exploitative or demeaning to women. Quite the contrary, they would say it enhances their lives and does the same for all women. In fact, of all the magazines that are passed on from worker to worker, Glamour is the most popular. And, just for balance, among the men in the work place, Maxim is the most popular. In my view, that magazine presents women in a more disagreeable light.
Gopherland is the most liberal of all places and generally sympathetic to feminist claims. But this is one topic that doesn't hold much water here as beauty is revered and not thought to be demeaning or unwanted.
While I accept that some may not view it that way, others say beauty is a gift and something to be cherished. The fact that there are so many more mags like Glamour and the like compared to the now disfavored Ms should bear that out.
Sunshine
Posts: 408
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
December 1st, 2007, 05:56 PM
Eh, I have no problem with beauty. It's true that some people are naturally more attractive than others, my only concern was the unconvincing layout of the magazine. If they want to be pro-women, they should act like it. Putting pictures of skinny girls in a fat-chick article is rather hypocritical, don't you think? And no, they weren't making fun of their thinness, they were calling them fat. I read the thing without any idea of what to expect, and I was horribly offended by some of the things inside it. I'm a fat chick, and it made me feel like **** to see nothing but grossly underweight models. I feel sorry for people that don't see the truth of it.
One other thing: We as society drive the media. I'm no stranger to that idea. My point is, when there's a problem with society, it is our job to fix it. I see this obsession with being thin and young a problem, and I wan't to change it.
Eh, I have no problem with beauty. It's true that some people are naturally more attractive than others, my only concern was the unconvincing layout of the magazine. If they want to be pro-women, they should act like it. Putting pictures of skinny girls in a fat-chick article is rather hypocritical, don't you think? And no, they weren't making fun of their thinness, they were calling them fat. I read the thing without any idea of what to expect, and I was horribly offended by some of the things inside it. I'm a fat chick, and it made me feel like **** to see nothing but grossly underweight models. I feel sorry for people that don't see the truth of it.
One other thing: We as society drive the media. I'm no stranger to that idea. My point is, when there's a problem with society, it is our job to fix it. I see this obsession with being thin and young a problem, and I wan't to change it.
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 4,323
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
December 1st, 2007, 06:25 PM
Amen to that.
For your project, if I may suggest, consider writing a segment on male sexual exploitation such as Tv's presentation of football players both in and out of uniform in the locker room or wherever, male near nudity in magazine ads, and other harmful projections:
While it is undoubtedly true that many female projections in American media are harmful, it is equally, if not more so, when they make projections of men. It has been reported that there are more deaths or illnesses arising from male weight cutting or use of steroids or from over-exertion in preparation for sports seasons. All this arises because young men are brainwashed into thinking that being strong and muscular is a desirable sign of masculinity when it is not necessarily so.
Keep in mind that while young women like yourself may be having conflicts with self image, most of you will be mothers some day. When that happens you will learn that your sons will have just as many, if not more, conflicts than will your daughters and that the false images they harbor will be unduly influenced by the media.
Amen to that.
For your project, if I may suggest, consider writing a segment on male sexual exploitation such as Tv's presentation of football players both in and out of uniform in the locker room or wherever, male near nudity in magazine ads, and other harmful projections:
While it is undoubtedly true that many female projections in American media are harmful, it is equally, if not more so, when they make projections of men. It has been reported that there are more deaths or illnesses arising from male weight cutting or use of steroids or from over-exertion in preparation for sports seasons. All this arises because young men are brainwashed into thinking that being strong and muscular is a desirable sign of masculinity when it is not necessarily so.
Keep in mind that while young women like yourself may be having conflicts with self image, most of you will be mothers some day. When that happens you will learn that your sons will have just as many, if not more, conflicts than will your daughters and that the false images they harbor will be unduly influenced by the media.
Sunshine
Posts: 408
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
December 1st, 2007, 06:48 PM
I'm aware of it, and I only wish I had had more time to discuss that problem as well. It's disgusting how much the media effects us all. I'm so thankful my hubby can see through the projections of "male masculinity." I, like him, do my best to ensure my loved ones are happy and healthy. There are dangers no matter what gender, age or ethnicity you are. I've seen far too many friends suffer with body image, men and women alike.
I'm aware of it, and I only wish I had had more time to discuss that problem as well. It's disgusting how much the media effects us all. I'm so thankful my hubby can see through the projections of "male masculinity." I, like him, do my best to ensure my loved ones are happy and healthy. There are dangers no matter what gender, age or ethnicity you are. I've seen far too many friends suffer with body image, men and women alike.
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 4,323
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
December 1st, 2007, 07:00 PM
``I've seen far too many friends suffer with body image, men and women alike.``
How true. As a former sports coach (men's baseball, women's softball) I have seen far too many young people harmed by these horrible projections. This is a problem that can easily be corrected and should have been solved a long time ago.
``I've seen far too many friends suffer with body image, men and women alike.``
How true. As a former sports coach (men's baseball, women's softball) I have seen far too many young people harmed by these horrible projections. This is a problem that can easily be corrected and should have been solved a long time ago.
Gobsmacked
Posts: 4,618
December 1st, 2007, 07:08 PM
You are so right Amber, it does indeed lie within our own responsibility to create a new perspective as a society.
There are a number of ways which we could do that. What products we buy for starters. Money unfortunately seems to speak the loudest, and the buying power we exert is what will likely drive the changes in many areas - media and advertising included. As long as we succumb to the temptation to purchase products that claim to make us look younger, slimmer, sexier, we will continue to fuel the machine that promotes these things.
Another thing we need to do is be aware of is what messages we're sending our kids - not just with the products we buy and use, but what we're allowing them to use their buying power for. What sorts of toys and games are they playing with? What habits and beliefs are we (unwittingly?) instilling that will frame future choices they make as adults?
Check out the graphics and characters on almost any computer game - on or off line. In real life, the women would for the most part, be freaks of nature. This is where the kids today are spending a good deal of their money, and where many parents will plonk down their hard earned cash to put something under the tree for their kids.
We really do need to use more thought in considering just how much power we as individuals have to re-define the values within our society. Myself included, btw.
You are so right Amber, it does indeed lie within our own responsibility to create a new perspective as a society.
There are a number of ways which we could do that. What products we buy for starters. Money unfortunately seems to speak the loudest, and the buying power we exert is what will likely drive the changes in many areas - media and advertising included. As long as we succumb to the temptation to purchase products that claim to make us look younger, slimmer, sexier, we will continue to fuel the machine that promotes these things.
Another thing we need to do is be aware of is what messages we're sending our kids - not just with the products we buy and use, but what we're allowing them to use their buying power for. What sorts of toys and games are they playing with? What habits and beliefs are we (unwittingly?) instilling that will frame future choices they make as adults?
Check out the graphics and characters on almost any computer game - on or off line. In real life, the women would for the most part, be freaks of nature. This is where the kids today are spending a good deal of their money, and where many parents will plonk down their hard earned cash to put something under the tree for their kids.
We really do need to use more thought in considering just how much power we as individuals have to re-define the values within our society. Myself included, btw.
Super Genius
Posts: 1,352
Location: Calgary
Location: Calgary
December 1st, 2007, 10:01 PM
Everyone, wants to look more attractive. I don't think people are going to stop buying beauty products. What I would like to see from the media is more images of beauty. There are larger woman that are beautiful. They have nice curves and pretty faces but these typically aren't the larger woman we see on TV or in advertisements.
My roommate who's also my ex was looking for dresses the other day and she commented that the dresses were hideous. They had no shape to them. This girl has nice cures and it is unfortunate that the fashion industry will not make clothes that suite her. The dresses at the plus size store were too big with not enough shape and the dresses at the other store were too small. I find it despicable that the fashion industry deliberately ignores woman of certain shapes.
I think that we can find beauty in many shapes ages and sizers and it is unfortunate that more people in creative fields do not have the skills to capture that beauty.
Everyone, wants to look more attractive. I don't think people are going to stop buying beauty products. What I would like to see from the media is more images of beauty. There are larger woman that are beautiful. They have nice curves and pretty faces but these typically aren't the larger woman we see on TV or in advertisements.
My roommate who's also my ex was looking for dresses the other day and she commented that the dresses were hideous. They had no shape to them. This girl has nice cures and it is unfortunate that the fashion industry will not make clothes that suite her. The dresses at the plus size store were too big with not enough shape and the dresses at the other store were too small. I find it despicable that the fashion industry deliberately ignores woman of certain shapes.
I think that we can find beauty in many shapes ages and sizers and it is unfortunate that more people in creative fields do not have the skills to capture that beauty.
A Mad Mulligan
Posts: 2,765
Videos: 3
Location: The Moonsine Cafe
Videos: 3
Location: The Moonsine Cafe
December 1st, 2007, 10:23 PM
I don't know about the populations ability to make change. I honestly think that we are so plugged in that we can't as a society unplug realistically. We are told what to want and we want it. We behave the way we do because we are told to. Doing what we are told to do ensures that we will at least be accepted by our peers and hopefully admired by them. To not conform is forbidden unless it is the rebelling that is established as alternative. Then it's just as conformist as being trendy. Outside of that, you are to be shunned. Not because you are a bad person but rather because you don't have enough money to consume what it is that shows you are conforming at least a little.
Tragic.
I don't know about the populations ability to make change. I honestly think that we are so plugged in that we can't as a society unplug realistically. We are told what to want and we want it. We behave the way we do because we are told to. Doing what we are told to do ensures that we will at least be accepted by our peers and hopefully admired by them. To not conform is forbidden unless it is the rebelling that is established as alternative. Then it's just as conformist as being trendy. Outside of that, you are to be shunned. Not because you are a bad person but rather because you don't have enough money to consume what it is that shows you are conforming at least a little.
Tragic.
Super Genius
Posts: 1,352
Location: Calgary
Location: Calgary
December 1st, 2007, 11:07 PM
Quoting Unforgiven
I think there is a bit of sad truth to what you say. A girl could shun someone because they weren't wearing the right brand names but are brand names more a sign of someone being high maintenance or wealth.
I don't know about the populations ability to make change. I honestly think that we are so plugged in that we can't as a society unplug realistically. We are told what to want and we want it. We behave the way we do because we are told to. Doing what we are told to do ensures that we will at least be accepted by our peers and hopefully admired by them. To not conform is forbidden unless it is the rebelling that is established as alternative. Then it's just as conformist as being trendy. Outside of that, you are to be shunned. Not because you are a bad person but rather because you don't have enough money to consume what it is that shows you are conforming at least a little.
Tragic.
Tragic.
Bright Spark
Posts: 476
Location: Zurich
Location: Zurich
December 2nd, 2007, 07:31 AM
Interesting. Nothing new. Liked the sexy photo of the 'fat chick'. Yes, youv'e clearly been brainwashed.
Men love to look at women, and women work so hard at exploiting men by this advantage that they end up exploiting themselves. The magazines are in it for the money, as are their advertisers. They exploit the women. Glamour does not exploit men directly because men don't buy it. Playboy exploits men.
I've picked up many women's magazines, generally in waiting rooms or a house where women live. There is a notable proponderance of colourful advertisements, more advertising than in the free papers that are financed by advertising alone. Therefore I posit that many women are literally buying the advertising.
When it comes to English per se the medium is the message. Your form or style, spelling and grammar, are all going to be criticized more than the intellectual content. You will soon find out what your teacher wants, and then you can feed it to her. Until then, it is hard to say whether you have a bitter and pointless rant, spell offensively, repeat yourself, or have excessively long paragraphs. Your teacher may pick on your punctuation.
You have a good point. I regret the attempt by the media to monopolize beauty by making millions of real women ugly. This is no favour to the men either, but a shame. Real women are beautiful, paper women are two dimensional, and real women that look like paper women are too often unhappy types.
Interesting. Nothing new. Liked the sexy photo of the 'fat chick'. Yes, youv'e clearly been brainwashed.
Men love to look at women, and women work so hard at exploiting men by this advantage that they end up exploiting themselves. The magazines are in it for the money, as are their advertisers. They exploit the women. Glamour does not exploit men directly because men don't buy it. Playboy exploits men.
I've picked up many women's magazines, generally in waiting rooms or a house where women live. There is a notable proponderance of colourful advertisements, more advertising than in the free papers that are financed by advertising alone. Therefore I posit that many women are literally buying the advertising.
When it comes to English per se the medium is the message. Your form or style, spelling and grammar, are all going to be criticized more than the intellectual content. You will soon find out what your teacher wants, and then you can feed it to her. Until then, it is hard to say whether you have a bitter and pointless rant, spell offensively, repeat yourself, or have excessively long paragraphs. Your teacher may pick on your punctuation.
You have a good point. I regret the attempt by the media to monopolize beauty by making millions of real women ugly. This is no favour to the men either, but a shame. Real women are beautiful, paper women are two dimensional, and real women that look like paper women are too often unhappy types.
