How are women presented in the media?
Zara Calvin
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How would you like it if you woke up to an article with your name negatively plastered on front covers of magazines and news papers? This is the case for many females in the celebrity industry, who feel they are being watched in every aspect of their life. Some are shunned for what they choose to wear, others are sexualised on men magazine front covers, and what is being done about it. nothing!
Countless numbers of men have a picture of their ideal women: sensual ,tall, conventionally attractive ,curvy, tanned , big boobs you name it. These are all highly unattainable and yet are always published on front covers of magazines targeted at men. This has negative connotations towards females as it objectifies us and makes us feel like we are only valued for our bodies. Also there unrealistic beauty standards that are portrayed in the media, force women to feel like they have to conform to these stereotypes. This can lead to mental health problems such as eating disorders and anxiety. Is this the environment you want your mothers, sisters , daughters and nieces to grow up in ? To feel isolated from a world they should belong in. Through out the past couple of years I’ve been following the news report on Meghan Markle . At first I expected the articles to be filled with support and love for our new royal family member and sure some of them were but as I scrolled down they became really nasty and negative. I was appalled. A study found that from May 2018 more than double of the newspaper articles were negative than positive relating to Megan. 43 % of articles were negative, 20% were positive and 37% were neutral. The report also showed that when Prince Harry and Meghan opted for privacy , such as holding a private baptism for their baby,Archie or stepping back from royal duties, many people became outraged. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I was disappointed in England and its people for being so tone deaf and unsympathetic towards her. Can you imagine your whole world is tipped upside down and you have to learn to live this whole new life, give up on your acting career and become a duchess of Sussex all while the whole of England has it out for you. You’re bound to make mistakes but to have someone constantly watching you through a microscope and waiting for your next trip up must be nerve wracking and anxiety filled. She even bravely admitted how during this period of time she went through suicidal thoughts and still put on a smiley face for the cameras.And think of the countless other female celebrities out there feeling the same Taylor Swift, Florence Pugh, Millie Bobby Brown and way more. Being the role models women need in todays patriarchal society they are our support bubble helping to build a stronger, safer and sustainable world for the next generation of girls and proving that women are stronger than ever Women are constantly being scrutinised especially those who have made a success during their lives where as men are applauded for the same thing. For example when I was younger I picked up a magazine with Kylie Jenner’s face on it and I read that she was the top self made millionaire. Later that months reporters tried to claim she used her mum’s money to get her to where she is today. Theses accusations were ridiculous and are just another example of how females are treated in the media industry. On another daily mail report recently, the headline read “busting out again, is Camila Morrone sending ex Leo Dicaprio a message in another revealing outfit?” Which I thought just sounded ridiculous too. I didn’t understand why a women wearing a revealing outfit first motive needed to be directed at taking revenge on her former lover. Why couldn’t she just wear the dress because she liked it and because she felt good in it. Overall the representation of females all around the media spectrum can be toxic and manipulate peoples views on a situation. And in other cases women are made to be a symbols of sexualisation and object of mens affections. So next time you turn that page of a magazine or turn on the TV to find a headline of gossip think about how this is effecting a human being and that all human beings have feelings and are allowed to make mistake. |
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