Media

In yesterday’s class discussion we talked about the hit television show Ugly Betty and the Beauty Myth. Right away there was debate and tension regarding how the media portrays women, and how that affects body image. Many of the females in class made it a point that the bone thin models in magazines cause young girls and women to feel insecure about their bodies, which can possibly lead to eating disorders or an unhealthy image of their bodies. I agree that current media and print advertisement are contributing factors to the modern day idea of a “beautiful” woman, but I feel as though media has become an excuse for people to point their problems to. I will admit that the images of beautiful models and celebrities create insecurities, but what people have to realize is that what is projected by the media isn’t the real world. The argument is then that people try and achieve what they see through the media, consequently making the models images become a part of reality. Victoria’s Secret is an example of what the media portrays to give the idea of what sexy and beautiful is. The company chooses those women because appeals to what women and men want from what they buy. If Victoria’s Secret chose normal to average woman, the appeal would be lost because woman want to feel as beautiful as the models. It is a difficult issue to deal with because it is a personal choice of how much you buy into what the media projects. With the increase of skinny models and celebrities I do feel that there has been a change in how we define beautiful, but the media is not the only factor responsible.