Portrayal of Women in the Media

Vedika Rai

Andrea RioloReanna Aikawa

History of Women in Media 1920’s – The Victorian hourglass figure gave way to the

pencil thin flapper 1950’s -  A thin woman with large breast was seen as most

desirable

History-1960s By the 1960’s slenderness became the single most

important indicator of physical attractiveness following the arrival of British Super Model Twiggy

Playboy Magazine also promoted the slim body type as ideal between 1958-1979

History-1970-1980 1970-1980’s- There was an overall

increased emphasis on weight loss and body shape in the content of a popular women's magazine such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue

History-1990’s The ideal body type for women was slight

and slender but with a more athletic and toned look.

Jean Kilbourne’s Research “Advertising creates a mythical, mostly white

world in which people are rarely ugly, overweight, poor, struggling or disabled, either physically or mentally”

“Scientific studies and the most casual viewing yield the same conclusion: women are shown almost exclusively as housewives or sex objects”

“Many women internalize these stereotypes and learn their limitations, thus establishing a self-fulfilling prophecy”

The Impact of Media on Body Image

People all over the world use the media every day. Whether it's using a computer, watching TV, reading a newspaper, or listening to the radio, media is a way to communicate. However, media also plays a big role on body image and how teenagers perceive themselves.

•The average weight of a model is 23% lower than that of an average woman; 20 years ago, the differential was only about 8%.

•There is now a $33 billion diet industry that was non-existent 20 years ago

•In the last 25 years there has been a 60% increase in females shown purely as decorative/sex objects.

Statistics

Statistics Continued..• The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal

is naturally possessed by only 5% of females in the United States.

• In a recent survey by Teen People magazine, 27% of the girls felt that the media pressures them to have a perfect body.

• 69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of a perfect body shape.

Teen’s Body Image

How do you see yourself when looking in the mirror? Many teens worry about

how they look, "Am I too fat? Too skinny? Am I ugly, pretty or handsome?" 

Eating Disorders as a Result of Negative Body Image

Anorexia nervosa - People who intentionally starve themselves suffer from an eating disorder

Bulimia nervosa – People consume large amounts of food and then rid their bodies of the excess calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics or exercising obsessively.

Binge eating disorder - An illness that resembles bulimia. Like bulimia, the disorder is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled eating or binge eating

Eating disorders have increased 400% since 1970

Television shows promoting Plastic Surgery

The Swan -contestants undergo painful surgeries in pursuit of winning a beauty pageant

I Want a Famous Face- young adults get plastic surgery with the goal of looking more like a celebrity

Bridalplasty-12 engaged women who are competing for the wedding of their dreams and their dream plastic surgery procedure

Television shows promoting Plastic Surgery…..

Media and Plastic Surgery

Trends in Plastic Surgery

Solution-Media Watchdog Students, educators, parents, eating disorders

sufferers, and concerned consumers work to improve media messages about size, weight and beauty

Encourage companies and advertisers to send healthy media messages regarding body size and shape

Recognizing advertisements that send healthy body image messages, as well as pointing out advertisements that send negative body image messages

References Media and body image. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.southernct.edu/womenscenter/mediaandbodyimage2/ Eating disorder. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.pamf.org/teen/life/bodyimage/anorexia.html Timofeyev, A, & Sharff, K. (2002). Suicide. Retrieved from http://wso.williams.edu/~atimofey

/self_mutilation/Definition/What_isnt/suicide.html http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?author=28&profile Gerber, Robin., (2010) Beauty and Body Image in the Media. Media awareness Network.

(http://www.media-awareness.ca) Mask, L., & Blanchard, C. M. (2011). The protective role of general self-determination against ‘thin ideal’ media

exposure on women’s body image and eating-related concerns. Journal of Health Psychology, 16(3), 489-499. doi:10.1177/1359105310385367

SWAMI, V., TAYLOR, R., & CARVALHO, C. (2011). Body dissatisfaction assessed by the Photographic Figure Rating Scale is associated with sociocultural, personality, and media influences. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52(1), 57-63. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00836.x

Knobloch-Westerwick, S., & Romero, J. P. (2011). Body Ideals in the Media: Perceived Attainability and Social Comparison Choices. Media Psychology, 14(1), 27-48. doi:10.1080/15213269.2010.547833

www.surgery.org

www.media-awarness.ca/english