Deception of Beauty in the Mass Media Term Paper

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Beauty

Shaping up to Fit in"

This is a paper on the image of beauty produced by the mass media. 4 references are given.

In the 20th century the mass media has played a major role in advocating and propagating an ideology of female beauty. For the past few decades' fashion has passionately endorsed thinness to the point of emaciation to be the manifestation of true beauty and the mass media has been the tool used for disseminating this view. Dr. Allison Field, of Brigham and Women's Hospital is a strong advocate of the opinion that media influences are causing an increase in unhealthy practices including eating disorders amongst young women. One such example is that of Marne Greenberg, a victim of propaganda who fought with bulimia all through her teens. In her search for a new self-image Greenberg said, "It doesn't matter who you are, you always want to be that someone... The highest of expectations of someone you can't, or never will, be."[Salvatore, 1999].

Many sections of the media have now woken up to the detrimental effects of encouraging stereotypes through advertising products that link loss of weight to being sexy and sophisticated. As audience awareness and dissention grows many advertisers have found Bartos, author of "The Moving Target" to be correct in his assertion that they must, "understand that abolishing stereotypes really is an intelligent marketing decision." [Author not available, 2003(a)]

Thesis

When faced with the popularity of screen personas such as Helen Hunt, Calista Flockhart and, Kate Moss women inevitably associate success and emotional well being with a particular appearance- thin. Any variation of this ideal is condemned. Greenberg describes the peer pressure that can cause women to go to harmful lengths in their bid to conform. She describes how she became emaciated and was inflicted with gastric problems while "people who didn't know her thought she looked great.

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"[Salvatore, 1999] The association of 'diet' and fat-free' products with sex and romance emphasises the notion that it is the beautiful skinny woman who will get the handsome hunk. Indirectly consumers are encouraged to buy diet coke, Skippy peanut butter, Slim fast products if they want to change their overweight negative self-image to a positive socially correct and personally rewarding thin one. [Author not available, 2003(a)] Impressionable adolescents and teens and even mature but ordinary women suppress their natural physique and aspire to the more socially acceptable 'thin waif' look. As Dr. Fields explains that it is important for the media to "refrain from using the severely underweight models who are unhealthy and unrealistic role models for these young girls to have."[Salvatore, 1999] "The average North American woman is 5-foot four and 143 pounds, "and in her quest to be 5-foot ten, and 107 pounds"[Salvatore, 1999] she can cause damage to her body and psyche.

Literature Review

"Body and Soul: The Self -Image of Girls" an article in the "The Chronicle of Higher Education" describes with facts how the self-image of women and girls is directly linked to their self-esteem.[Author not available, 2003(b)] Numerous statistics have shown the influence of the media in sending out negative messages. The solution the article gives is to raise the self-esteem of girls through education programs, making them aware of health issues, media tactics, and the marketing behind the glamour. This can be done by teachers, institutions and parents.[Author not available, 2003(b)]

The article uses polls and research studies to prove that the body image of girls is affected by external factors such as advertising and magazines. His examples are revealing and shocking. He quotes a study of 4,294 network television commercials which revealed that 1 out of every 3.8 commercials sent….....

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