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Beauty and Its Beast: The Dangers of the Misrepresentation of Women in Media

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Beauty and Its Beast: The Dangers of the Misrepresentation of Women in Media
ABSTRACT For decades, there has been an immense misrepresentation of women in media. The women that are seen in magazines, on TV and on the big screen are, for the most part, unusually tall, slender and flawless. Talent agents are forever pushing their clients to lose weight, stressing that if they dont, they wont be taken seriously in the entertainment and modeling industries. This view of women is not only inaccurate, but also serves as unjust to the American female population. This paper examines the effect of the medias misrepresentation on women, their self-esteem, and their body image. It aims to prove that if it wasnt for media, physical health and psychological issues pertaining to self-image amongst females in our society would not be as prevalent. This paper explores past studies conducted by accredited scholars, in addition to developed theories in the Communications field. The results of my own personal survey are also incorporated. INTRODUCTION In todays world, it is almost never that we see an average American woman represented in the Mass Media as a beauty ideal. In the 1950s, women looked up to famous figures like curvy-figured actress, Sophia Loren. In the 1960s, women looked up to such icons as Marilyn Monroe, who wore a size fourteen. Today, a size zero is depicted as the norm. This years winner of Americas Next Top Model was 19 year-old Ann Ward, who is 62 and has a waist so small that two human hands fit around it (Yes, it was done on an episode). The problem with this depiction is that it is widely unattainable and unrealistic. Still, females from teens to women older in age, turn to images in advertisements to define how they should look. This growing trend that the media fosters is very harmful to a womans self- image, as well as to her self-esteem and to her sound mental state. In the eyes of society, women like Pamela Anderson, Kate Moss and Victorias Secret model Adriana Lima are the epitome of perfection. What girl would not
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