How Does Media Construct The Representation Of Body Types?
This essay will explore the construct that representation of body types is perpetuated in the media. It is said that current social ideologies are impacted by these powerful images and throughout this essay, examples will be cited to reinforce this theory.
One common consequence of the media’s representation of the body is that the audience (more particularly women) may turn to an eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder involves fasting; self-starvation; vomiting; fear of being overweight; an obsession with calories, nutrition and fat grams; and dieting, despite being thin. This is merely one of the ways in which the media impacts social ideologies of women and influence women’s perception of what constitutes the “perfect” physical body. Malson (1998)
The media has over the years set a standard of body type - curvaceous and thin for women, and lean and muscular for men, which the average citizen does not possess, and which has a tendency to cause these people to subconsciously aspire to be what the media portrays as “perfect”. This is exacerbated by the fact that the media is around them wherever they go and there is no form of escape. Wykes and Gunter (2005, pg 13) …show more content…
The reason for the show’s popularity is that people are able to relate to it in a personal way. The average person has, at some stage of his or her life experienced weight gain and the challenge of losing weight to live up to the expectations that the media creates. This serves as confirmation that the media is a powerful mechanism, which has the ability to influence and change the way people perceive themselves. It also has a significant impact on what is construed as “perfect” or what people should aspire to
One common consequence of the media’s representation of the body is that the audience (more particularly women) may turn to an eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder involves fasting; self-starvation; vomiting; fear of being overweight; an obsession with calories, nutrition and fat grams; and dieting, despite being thin. This is merely one of the ways in which the media impacts social ideologies of women and influence women’s perception of what constitutes the “perfect” physical body. Malson (1998)
The media has over the years set a standard of body type - curvaceous and thin for women, and lean and muscular for men, which the average citizen does not possess, and which has a tendency to cause these people to subconsciously aspire to be what the media portrays as “perfect”. This is exacerbated by the fact that the media is around them wherever they go and there is no form of escape. Wykes and Gunter (2005, pg 13) …show more content…
The reason for the show’s popularity is that people are able to relate to it in a personal way. The average person has, at some stage of his or her life experienced weight gain and the challenge of losing weight to live up to the expectations that the media creates. This serves as confirmation that the media is a powerful mechanism, which has the ability to influence and change the way people perceive themselves. It also has a significant impact on what is construed as “perfect” or what people should aspire to