Synthesis Essay
Megan Garber
Professor Keltner
Composition 1
3 November 2013
The Ways Media Portrays Women Throughout today’s society, media contributes to almost everyone’s daily life. From informative news channels to comical television shows, media proves to be effective in advertisement, releasing messages and informing the audience. Although media proves to be wildly effective in advertising, releasing messages and informing the audience, periodically destructive and misleading messages are provided to the audience and directly influencing women. Cultural critics widely agree that media tends to negatively influence women and all the critics point to research which supports the belief that women are portrayed as subordinate to men, having no self control and having little self confidence in themselves. In addition, the media often identifies women as an object. Throughout media, women are hardly ever portrayed as the main focus or character in a television show, advertisement, cartoon or novel. Although media producers would avoid admitting to portraying women in such a way, Katha Pollitt in the “Smurfette Principle” clearly agrees and states; “I came across not a single network cartoon or puppet show starring a female” (545). Through the examples of various children’s television shows, Pollitt argues that women are minor to men and that even children are catching onto the media’s feminist ways. Pollitt then discusses what she calls the “smurfette principle” which is when a certain male character or group of men will be accented by a single woman character. Not only is Pollitt the only critic that agrees that women are hardly ever portrayed as the main focus or character, but scholar Carmen D. Siering takes a position on this topic as well. In Carmen D. Siering’s “Taking a Bite out of Twilight,” Siering uses an informative tone to discuss the feminist issue that evolves in the popular young adult novel Twilight. As Siering introduces the characters in her article
Professor Keltner
Composition 1
3 November 2013
The Ways Media Portrays Women Throughout today’s society, media contributes to almost everyone’s daily life. From informative news channels to comical television shows, media proves to be effective in advertisement, releasing messages and informing the audience. Although media proves to be wildly effective in advertising, releasing messages and informing the audience, periodically destructive and misleading messages are provided to the audience and directly influencing women. Cultural critics widely agree that media tends to negatively influence women and all the critics point to research which supports the belief that women are portrayed as subordinate to men, having no self control and having little self confidence in themselves. In addition, the media often identifies women as an object. Throughout media, women are hardly ever portrayed as the main focus or character in a television show, advertisement, cartoon or novel. Although media producers would avoid admitting to portraying women in such a way, Katha Pollitt in the “Smurfette Principle” clearly agrees and states; “I came across not a single network cartoon or puppet show starring a female” (545). Through the examples of various children’s television shows, Pollitt argues that women are minor to men and that even children are catching onto the media’s feminist ways. Pollitt then discusses what she calls the “smurfette principle” which is when a certain male character or group of men will be accented by a single woman character. Not only is Pollitt the only critic that agrees that women are hardly ever portrayed as the main focus or character, but scholar Carmen D. Siering takes a position on this topic as well. In Carmen D. Siering’s “Taking a Bite out of Twilight,” Siering uses an informative tone to discuss the feminist issue that evolves in the popular young adult novel Twilight. As Siering introduces the characters in her article
Cited: Blum, Virginia. “Love My Neighbors, Hate Myself: The Vicissitudes of Affect in Cosmetic Surgery.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 545-47. Print. Kilbourne, Jean. “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt”: Advertising and Violence.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 545-47. Print. O’Reilly, Julie. “The Wonder Woman Precedent: Female (Super) Heroism on Trial.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 545-47. Print. Pollitt, Katha. “The Smurfette Principle.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 545-47. Print. Siering, Carmen. “Taking a Bite out of Twilight.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 545-47. Print.