Analysis of the Representation of Women in Magazines
In this essay, I am going to analyse how girls and women are
represented in a range of magazines. Depending on the target
audience, the contents of the magazine differs. This essay will look
and describe the differences between the magazines and why they are
there. The age groups and magazines I will be examining are; teenage
with the magazine ‘Sneak,’ twenty something's with the magazine
‘Glamour,’ and middle aged with the magazine ‘Women’s Own.’ I will
give a general overview of each target audience and what is
represented.
I will begin with ‘Sneak’ and the target audience of teenagers.
Although aimed at teenagers, many eight and nine year olds read it as
it makes them feel older. It focuses mainly upon young music-related
celebrities. On the attached cover, (see figure 1,) it has a picture
of Britney and Usher. Britney is the ideological women, and this
passes subliminal messages to the reader that they must aspire to a
size 10 female who always wears make-up. This could be very
dangerous, as young girls could feel they have to conform to an
‘hourglass’ body shape which could lead to anorexia or bulimia. Usher
is many female teenagers fantasy. This could make girls think that if
men aren’t a replica of Usher then they aren’t good enough. Teenage
magazines also include; style and fashion tips, celebrity gossip, real
life stories, dating problems, boy pin-ups, quizzes, beauty care
adverts and star signs. Many teenagers feel pressured into keeping up
with the latest fashion ideas and season colours, but this can be very
expensive. This can cause problems between ...
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... group. The teenage ideology is to be a rich and
famous celebrity which is represented by Britney Spears. Many
teenagers see her as a role model and would like to become her as they
grow older. The twenty something’s ideology is to be rich with as
little effort as possible and this is represented through Paris
Hilton. With being the great granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the
owner of the Hilton hotels, she was born into wealth. Many young
women would like to be her; doing occasional modelling and being rich
enough to live a life of luxury. The middle aged magazine reflects
the more realistic and practical aspects of life. This is represented
by soap characters and their ‘ordinary’ lives. Readers of this
category are more down to earth and have a different approach to life
because they have more responsibilities.
The media, through its many outlets, has a lasting effect on the values and social structure evident in modern day society. Television, in particular, has the ability to influence the social structure of society with its subjective content. As Dwight E. Brooks and Lisa P. Hébert write in their article, “GENDER, RACE, AND MEDIA REPRESENTATION”, the basis of our accepted social identities is heavily controlled by the media we consume. One of the social identities that is heavily influenced is gender: Brooks and Hébert conclude, “While sex differences are rooted in biology, how we come to understand and perform gender is based on culture” (Brooks, Hébert 297). With gender being shaped so profusely by our culture, it is important to be aware of how social identities, such as gender, are being constructed in the media.
First of all, in The Simpsons, the scene where we get into the actual plot of the story opens with Marge and Lisa walking into a department store that sells dolls. The gender stereotype that girls are only interested in playing with dolls is reinforced here as a huge selection of Malibu Stacy dolls is on display with a throng of screeching, bloodthirsty girls tearing the store apart. Lisa says, “I’m warning you mom, I might get a little crazy.” and immediately knocks down a girl and snatches another in a choke-hold to be the first in line for the new Malibu Stacy doll. In the very next scene we have the whole family in the car with Homer driving. He is baking a cupcake with an easy-bake-oven that he bought from the mall. Marge advises him that he should not be doing that. The stereotype here is that men are more impulsive as demonstrated by Homer and his baking while driving without any concern of his or his family’s safety; and that women like to play it safe and think before acting as demonstrated by Marge. Another noteworthy observation is the fact that Homer completes his gender stereotype as the bread-winner of the family. He works at the Nuclear power plant while Marge plays the role of the proud homemaker who is rarely seen outside the home and who has little friends. Homer on the other hand, is not confined to his domestic role and his frequently shown at Moe’s Tavern with his friends, at work, or doing something that is stupid and dangerous. This enforces the stereotype that women have few friends and stay close to domestic life whereas men have lots of friends, are more independent, and bring home the bacon. Moreover, Bart and Lisa are in accordance with their gender stereotypes as well. For instance, in the backseat, Ba...
It is this so called “perfect female” that is engraved in our minds, both male and female, and because of this there are many young girls, specifically between the ages of 14 to mid-20s, are being hurt by this. Women are portrayed in almost every possible thing. But they are pictured as a thin, tall, Caucasian female. Women want to be that female. That is what they are constantly telling themselves. When a woman gets the figure they always dreamt of, they are yet not satisfied. Being beautiful is not enough for them. A few want more, and when they cannot get to that point of harming themselves. Young girls are getting the wrong message thru media. In the film, “MissRepresentation” it gives the facts on how the media has influenced women with this “perfect figure,” even those young girls still in middle school. They are being abused physically, emotionally, and mentally because of what media is showing.
Mass media is designed to reach large audiences through the use of technology. Its purpose is
In today 's society, women have been getting more attention on important issues that affect their lives. Feminism is becoming more popular and people are starting to realize the inequality that woman face is more than just a small scale issue. The sexism and oppression that are the result of living in a patriarchal society, play a large role in how women in our culture are treated. The effects that living in this society have had on the individuals that take part in these societies, are very commonly highlighted by the media. The objectification of women in the media has become a very serious issue. Although at first glance this may not seem to be such a problem, but these constant objectifications in the media subliminally become an acceptable reality for men and women alike. “Conflict theorists argue that gender inequality
wrongfully. Between media and words or phrases, they can all discriminate another role of gender. In doing so, many corporations have used gender portraying as a tool for advertisements and other useful techniques. Media, advertisement, and phrases all provide creditability towards portrayals of certain gender roles.
The media is a fascinating tool; it can deliver entertainment, self-help, intellectual knowledge, information, and a variety of other positive influences; however, despite its advances for the good of our society is has a particular blemish in its physique that targets young women. This blemish is seen in the unrealistic body images that it presents, and the inconsiderate method of delivery that forces its audience into interest and attendance. Women are bombarded with messages from every media source to change their bodies, buy specific products and redefine their opinion of beauty to the point where it becomes not only a psychological disease, but a physical one as well.
I suddenly became acutely aware of my own fat bulges and folds. I imagined every eye in the room on me, shaking their heads in pity, revulsion and even morbid curiosity. I pulled my shirt surreptitiously away from the bulges of my belly and my hips, trying to separate the appearance from the reality. I shifted in my chair, and felt my cheeks burn hot and my stomach churn... And yet I was ashamed. I was aware of the disgust my body inspired, its complete unacceptability and invisibility in the sexual domain, apart from as a figure of ridicule. I felt hot tears sting my eyes, and I knew I had to get out. I squeezed my wide hips between the rows of chairs, and fled the room. (238)
One thousand years go by and an abundant amount of people still view women in a stereotypical type of way. On the opposing view, if women did not overstretch the slightest of things, this wouldn’t be such an enormous issue. Women may be overreacting to what the media has to say about them. It is not affecting everybody but a vast majority of successful women from continuing to moving forward said Marianne Schnall. Important to realize, women are capable of doing jobs men can do. Such jobs as being an engineer, physician, mechanic, lawyer and even top notch business women! Up to the present time there is an ongoing public debate on women suffering from double standards. If it makes a female feel threatened or belittled than it may be sexist. A very interesting article this came to be because the writer had numerous accountants to keep her argument steady. A worthy writer brings up present time activities, statistics, and people being affected by the scenario and provides the reader some closure. With a devastatingly crucial issue such as women being shunned by the media, it’s not okay to have the ideas of other people in your work. In the article, “Controversial Hillary Cover of Time Illuminates Sexism in the Media” by Marianne Schnall, implies that the media is negatively affecting the chances of women becoming successful with all the sexism it is portraying. Marianne Schnall is a published writer and professional interviewer with many influential credentials that she in not afraid to use.
Throughout history when we think about women in society we think of small and thin. Today's current portrayal of women stereotypes the feminine sex as being everything that most women are not. Because of this depiction, the mentality of women today is to be thin and to look a certain way. There are many challenges with women wanting to be a certain size. They go through physical and mental problems to try and overcome what they are not happy with. In the world, there are people who tell us what size we should be and if we are not that size we are not even worth anything. Because of the way women have been stereotyped in the media, there has been some controversial issues raised regarding the way the world views women. These issues are important because they affect the way we see ourselvescontributing in a negative way to how positive or negative our self image is.
this magazine is aimed at women in their late 20’s as the woman on the
On a daily basis we are subjected to a society that continuously uses stratification to divide members of the population into subgroups, such as; ‘gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, disability, sexuality and location, and in which the privileges, disadvantages and exclusions associated with such categories are unevenly distributed.’ Due to this, we are forced to question if gender stereotypes in the media have a negative impact in society.
The Representation of Men and Women in the Media Men and women are both represented differently in the media these days. Then the sand was sunk. Ironically it was even represented differently in the title of this essay. Men came before women! I am writing an essay to explain how men and women are represented in the media.
An article by Christina N Baker, Images of Women’s Sexuality in Advertisements: A content Analysis of Black And White Oriented Women’s and Men’s Magazine emphasizes on how women’s are portrayed in media such as advertisements and Magazine. The author analyzes how media has a huge impact in our society today; as a result, it has an influence on race and gender role between men and women.
media what they want to buy and see, all that’s left for the media to