Portrayal of Women in the Media
analytical Essay
3135 words
Portrayal of Women in the Media
Gender is the psychological characteristics and social categories that are created by human culture. Doing gender is the concept that humans express their gender when they interact with one another. Messages about how a male or female is supposed to act come from many different places. Schools, parents, and friends can influence a person. Another major factor that influences millions of impressionable females and males is television. Not only does the television teach each sex how to act, it also shows how one sex should expect the other sex to act. In the current television broadcasting, stereotypical behavior goes from programming for the very small to adult audiences. In this broadcasting range, females are portrayed as motherly, passive and innocent, sex objects, or they are overlooked completely or seen as unimportant entities.
Stereotyping women is not only rampant in the adult world; it also flourishes in the kiddie universe as well. Here, there are depictions of women and girls as motherly or innocent, silly, and passive. This occurs not only in popular programming on Public Broadcasting, but also on television in other countries. Mothering images on Philippine TV has shown some of the same trends that is seen in the United States. Although “Teletubbies and Barney & Friends display an equal representation in number, each show displays gender stereotyped qualities,” it is obvious that these programs are sometimes reinforcing the wrong ideas about gender roles to children, roles that feminists have been battling for almost half a century. “Both programs demonstrated clear gendered roles with males being more active and females being more social and passive. This distinction appeared most obviously in the real-life segments of both programs with women as mother or passive viewer of action. Neither program shows women or men in non-stereotypical roles, indicating at an early age children are exposed to gender-specific occupational expectations.” Each show has children as additional characters, and each episode consists of a live action activity.
In Barney & Friends, Barney interacts with two female sidekicks. Baby Bop is “a silly, excitable, and giddy [dinosaur] carrying a blankey, wearing a bow—a stereotypical little girl”. She plays dress-up, sings, and plays pretend where she might be a ballerina or...
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...get less attention than male’s. “On boys’ favorite TV shows, male characters are frequently portrayed at work, while the occupations of nearly half of female characters are unidentified.” This is damaging because boys will begin to think that either women are lazy and can’t find work, or their work is not important enough to be seen as something to regard.
The media and television broadcasting of women is not all negative. But current culture is constantly taking the easy way out. It refuses to explore different ways in which women can be represented. That is why for years to come women will still be seen as motherly, passive and innocent, sex objects, or they are overlooked or seen as unimportant entities. Whether it’s motherly birds on kids TV shows or scantily clad dancers on Monday Night Football, the portrayal of women has yet to catch up with what real life women are like. There are single women, obese women, and smart women. Women who are single mom’s, lesbians, or don’t have any children at all. Women are able to do the same type of work as men without being manly. The day that women are treated as equals on television will whole new level of success for feminism.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how barney interacts with two female sidekicks: baby bop and ms. etta. boys are more active than girls, while women are cooks and mothers.
- Explains that teletubbies shows a definitive way the females are supposed to act.
- Analyzes how sex-stereotyped commercials affect women's thinking and perceptions of themselves. girls are seen playing games like ‘pretty, pretty, princess’ and ‘barbie.
- Explains that in most television shows, the main character is a male. he has either his girlfriend or wife, but she is secondary to his actions and is put in the light of nagging.
- Opines that sporting events are the worst way that women are objectified. they are shown as cheerleaders and dancers showing as much skin as the women portrayed in music videos.
- Explains that invisibility is a large theme in the psychology of women arena. men dominate headlines and masculine topics infiltrate the articles.
- Opines that elderly women are ignored in both advertising and entertainment. heart medicine has also singled out men, even though heart disease is also the number one killer for women.
- Analyzes how women are being overlooked when they are guests on political talk shows. they report only 20% of news stories about economic, political, or international issues.
- Opines that women don't have a strong place in entertainment. characters on tv shows are more than two times more likely to be men. important plots are missed and women feel insignificant and disregarded.
- Argues that women's sports have a male-centered approach, and the only time they've sparked more interest is during world war ii.
- Explains that gender is the psychological characteristics and social categories that are created by human culture. television is a major factor that influences millions of impressionable females and males.
- Explains that in the philippines, television mimics american programming. women are portrayed as doting parents of lovable children, faithful wives of hardworking husbands, and neat homemakers.
- Argues that the media and television broadcasting of women is not all negative, but it refuses to explore different ways in which women can be represented.
Related
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- Women in the Media and Women in the Real Worldopinionated essay“They have ads of how you should dress and what you should look like and this and that, and then they say ‘but respect people for what they choose to be like.’ Okay so which do we do first?” said sixteen year old, Kelsey (“Media and Girls”). Women and girls aren’t fairly portrayed in the media they are classified by the littlest things like hair color, body size, and how smart they are. The media sends images of what the “perfect” girl should be like; an unfair image of women is portrayed in the media. There are a lot of different ways that women can be unfairly portrayed, such as in advertising, on T.V, and on social networks. Why can’t society just accept women and girls for who they are and what they look like?
In this essay, the author
- Explains that women and girls aren't fairly portrayed in the media. they are classified by the littlest things like hair color, body size, and how smart they are.
- Opines that women aren't fairly depicted in children's t.v., but in teen and adult movies, they're not fairly portrayed.
- Opines that girls shouldn't be influenced by the image that the media puts out there for girls.
- Opines that the media affects a girl's self-confidence, and that girls should not feel bad about themselves because of the image of girls.
- Opines that the unfair portrayal of women in the media leads to girls feeling bad about their body, and appearance. the media tries to make girls feel like they need to be perfect.
- Cites ford, jennifer, and lavine, howard. "sage journals."
533 wordsRead More - Sexism In Societyexplanatory essayThere are three theories of gender named Structural-Functional Theory, Symbolic Interaction, and Social conflict. The structural and functional approach describes gender in terms of masculine and feminine. For example, society teaches boys at a young age that they are destined for the labor force. As for females to prepare them for child rearing, and emotional responsiveness. The symbolic interaction approach shows how gender is part of our everyday situations. Men are typically the ones to speak first, set topics of discussions, and control outcomes. Women are expected to be more deferential which means they show respect for higher social position. Which means women are mostly silent and are encouraging to men. For example such a head nodding in agreement of something, and or smiling with eye contact.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that society considers females and men different kinds of people. sexism has always posed negative consequences for women. social media captures the public imagination since the 1950s.
- Explains that men and women have gender distinctions because of biology. one sex is different from the other.
- Explains that the first women's convention was held in seneca falls, new york, encouraging women to show their true abilities. 68 women and 32 men signed a declaration of sentiments.
- Explains that the men's right movement is a social movement and part of the larger men’s movement. they believe that feminism has overshot objective and harmed men.
- Explains that in some cultures such as musuo, women control most property, select their sexual partners, and make most decisions about everyday life.
- Explains that mass media is a huge part of society as far as television and social media has existed. in the 1950's minorities weren't depicted on television shows.
- Explains that gender shapes our interests and beliefs about our own abilities, guiding areas of study and, eventually, career choices.
- Explains that women were seen as weak and incapable of fighting in the military, and that the american civil war saw them cross-dressed as men to fight alongside men.
- Explains that sexual harassment is deliberate, repeated, and unwelcome. in the 1990's, workplace rules were set for interactions between men and women.
- Explains that pornography is sexually explicit material that causes arousal and gender stratification. it dehumanizes women and portrays them as "toys" for men.
- Explains that there are three theories of gender: structural-functional theory, symbolic interaction, and social conflict.
1298 wordsRead More - Gender And Stereotypes: Gender Roles In Disney Moviesanalytical essayGender Roles. A hot button topic that has become a topic of conversation for years now. When we think of Gender roles what things come to mind? With Men we often think of qualities such as strength, toughness, bravery, and masculinity and being a Husband. With Women we often think of characteristics such as: care taker, Wife, nurturing, cooking/ cleaning, and often very supportive. But another big question that we should be asking ourselves is where and how these gender roles and stereotypes have come from? And for the answer to that question we should look to our media consumption. For years now TV shows and Movies have truly shaped what gender roles should be in our society. These ideas are planted in our minds even at a young age, whether
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gender roles are a hot-button topic that's been around for years, and that disney is one of the biggest enforcers of them.
- Analyzes how gender stereotyping was picked up by many and why large corporations such as disney used them.
- Analyzes how disney glorifies a body type of extreme attractiveness over all others and adds to the gender roles we've already seen.
- Analyzes how the film reinforces gender stereotypes by making jasmine and aladdin appear certain ways.
- Analyzes how disney's aladdin exploits gender roles and stereotypes, but there is room to grow and improve in this area.
1513 wordsRead More - Women In Media Essayopinionated essayGender. What is it? How does it make us who we are? Are we dependent on it? So many questions derive from this one word, gender. Gender, according to ITU is the ‘social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female’. There are so many different parts of the term gender and so many roles that each sex partakes in. One role that I have noticed amongst every form of media, weather it is in books or in movies is that women appear to be the weaker of the two sexes.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that twilight is a clever movie that hides the damsel in distress idea. bella is the central female character who is constantly being surrounded by dominant male figures that are powerful.
- Explains that twilight isn't the only movie that is a culprit of this depiction of women, but many other movies do it as well. the main type of movies would have to be horror movies.
- Opines that disney is transforming in its views to women with the release of brave and frozen.
- Explains that the media seems to attempt to target everyone, however gender does dictate the level of exposure that is given. girls are often made to look inferior to men often depicting a passive body language expressing that
- Opines that the portrayal of women as the weaker sex has been around since before the 18th century.
997 wordsRead More - The Feminine Mystique and the Organization Mananalytical essayFor many years society has embraced the idea that the difference between men and women were biologically determined. Others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences between males and females. Though through traditions, media, and press, we act accordingly to how others view us. Each individual has pressure placed upon them based on their genders. Our sex is determined by genetics while our gender is programmed by social customs. Gender roles by definition are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behavior. Some theories interpret that a woman is tender and a loving mother, while on the other hand men are aggressive and are the dominant one of the family. An individual gender role is modeled through socialization. Individuals learn the ways, traditions, norms, and rules of getting along with others. A person’s environment has a big influence on the roles deemed expectable for men and women.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that society has embraced the idea that the difference between men and women was biologically determined. individuals learn the ways, traditions, norms, and rules of getting along with others.
- Explains that gender roles influence men and women in virtually every area of life. girls aren't seen in commercials, while boys are taught to play with trucks and army toys.
- Argues that socialization is the process by which all people learn what is expected of them through their interactions with others.
- Explains that women are now being taught that they can and sometimes even should raise their children on their own. women were looked down upon if they had children out of wedlock.
- Explains that gender equality has been a social concern since man first stepped foot on the earth. gender roles dictate what is socially male and female behavior.
1077 wordsRead More - The Impact Of Gender And Gender Equality In Societyanalytical essayBoys are encouraged to be tough, and competition is also supported. While girls who demonstrate competitive or bold personality characteristics are often labeled as “bossy” or “pushy”. Children construct their own gender identity through their family, but also through school interactions and the consumption of media. “An update of the classic Weitzman study found that although the majority of female characters were portrayed as dependent and submissive, male characters were commonly portrayed as being independent and creative” (Eitzen et al. 2012:246). The impact of this gender inequality goes way further than just childhood play. When male and female stereotypes are deep rooted and taught so early, it is easy to see the connection between that type of socialization and the misrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and politics. In “The Egg and the Sperm” Martin argues that even male and female reproductive processes are constructed using gendered stereotypes. The egg is described femininely and seen as passive, and the sperm is portrayed as active, behaving very masculine (Ferber, Holcomb, and Wentling 2013). The use of language perpetuates gendered stereotypes and normalizes the higher status of one gender over the
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gender is a central determinant of how people view themselves and how others respond to them. there are some biological differences between men and women, but those differences are smaller than people believe.
- Argues that gender roles facilitate gender stratification and that socialization is a way to exercise power and maintain dominance.
- Explains that in some cultures traditional gender roles are heavily present and rigid. however, even in industrialized countries there is a glaring difference in the way boys and girls are socialized.
- Analyzes how children construct their gender identity through their family, school, and media. martin argues that even male and female reproductive processes are constructed using gendered stereotypes.
- Analyzes how tough guise chronicles the socialization of boys from the moment they are born and as they grow up. the documentary missrepresentation explores the media’s role in shaping our society.
- Opines that history can provide insight and make society aware of the current ideologies of gender.
- Argues that society treats sex and gender as separate concepts, yet they are often used interchangeably. gender roles are ingrained in our language, customs, religion, and family structure.
1213 wordsRead More - Overview of the Smurfette Principleanalytical essayIn their pieces on the Smurfette principle, Pollitt and Ellis both discuss the idea that gender representations have intense effects on the children who absorb certain types of popular entertainment. Although we are hesitant to accept it, we are all influenced by the media in a very powerful way. Whether it be through TV shows, billboards, movies or the news. One thing that we commonly wonder about is if the adult female population is as influenced by the stereotyped gender roles present on TV or are we shaped at a young age and carry that perspective with us throughout our lives. This Smurfette principle has been around for almost two decades. It was introduced by Katha Pollitt and is unfortunately still present in our current 21st century.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how pollitt and ellis discuss the smurfette principle in their pieces on the idea that gender representations have intense effects on children who absorb popular entertainment.
- Explains that the media plays a large role on the way we, as young children, are influenced and think about responsibilities and roles of genders. the television is found in every home and thus makes it one of the easiest ways for children.
- Explains that children in their adolescents years watch a great amount of tv each week and it is almost inevitable that they will start to be influenced by what they see on their television.
- Analyzes how a tv show like barbie can influence how young females think about gender roles. little girls watched barbie's soap operas and wanted to be like her.
- Explains that ken had an important job. he was a doctor, rockstar, and professional tennis player. pollitt had said that boys define the group, its story and its code of values.
- Explains that adults' minds are shaped by the media as they grow older. they continue to be influenced by tv shows just in different aspects. the media also makes the decision of what a bad and good woman should be like.
- Analyzes how marie barone, the mother and wife in everybody loved raymond, is portrayed as a typical housewife who cares for her son and husband.
- Analyzes how the clumsiness of a woman is depicted in the tv show i love lucy.
- Opines that women believe that they must cater to their husbands and be the perfect wife and mother and if they fail to do so, they will be labeled as unfit and not appreciated.
- Analyzes how the comparison of a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ woman was in the classic children’s’ movie snow white, which is viewed by young children and adults.
- Concludes that adolescents and women are influenced by television's ideas on how they should behave, present themselves, and treat others.
- Cites hubka, david, wendy hovdestad, and lil tonmyr. "child maltreatment in disney animated feature films: 1937-2006."
- Explains pollit's "the smurfette principle." great writing: a reader for writers. weiner, harvey and nora eisenberg.
- Explains pollitt, katha, "hers; the smurfette principle." the new york times, 7 apr. 1991.
1706 wordsRead More - The Battle of The Sexesanalytical essayLucas, Laurie. “Think Pink? It’s not just for baby girls anymore.” Oakland Tribune. Riverside Press-Enterprise. Oakland, California. 09 May 2004. Web.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that men and women have roles they follow all their lives under society. men are expected to be hard workers and protectors, while women are caregivers and housekeepers.
- Analyzes how the propaganda in boy's toys has more manly obstacles and colors than girls' toys. career roles like joining the army or the navy to being doctors or constructors workers are jobs for boys.
- Analyzes how the propaganda in girls' toys is all pretty and pink. barbie shows girls that women are beautiful and must be the perfect wife.
- Explains that both men and women suffer peer pressure in society because of their roles in gender differences.
- Concludes that men and women will stay in follow the stereotypes society takes on. market sales will promote toys with special gender colors, sounds, action roles, and story mode for kids.
- Cites web.frankel, david, the devil wears prada, perf. anne hathaway, meryl streep, and emily blunt.
- Explains that mikel brown, lyn. chesney-lind, meda. "bad girls, bad girls. whatcha gonna do?" the prose reader.
- Opines that the desire to make little boys more masculine is becoming worse and worse. this can only spell bad news for women.
813 wordsRead More - Media Portrayal of Women and Its Effectsanalytical essayThroughout the century, the ideal image of a woman has changed drastically, which can be directly attributed to the powerful persuasion of media. This ideal image has transformed from a voluptuous, size 14, 1950’s Marilyn Monroe to a 5’9, 100 pound, 1990’s Kate Moss. The most shocking aspect is specifically what young girls are now doing to achieve this “Kate Moss” image. Through the utilization of advertisements and stars on the big screen, this female portrayal directly targets the physical and mental well-being of females in cultures across the globe.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the ideal image of a woman has changed drastically due to the powerful persuasion of media. the most shocking aspect is how young girls are now doing to achieve this "kate moss" image.
- Analyzes how the ideal woman fluctuated between muscular, curvaceous physique and small, narrow-waisted physique. in colonial times, women played a crucial role in family survival.
- Explains that the ideal woman retorted back to the same values of strength and competency during world war ii, with marilyn monroe paving the way as the face (and body of normalcy).
- Explains that derenne, jennifer l., and eugene v. beresin, "body image, media and eating disorders." academic psychiatry.
560 wordsRead More - images of gender in the mediaanalytical essayFinding a simple or concrete definition of gender maybe near impossible. Gender roles are what men and woman learn and internalize as the way they are supposed to act. These roles are commonly thought of as natural rather than a construction of culture. Gender is thought to flow from sex, rather then being a matter of what the culture does with sex. This theory is widely and exhaustively debated, according to Wood “Sex is based on biology; Gender is socially and psychologically constructed” (Wood 19). This statement suggests that culture’s discourses and ideologies form the complexities of gender and gender roles. It is easy to say that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice and boy are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, but we are actually more intricate then that.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gender roles are what men and women learn and internalize as the way they are supposed to act. this theory is widely debated.
- Explains that sex is defined by the physical body, while gender, according to wood, is unstable; it is a category or means by which we understand the body.
- Analyzes how masculinity and femininity are posed as opposites in relation to each other. masculinity is put in the position to read the representations of the feminine form.
- Analyzes how namath's ad relies on the deeply entrenched and prescribed values associated with each gender, and without the near universal understanding of masculine and feminine roles, it ceases to make sense.
- Analyzes how the joe namath pantyhose commercial in 1974 satirized the strict and rigid gender roles by changing the context and constructs of these roles.
1249 wordsRead More