Mass Media Affects Women s Body Image Essay - 873 Words

Mass media affects women’s body image in many ways. â€Å"Media images of ridiculously thin women are everywhere- television shows, movies, popular magazines† (Farrar). Starting at a very young age, girls are exposed to media suggestions about what the â€Å"ideal† female body image should be. â€Å"Concern over weight and appearance related issues often surface early in females’ development, and continues throughout the lifespan† (Serdar). Teenagers often see celebrities, fashion models, and show hosts as role models (Farrar). They see the celebrities as successful and popular. In addition, they want to achieve popularity and success and sometimes are unconsciously influenced by peer pressure to â€Å"look good†. For instance, in the poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy the girl is a typical kid until she hits puberty. When a classmate says â€Å"You have a great big nose and fat legs† (247). Although she is healthy, smart and strong she felt that was not good enough. She could not get what was said about her body out of her mind (Piercy). â€Å"So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up†. â€Å"In the casket displayed on satin she lay with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on a turned-up putty nose. Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending† (Piercy). Women can be especially vulnerable to â€Å"thin- ideal media†. â€Å"The term thin-ideal media refers to media images, shows and films that contain very thin female leads†. Fashion magazines, clothingShow MoreRelatedTodays Unrealistic Body Expectations1311 Words   |  5 Pagesabs, and a small waist while good looking women are viewed to have the characteristics of being slim and fit, having a small waist, lean hips, and perfect skin complexion. 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