Other Issues in Media and Society

1. Negative Influence of Media on Food
I found really interesting this blog, because I think, that it is mind opening - you know, just try to think about the presentation of food in our media? Natalia's blog just emphasizes the fact which I already mentioned in my post How I See It, that the media do not allow us to be fat, but of course, they glorify the cult of junk food. So, if you are interested in food, check it out, you will not be disappointed.

2. Mass Media Effects on Modern Beauty Standards
It is another blog dealing with the issue of Media's Influence on Beauty. Palina pointed out different topics than me, but there are also very intersting observations. For example, I was terrified about the Toddlers and Tiaras show which portrayas children as an adult models and has a strong sexual subtext - check it out on youtube: Toddlers and Tiaras. Also you can find interesting her article about the connection between media and eating disorders.

3. Social Media Privacy

In my point of view, Robin's blog is about poular, but also very important issue - Social Media and Privacy. Is it even possible to have some privacy on social media? Robin tries to give us an idea about main problems connected with social media's privacy and also uses a few great supported examples. Just check it out and be aware what you are posting on your Facebook or Twitter!

4. Media Ethics
Elisabeth's blog deals with the issue of Media Ethics and this particular article I found the most interesting, because.. Funeral Selfies - I think, that people should think about this issue. Is it our society really so blinded by themselves and has no a bit of compassion?

5. Pedophilia vs. Social Media
Denisa's blog focuses on very serious issue - Pedophilia and Social Media. We find out the alarming truth about many possibilities how pedophiles can use the Internet in their favour and only a little amount of them are in the end catched. 

How I See It

Media’s portrayal of beauty as digitally altered appearance and skinny, unhealthy bodies contributes to a distortion of the concept of an ideal woman.

Media creates the beauty stereotypes based on the illogical true, that normal-weight women are considered to be fat and women whose BMIs (Body Mass Index) are underweight are described as ideal. Moreover, these portrayals are usually unrealistic and often edited and altered in Photoshop. However, many people believe in their authenticity therefore, they try to approach to the media’s beauty ideal and become a perfect person. Indeed, media develops a huge pressure to look as attractive and fabulous as the presented depictions of models, so women are becoming to be abnormally obsessed with the desire for thin body and flawless appearance.

In recent years, media has become the main indicator in assessing beauty. Almost in every magazine we can find pages dealing with the popular issue of How to lose weight, Best diet tips ever or How to be attractive and What to wear. Media basically teach women to feel guilty about food and be ashamed for eating (Harris 77). They propagate perfection and do not allow any flaws. Therefore many women, usually teenagers, feel inferior and compare themselves with magazines pictures, which could have catastrophically consequences in terms of increasing eating disorders. Unfortunately, the repeated perception of skeletal bodies and perfect faces, indeed, causes that women assume that it is normal and do not realize that these depictions were created for the marketing purpose, which means for the purpose to sell. The marketers and advertisers present these portrayals to confuse women and give them false promise “if they adhere to the instructions of following a prescribed diet and exercise regime, they can also achieve this 'ideal' (“Dissatisfaction with Our Bodies and Eating Disorders”)”.

On the other hand, our culture is surrounded by confusing messages. Billboards and commercial bombard us delicious looking food and sweet beverages. It seems that media forces us to eat, but do not gain weight! The reason is that obesity is not socially acceptable, and the typical depiction of obese person in the media is disgusting low achiever, just loser (“Conflicting Messages of a Media Monster”). It also has a negative effect on our society because the promotion of junk food show people “forbidden fruit” which means that its consummation has become embarrassing, and the obesity in recent years has been increased.

Real Beauty vs. Love My Body. Digital image. Life, Undefeated. WordPress.org. 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 May 2014.

Media affect our opinions and beliefs in many ways, even we are not fully aware of it. Hence, our society cannot let media to determine about beauty standards, we have to try to avoid the feelings of dissatisfaction with our bodies and physical appearance. Future media should be more human and let people to create their own ideal of beauty from real woman. Anyway, media promote their goods for people, for the consumers, so we can help with its challenging and try to transform the negative effects to the positive ones.

                                                                                                                                                          

Works Cited:  

“Conflicting Messages of a Media Monster.” University of Minnesota Duluth. Web. 12May 2014.

“Dissatisfaction with Our Bodies and Eating Disorders." University of Minnesota Duluth. Web. 12 May 2014.

Harris, Richard Jackson. A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication. 5th ed. NewYork: Routledge, 2009. 77. Print.

Current Events II

Karlie Kloss and Photo Scandal

Karlie is a famous American model who is one of the Victoria’s Secret Angels. She has been often attacked for her unhealthy skinny body and society accuses her of suffering from anorexia.

Karlie Kloss. Digital image. GQ Magazine Online: Look Sharp, Live Smart.
N.p., 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

In September 2012, the scandalous photograph of 20 year-old Karlie, photoshooted for Japanese magazine, Numéro, was replicated all around the world. More precisely, its unretouched one. Karlie’s body was digitally altered in a totally opposite way that is considered to be typical for these kinds of images. The editors made her body “appear less skinny (Ffolkes)”. As you can see, in the first picture the model appear to be very slim, however here, her body does not represent the anorexia in itself.  In contrast, the body in the real photo is evacuating in itself and immediately brings the idea about the eternal connection between models and eating disorders.

Photo-editors of magazine Numéro had to deal with a large scale of dissatisfaction from the photographer, Greg Kadel, Karlie and her fans. They argue that the original depiction of Karlie was better than the airbrushed one, because the photographer tend to show Karlie as naturally beautiful, tall and athletic girl. Twitter was full of the responses to magazine’s photoshopped actions and the admiration for Karlie’s skeletal body: “I prefer Kadel's original to Numéro's manipulation. Anyone who stretches back like that will have their ribs show through. It's natural; unlike the edited image (qtd. in Ffolkes).”

Kadel, Greg. Karlie. Digital image. Mail Online.
Associated Newspapers, 29 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 May 2014.

It was not the first time when the photographs of Karlie caused a huge commotion. When Italian Vogue presented the image of skinny Karlie, many pro-anorectic websites started to post this photograph. After this scandal, the Vogue withdrawed the picture from its official websites and to the whole affair does not response anymore (Ffolkes).

Vogue Italia. Digital image. Mamamia: What Everyone's Talking About.
N.p., 4 Feb. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

                                                                                                                                                   

Source: Ffolkes, Bianca. "Model KarlieKloss' Ribs Airbrushed out of Numéro Magazine Photo." Yahoo Lifestyle UK. N.p., 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 May 2014.2014.

Current Events I

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

The main mission: 
“to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety ("Real Beauty Sketches - Dove").”

The campaign was born in 2004 and as the impulse for its launch was the marketing study where was found that only 2% of women consider themselves as beautiful. Therefore, the authors wanted to create a general definition of what beauty is. The aim was to disprove the beauty stereotypes and show that every woman is beautiful in their own way. The Dove Campaign organized many discussions where was debated about real beauty and women mutually increased their self-confidence.

The same year, creators devised the advertisements, which later have become popular all over the world. The commercial has always displayed a single woman who is not considered as a classic representation of beauty, often has flaws, and we are invited to decide; to judge:

Heery,Gary. BOY OR BABE. Digital image. Adverts and TV Commercials Database.N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.

Picture3. Digital image. Dove - Global Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.

Digitalimage. Dove Campaign For Real Beauty RSS.N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.

In 2005 was created the advertisement which depicts six real women in their underwear. Photographs were not digitally improved, thus all the women are portrayed in their natural beauty, as they were born. The authors emphasize the celebration of the cult of a healthy body, and point to the fact that unhealthily thin women should not be considered as the ideal of beauty.

Digitalimage. Josh Greenberg. N.p., 26 Mar.2011. Web. 11 May 2014.

In 2007, Dove comes with another breakthrough campaign – they started to focus on older women, 50 +. The commercials celebrate their maturity and through billboards and videos the creators reveal the merciless fact due to these women’s age, these ladies are automatically considered insufficiently beautiful. The ironic motto "To old to be in an anti-aging ad" just underscores the absurdity of our society and celebrate the charm of wrinkles and gray hair.

Leibovitz,Annie. Dove "Too Many Wrinkles to Bein an Anti-aging Ad?" Digital image. Luerzer's Archive - Advertising Worldwide. N.p., 2007. Web. 11 May2014.

"To old to be in an anti-aging ad"
The Beauty of Dove. Digital image. Ambivalence and Entropy: The Makings of My Mind. 
N.p., 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

Dove11. Digital Image. Facade| Be-You-Tiful! N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

In 2011, the marketing research was conducted again and the results appear to be better – 4% of women consider themselves as beautiful. It is hard to say if Dove was the main reason why the results were like this, but at least, the campaign has certainly a little share ("The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty").

The newest action of this campaign was a video where several women are invited to the some atelier and they are asked to describe themselves. The descriptions are captured by the painter who can only hear their voice. Then women leave. After that, another person comes to the atelier and he or she is asked to describe the previous woman. Finally, you can see both paintings - by the description of woman and by the description on the stranger – you can how different they are, how women are so critical to themselves, how other people perceive us.

Doveunitedstates. "Dove Real Beauty Sketches." Youtube. Youtube. 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

I think that the whole campaign has a beautiful message to all women “you are more beautiful than you think” and it is up to us if we want to perceive it as a great marketing strategy or the simple way how to increase our self-esteem.

I am for the second one.

                                                                                                                                                
Sources:

"Real Beauty Sketches - Dove." Real Beauty Sketches - Dove. N.p., n.d.Web. 11 May 2014.

"The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty."The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty.N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.

What the Experts Say II

This article points out on the increasing stress and pressure on adolescents to look good because of the widespread of social network websites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Today’s teenagers compare themselves not only with flawless photographs of celebrities but also with their friends who post pictures of themselves which leads to an overall rise in body dissatisfaction among American kids. They even creates own Youtube videos where they “ask an Internet audience to tell them if they're pretty or ugly (Knorr)” and are obsessed with likes on the Instagram and Facebook.

Hiller, Brianna. "Am I Ugly." Youtube. Youtube, 12 July 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

Media always demonstrated the unrealistic portrayal of beauty, but in recent year kids started to become an active audience who can also judge and criticism others. Adolescents crave social recognition and boost their self-confidence, the Internet allows easy access how to quickly achieve it. However, sometimes teenagers have to face a negative feedbacks and it is up to them how they cope with it. Therefore, the author appeals to parents to teach their kids to be responsible for their actions and learn how to value themselves for their internal qualities and not for their physical appearance. 

                                                                                                                                        

Source: Knorr, Caroline. "Is Social Media Giving Your Teen aNegative Body Image?" Reviews &Age Ratings - Best Movies, Books, Apps, Games for Kids. N.p., 28 Apr. 2014.Web. 09 May 2014.

What the Experts Say I

This study examines the impact of media on women’s beauty expectations. It claims that the depictions of female bodies are considered to be unattainable for most of the women because of the unrealistic body parameters. It demonstrates that models are tend to be portrayed unhealthy emaciated which unfortunately supports the general opinion that a woman can be always thinner, which leads to the feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction with their bodies. It gives people a subtext that if a woman wants to be beautiful, she has to appear unhealthy. Research has found that women who have low self-esteem and are mentally weaker individuals are much more likely to be dissatisfied with their physical appearance regardless of the reality.

Eating Disorder Mirror Anorexia Ross Brown Geoff Francis. 
Digital image. StyleFrizz. N.p., 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 May 2014.

The author tries to analyze how women are influenced by daily representation of beauty in the media through clarifying three possible theories: the social comparison theory, cultivation theory, and self-schema theory. Based on these theories was suggested the solutions about the differences in perception between women who are deeply influenced by the media’s beauty standards and the one who are rarely affected (Serdar). 

                                                                                                                                                                                   
Source: Serdar, Kasey L. "Female Body Image and the Mass Media: Perspectives on How WomenInternalize the Ideal Beauty Standard." Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. A Private Comprehensive Liberal Arts College.N.p., 2005. Web. 11 May 2014.

For Further Research

1. Dissatisfaction with Our Bodies and Eating Disorders

This website deals with the problem of “Dissatisfaction with Our Bodies and Eating Disorders” in the United States. There is briefly described the perception of beauty in history and now. The author also used many great examples such as photographs and recommended sources for our better understanding. In my point of view, it is very useful and interesting source which explains the topic clearly and effectively.

2. Statistics

This website shows the evacuating statistics and facts related to the topic of media and body culture. It also presents how media shapes our opinions about ourselves which simply demonstrates the sad true about people’s unrealistic expectations.

Twiggy - the symbol of 60s'
Body Image: Media Portrayal of Feminine Perfection. Digital image.
Intro to Media and Communications. N.p., 8 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 May 2014.

3. Just Say YES

This website is an organization which helps teenagers to succeed in their lives through educational programs. This article was created for the purpose to avoid widespread of negative effects of media on adolescents. It focuses on media’s main message that if you want to be happy and successful you have to be thin and attractive. There is denied the motto “thinner is better” and by showing facts and videos it tries to warn against eating disorders.

Honestly, I am not a fan of these types of organizations - I just do not believe in them. However, in this particular example you can find a few interesting articles which is one of them.

                                                                                                                                   

More Useful Articles:

The Media's Portrayal of Women Imposes an Impossible Standard

WOMEN, BODY IMAGE, and the MEDIA: A NEW EMPHASIS

The Portrayal of Beauty in the Media

Each day million of women impatiently open their favorite magazines and enviously watch flawless photographs of beautiful models. People admire their lovely faces, perfect skins and ultra-thin bodies. We envy them. We adore them. We desire to be like them. Why?

It is well-known that the majority of magazines’ photographs are not considered as actual. The photographs are usually edited in Photoshop to cover any imperfections and therefore the models look like the superior creatures. We know that the models’ bodies and their overall appearance are very improved and unreal, but unfortunately, our perception of beauty is so distorted and influenced by media’s presentation of an ideal woman that we do not fully realize that it is just a lie. Media glorifies the cult of perfection and thinness and our society is becoming to be obsessed with diet programs and plastic surgeries.

Magazine. Digital image. The Average Girl's Guide.
14 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 May 2014. 

Hence, I think that it is important to look at this issue closer to we could perceive the magazines pages from a different perspective and avoid dissatisfaction with our bodies and physical appearance.
We should widely open our minds, deny media’s portrayals and try to create our own beauty ideal, the realistic one.