Women in the Media
Women in the media are seen as highly sexualized objects that are disassembled and rearranged so that they are seen as less than human. The author of The Macho Paradox, Jackson Katz Ed. M., said that women in the media are there “To please men, to do whatever they can to make men happy. Stroke men’s egos, to know they are a second class status and not complain about it.” Although this is frustrating to hear, it is sadly apparent within advertising and commercial media. Women are typically put into one of two separate categories: either a soft, delicate, and passive character or a sexual, defiant, promiscuous character. Many popular shows on commercial television illustrate women as a housewife with undeniable sex appeal, a soccer mom completely devoted to her children, or if the women is put into a role of power, (which is rare) she is an aggressive, antisocial, and combative. These narrow-minded views of women
Within most of today’s advertising the bodies of women are used and seen as things or objects. Turning a human being into an object is the first step toward acceptable violence toward another person. By dehumanizing and disassembling women, it becomes easier to justify sexism, racism, homophobia, and even terrorism. As these advertisements below show, the women are used as part of what is trying to be sold. They are objectified, highly sexualized and given no voice within the advertisement. Stereotyping in the media has been around since the media began, but if we push toward reform we could see a change in our lifetimes. As consumers we need to let the advertisers and commercial television companies know that we are no longer going to sit aside while they ruin young girl’s body image, entice violence against women and provoke the image of the ideal sexual homemaker.
Within most of today’s advertising the bodies of women are used and seen as things or objects. Turning a human being into an object is the first step toward acceptable violence toward another person. By dehumanizing and disassembling women, it becomes easier to justify sexism, racism, homophobia, and even terrorism. As these advertisements below show, the women are used as part of what is trying to be sold. They are objectified, highly sexualized and given no voice within the advertisement. Stereotyping in the media has been around since the media began, but if we push toward reform we could see a change in our lifetimes. As consumers we need to let the advertisers and commercial television companies know that we are no longer going to sit aside while they ruin young girl’s body image, entice violence against women and provoke the image of the ideal sexual homemaker.
These lecture/videos entitled Killing Me Softly, are videos that are very helpful and informative on the toipic of how women are depicted in the media. After watching these videos it is hard to look at women in advertising in the same light as before.