Body Image and Media

Body Image and Media Exposure

COM 109

Dr. Boeckel

April 28, 2012

Body Image Portrayed by the Media

The common perception of beauty has been artificially created by our media driven society. Its standards of beauty are nearly impossible to emulate and can only be obtained by a small percentage of women today. The advertisement company’s primary concern is to make money regardless of what it costs women monetarily, physically and emotionally.

Living in a culture that has become so superficial has caused many women to feel insecure about their body image, leaving them to take drastic measures in order to change their appearance. The Media’s standard of beauty is extremely unhealthy and has caused and reinforced unhealthy behavior in women.

Women have been driven to unhealthy behaviors such as anorexia, bulimia and depression. In order to live a physically and mentally healthy life women must fight back and recognize the lies that have been portrayed by the mass media. The time has come for, us as a society to relinquish the Media’s control over what is being portrayed as true beauty.

Over the past few decades the media has been dictating what the women’s body image should be. The media is very careful to portray only one type of a woman in magazines, modeling and commercials. These women who are labeled as the ideal portrait of beauty have most likely been airbrushed, digitally altered, surgically altered, or maybe, just one of the lucky 5% of our population that fits into the beauty profile (Kilbourne,2011).

Through this constant prejudiced idea of beauty only one type of woman fits the profile. Popular media such as magazines, movies and commercials all impose pressure on women to strive for perfection. They must match the perfected body image that the advertisement companies have created, if they are to be accepted by society.

Constant exposure to certain ideas can and will shape our perception of reality. Living in a media...