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Emily Barnes

Professor Lauren Alford

GWST 2000

April 28, 2015

Poison in the Media: How Men and Women are Viewed Differently in the Media

For years I have always felt as though I was competing with every girl. Every morning

before school I would look at myself and wish I had looked like someone else, usually someone

who was always on top of the latest trends or resembled the girls in magazines. I would always

think I was just average, nothing special just ordinary. That is until I realized the only reason

why I felt “average” was because that was what the media wanted me to feel. Not literally, but

somehow symbolically. I am not tall, not skinny; my jawline lacks design as the models in

advertisements have. Nothing about my physical features jump out to people. Or so I thought.

After studying body image for a couple years now I realized I am beautiful. Sure I do not have

all those features that the gorgeous models have but neither do they, because they are all

photoshopped anyway. In fact, Rosalind Coward mentions in her article “The Body Beautiful”

how “Only the mass of advertising images, glamour photographs, and so on make us believe that

just about all women have this figure” (Rosalind, 1). I realized by the end of high school how I

wanted to be viewed- confident, and isn’t confidence beautiful in and of itself? It was not until

college that I realized women in advertisements as well as celebrities in the media struggle with

not only body image but social aspects as well. It was as though I had overcome such a huge

obstacle in my life to realize what beauty was and to be comfortable with myself and others and

then another barrier was in my way. Why would people judge women so harshly even in social
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circumstances? This was a question I raised from time to time in my college experience. That is

why I decided to create a blog to highlight specific events and articles that demonstrate how

unfair the media portrays both men and women.

In my blog, I highlighted articles that seemed to question or ignite issues with women and

girls in the media as they compare to men and boys in the media. I also included in my blog

posts from feminist authors and women who travel. I have enjoyed reading other people’s

opinions on certain feminist topics as well as expressing my voice on such issues. I feel that

gender in the media is an important issue in society as well as our class, because it essentially

shapes who we become as people. The media can move people in all types of ways and

perception is everything to them. The media may post about one thing and turns out it is

completely opposite than what actually happened. Though the media can be informative and

entertaining, it can also be poison.

Just like the impact of body standards from advertisements and media, gender in the

media can also shape one’s character. For instance, in one article regarding women and media

empowerment, it is stated in the beginning of the work that “Representations of girls and women

in the media have been critiqued for their limited scope, their sexualization and commodification

of girlhood, and their impact on the viewer” (Brinkman, Khan, Jedinak and Vetere, 1). Right

away it is known that the media has a condescending outlook. In fact later on in the article it is

stated that “While research on the impact of media on individuals’ well-being suggests that the

relationship is complex; much evidence indicates that girls and women are often influenced in

negative ways by the images they see” (Brinkman, Khan, Jedinak and Vetere, 2). So it is no

surprise to people that the media causes some negative development in women even from a
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young age. However, men suffer from negative pressures from the media as well. In an article

regarding a study on how men respond to the media and how it affects their outlook and desire to

be masculine as well as thin or lean, it is referenced that “Several studies with college-aged men

have shown that media internalization is associated with [muscularity]” (Jesus et al., 1). The

difference, though, between both genders is how the media influences them in different areas.

For instance, both genders are influenced by the media to have certain beauty standards; both

genders want to be fit or lean to some extent. However, women also have to live up to the sexual

ideals for men. It is assumed that women have to be sexy. This idea can be relevant in

advertisements as well as articles about celebrities. Men also face this need to be in control of

women sexually. It is viewed in some cases that if a woman is more sexual than a man then he

can be seen as inferior, which in society is not a good look for men. Another case in which the

media influences both genders in a different manner is family vs. career. As I mentioned in one

of my blog posts, female celebrities continually get asked why they are not married or why they

do not have kids. As one celebrity stated in the article “…Nobody asks a guy that” (Deschanel,

1). With advertisements and informative articles in the media it is assumed that women should

start a family at some point in their later life and if they do not they get questioned as to why? As

Deschanel stated “…nobody asks a guy that”. Can a woman not postpone or exempt the

childbearing process to focus on her career? It is questions like such that should be presented in

the media, not why are you such a failure to the female norms, because in all honesty that is what

it seems like when being asked such personal questions.

In conclusion, men and women are influenced differently by the media. Though both

genders struggle with the ever daunting body ideals the media throws in our faces, they both
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struggle with personal problems as well. The idea to be sexualized for women is getting

aggravating and frankly monotonous. A man having to feel like he should be masculine so as to

not look weak is an unequal ideal. The ever offensive questions regarding career vs. family for

women should be omitted from all interviews. All in all, the media, in some cases, retracts

poison for their readers and it is time that the readers retract a bit of their own and change the

stigmas that are being presented not just to men and women but also to boys and girls.
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Appendix A

February 5, 2015- I gather articles I want to talk about in my blog. (1.5 hours)

February 19, 2015- I researched articles on how both men and women are viewed in the media.

(45 minutes)

April 7, 2015- I researched how to start a blog. (45 minutes)

April 8, 2015- I finally found a website that worked well to create my blog. (30 minutes)

April 9, 2015- I set up my website (kind of difficult at first). (1.5 hours)

April 10, 2015- I looked up certain blogs and began to follow accounts. (2 hours)

April 12, 2015- I start to reblog posts. (2 hours)

April 14, 2015- I rearrange my blog settings and format (kind of difficult, again). (2 hours)

April 16, 2015-I continue to find blogs to follow and reblog posts. (1.5 hours)

April 20, 2015- In my archive I begin to write my posts. (3 hours)

April 25, 2015- I write my research paper. (3 hours)

April 27, 2015- I finally publish my posts. (1 hour)

April 27, 2015- I finally gain a follower! (no idea how)

Total Hours: 19 hours and 30 minutes

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Appendix B

Here is the link to my blog: emilybarbara5.wordpress.com

Blog Post 1: Greetings!!!!

Hey y’all! I am doing a Civic and Community Engagement Project for my Intro to

Gender and Women’s Studies class at Kennesaw State University! I wanted to start a blog that

highlights the differences between how men and women are viewed in the media. This has

always been an interest of mine for some unexplained reason. As well as posting articles and

commentary about gender views in the media, I thought I would also add posts on feminism.

Since coming to college my ideas and views I believe in as well as others have obviously been

altered-some in good ways and some in bad. I hope my blog will allow people to look at social as

well as political media in a different way. I also hope my blog will allow me to express my

beliefs and ideas creatively and to allow readers to engage in open-minded, constructive

discussions. I am extremely excited and hope to follow-up with posts even after my class ends!

Thanks for reading, and I hope y’all enjoy! -Emily Anne

Blog Post 2: “…Nobody Asks a Guy That”

Today I came across an article that I found to be comical. It probably had no intention of

being funny; however, when people raise questions on how a woman has yet to start a family and

is questioned as to why, I cannot help but laugh. The article is here:

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http://mic.com/articles/112910/12-women-who-had-the-best-response-tosociety-s-biggestexpecta

tion?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexcha

nge_facebook

After reading this article I took in the responses the celebrities said. Some of the women had

good points such as Maris Tomei and Jennifer Aniston. Other responses like the comedian

Margaret Cho and Kim Cattrall were hilarious and probably how I would respond as well.

Though on a serious note, why are women asked this question and not men? Pause. Women have

the right on whether or not to have children. It is their body and they can decide on if they want

to reproduce or not. As Gloria Steinem put it “Everybody with a womb doesn’t have to have a

child any more than everybody with vocal cords has to be an opera singer”. They should not be

questioned on when they are going to have children or why they do not have children yet. That is

like asking someone “why are you a vegetarian?”, obviously because it is their choice and none

of your business. Why are you asking successful women who are obviously more in love with

finishing their career than starting a family why they do not have kids? Jennifer Aniston

definitely left her mark on the question and hopefully shot it down for good by saying “…There

are all sorts of reasons why children aren’t in people’s lives, and no one has the right to assume.

It’s quite rude, insulting, and ignorant.”

Blog Post 3: Child stars in the Media Today: Why do They Make Us Feel Uncomfortable?

I love to watch dance videos. I think that dance is such a beautiful form of art. It’s

expressive, entertaining, and at times edgy. Especially when the dancer is Maddie Ziegler- best

known for originally being on “Dance Moms” as well as recently being the starlet for Sia’s
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music videos. She represents talent, determination, and maturity. However, why is it that people

feel uneasy by her latest music videos with Sia? According to this article, more and more people

are feeling uneasy about both Ziegler as well as Sophia Grace Brownlee:

http://www.thefader.com/2015/01/12/the-creepiest-thing-about-popschild-stars-is-us

In the article, Aimee Cliff provides facts as to why there is such an uneasy feeling for the

recognition of both child stars. The majority of commentators on both Ziegler and Brownlee’s

performances respond with how the girls are being sexualized. Cliff brings in concrete evidence

that being sexualized at a young age by the audience is just “part of the package”. As Cliff writes

“...it’s tough for young girls to grow up in a society where exploitation is everywhere”. However,

I love how she includes the opposing side for boys. She lists off boys that around the same time

of Ziegler and Brownlee’s performances were also slowly emerging into fame. She comments on

how the boys lacked sexual exploitation and if anything were joked about how many girls they

would get for being famous. Sounds like a double standard to me. To sum up the article as a

whole, I loved when Cliff writes “…you’re never too young to be held up to society’s impossible

beauty standards, it seems”, because it is true. Women are surrounded by these ideals the media

faces us with yet when we break free from those ideals people feel “uncomfortable”.

Blog Post 4: Where Were These Women When I Was Looking For a Role Model?

I came across a Buzzfeed article some time ago, and I just wanted to share it. I do not

normally watch the news or keep up with current events because I have enough on my plate;

however, I feel even if I did I would not have heard of these women’s stories. They are truly
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inspiring and yeah, I’ll say it, badass! Here is the article:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/badass-women-alert#.duzlArjM7M
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Works Cited

Brinkman, Britney G., et al. "College Women’S Reflections On Media Representations Of

Empowerment." ​Psychology Of Popular Media Culture​ 4.1 (2015): 2-17.

PsycARTICLES. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Coward, Roaslind. "The Body Beautiful." ​An Introduction to Women's Studies: Gender in a

Transnational World.​ By Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan. Boston: McGraw-Hill

Higher Education, 2006. 345-48. Print.

De Jesus, Arthur Y., et al. "Media Internalization And Conformity To Traditional Masculine

Norms In Relation To Body Image Concerns Among Men." ​Eating Behaviors​ (2015):

ScienceDirect.​ Web. 28 Apr. 2015.