Essay on Medias Unrealistic Portrayal of the Ideal Body

Media exists in many forms; billboard ads, television ads, magazine ads, newspapers, websites etc. Daily advertisements surround us every step of the way from the skies to subways, and from our work to our homes. It’s unthinkable what impact do these advertisements play in the lives of many people. Media is a very strong tool to have control of because it has great influence on the mind of the viewer and also sometimes creates norms that the society starts to incorporate in the â€Å"Normal norms.† Media promotes the young and adult to disfigure their bodies by portraying an â€Å"ideal† body image for men as muscular and women to be thin as being beautiful in today’s world. The image of the ideal body and beauty for men and women in the world†¦show more content†¦These are the same people that start to incorporate these unrealistic standards in to their lives and lives of others. As stated by Ewen in captains of consciousness, â€Å"Their ads, they felt, must dramatize this competition and ceremonialize the victory of the new life style.† (Page 161) During the last couple of decades media has made thinness as a new fashion for women and being muscular for men. For instance if you visit any clothing website the first image you would most likely see after their special offers are models. These models would be of well built men with open shirts (sometimes) to reveal the abs and also of women that are thin in sexy clothing. An example Armani Exchange main website (image page 4), first thing you see is a man and woman sitting by each other in revealing clothing showing off their bodies rather than the clothing for which this ad was made for. This is just one company to name but all big clothing companies such as Express, Gucci, (image page 4) and Polo Ralph Lauren all have attractive â€Å"Ultra thin† women and men with 6 pack abs on their websites, billboards, and run ways but not one image of a â€Å"normal† man or woman anywhere to be seen. Another thing that Ewen had said in captains of consciousness was how â€Å"The real insecurity women felt about â€Å"what a woman should be† is clearly manipulated in these ad of the twenties.† (Page 179)Show MoreRelated Enjoyment of Being a Girl: Overcoming Industry Standards Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pagesportrayed how the average woman looks. These portrayals can lead to loss of self-esteem and also weight loss. Women should know that they need their spiritual health to live happily and not be influenced by the images that the media portray as the â€Å"perfect† body. 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