Hello class, I want to first start by saying that I was unable to post my blog on friday because my internet was down, and for that I am very sorry for the inconvinience.
My current event event was about how women are being apart of advertisements that can be offensive and unhealthy for other women viewers, specifiacally in this article, the popular women's fashion store: Victoria's Secret. Women inn the nineteenth and early twentyeth century were not as obsessed or concerned about having the "perfect" body to fit into society. Women wanted to be appriciated not by their looks, but by their career acomplishments including suffrage and equal rights.
As you may already know, Victoria's Secret uses models to advertise the desighner's clothing that possess physical qualities of what society would desribe as the "perfect" body image. These advertisements put a negative outlook on what an average women's body image is and what it should be. Researchers clause it as "unhealthy sexualization" concluding with the fact that many young women and children feel they have to be "perfect" and look like the super models on television in order to get the right man and society to notice them. Many of these researchers such as Nicole Clark are trying to make the point to other women and young teenagers that physical apperance does not matter in order to be successfull and be happy, they encourage viewers to raise their self esteem, and love themselves for who they are and their intellegence to pursue a fulfilled career.
In your opinion, do you belive what is wrong and disrespectful for desighner clothing lines to advertise women with socieies ideal "perfect" physical qualities in order to grab the viewers and men's attention to a women? Also in a more broad term, do you think women today are being more taken notice for physical appearance than being noticed for a woman's moral and career based acomplishments such as politics and sciences?
For more information on this topic, go to: http://www.ourhometown.ca/lifestyle/RK0010.php
I think that it is very wrong and disrespectful to display such unrealistic body images because it makes many people feel ashamed of whom they are because they do not look like models. The ideal body image that is being portrayed in magazines, TV, and all over the media are is not even healthy. It is ridiculous so propose such an unrealistic and unhealthy image because barley anyone can look like that. The media strongly encourages ideas such as weight loss or dieting, and they have such skinny models that it gives the message to the public that their body isn’t ideal. Although America does have a high obesity rate, a vast amount of the population does not need to lose weight even though they are being encouraged or pressured to by the media and society. Also, I think that women are being judged on their appearance rather than their knowledge or skills because society and the media constantly stress the importance of appearance and body image.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren that it is wrong and disrespectful to advertise women with the "perfect" and "ideal" body image. It sends a message to all of the women watching that they need to look like the "ideal" woman too. However, many of the women who have the "ideal" body image have had severe weight loss and other health problems. It is almost impossible to look like the "ideal" woman. It is also suggested that the women who have the "ideal" body image always get the "best men" and most popularity. However, women who don't have the "ideal" body image are just as capable. I definately think women are more noticed for their looks instead of their education because that is what is advertised.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all. In the Victoria secret fashion show at now point does any designer reffer to these women as perfect. They are Victoria secret angels not Victoria secret perfect women. Women are taking the media all wrong apperently. Some women are honestly just thin and or curvy some have a bigger bust than others and how you interprit the media is you're own opinion and I personaly haven't seen an ad recently that showed a thin body with large but that said perfect anywhere on it. If I chose to think that women was beautiful and with my own insecruties wanted to be just like her that's my own thought process not the media feeding it to me. What I have seen in media everywhere lately is athletic women with completely achievable bodies and too much makeup. I don't see anything wrong with that at all. The media I have consumed gives Healthy diet advice and people everywhere for no reason are taking healthy diet advice as the unachievable skinny. Completely ridiculous to say that. The media is showing a lot of genuinly beautiful curvy women as well. Having said that today I also saw an ad of a famous person in vanity fair entirely naked for a prefume. It was clear she was airbrushed and photo edited for the photoshoot. So yes there is media that isn't realistic and that is unjust. I think people takethe media how ever people wantto ingest it and that doesn't make the media at fault for what they print. Just the same way you can't blame food for making you fat. It was your choice to eat it,over, and over again. As far as women being taken notice for their accomplishments instead of their bodies this is infact a huge problem. Celebrities are focused on being beautiful and popular and we fallow those news stories about Jessica simpons sister getting a nose job more than we do Hilary clintons latest campeign. This isn't to say there aren't tons and tons are incredibably successful women changing the world tremendously. His just says America is more interested in mindless news instead. As upseting as it is it is true. I think if we showed more CNN and less E news tonight young girls would have different role models. But they can only look up to what they have been exposed to and that is sad. Similarly to the Hitler youth groups; if they had any other options maybe those kids would have thought differently but they were forced to think certain way. That is an extreme of course
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is wrong and disrespectful of the companies to use the "ideal" body image of women because it is their choice, and probably a good marketing strategy. The problem is with society in general. I believe that our society, today, puts more of a public emphasis on looks than intelligence. The truth is that the women with the "ideal" body shape get more attention. The Victoria Secret model will get more attention than a Harvard-grad lawyer. So, in conclusion, I agree with Chelsea in that young children being depressed that they do not have the Victoria Secret Angel bodies, it is due to personal insecurities, and the blame should not be placed on designer and retail companies.
ReplyDeleteI am undecided on this issue because I agree with both sides of the argument. I see how Chelsea thinks that the issue is not what is being portrayed in the media, but how people are interpreting it. However, I think that it is very easy to agree with Laura and Lauren's argument that is it unrealistic and unhealthy how women's bodies are being exploited. In my opinion for specifically for Victoria's Secret, the company is trying to market and sell merchandise and they are doing it with adds and pictures of women who look good in the underwear and bras because they think that is what is going to make it sell. On the other had, I can completely understand how people are thinking that it is setting a bad example for women and girls to feel like they need to be "perfect", but like Chelsea said, no one is dubbing the Victoria Secret Models as perfect, they just seem to look that way. On a different note, today, women are definitely being recognized more for their physical appearance than for their smarts and politics, which is extremely wrong in my opinion. I do think media has a great deal to do with this because as Greg stated women were not as concerned with their looks in the 19th and 20th century simply because their was not much media or pressure for women to feel that way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrea because I am also undecided about this issue. Chelsea is right about every person having their own opinions of the media, but also it is wrong to have the media encourage women (not men) to achieve a body that could be potentially unhealthy for that person. Every women is different; different heights, weights, bone structure, and skin color. Not everyone is going to be able to achieve the "media's" ideal body, and that is perfectly alright. Obviously, everyone wants to look the best they can when it comes to their body image, and as long as the women is doing it in a healthy way, I see no problem in it. I don't like the message that media sends that only "certain women" with "certain body types" look the best in certain clothes. Women should not feel like they have to live up to models in the media because most of them are unhealthy. I think that this mostly goes to younger girls that see in magazines how they should look and try to achieve that as say a twelve year old. The media should pay more attention to their viewers, and think of how this could affect women's health in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura and Lauren that it these models and people we see on TV aren't what people should be looking towards for their goal. It is disrespectful to portray women like that and make it seem that that is pretty, and if you don't look like that, you're not pretty. This reminds me of when little girls play with barbies. The barbie doll symbolizes the most perfect woman, in some people's opinion. She is tall, skinny, blonde, and has many clothes and accessories. Little girls that play with the barbies may think that they are supposed to look like that if they want to be pretty. In reality, if anybody actually looked like a barbie, they would be severely underweight and not healthy at all. The media shows girls to be naturally pretty like that, but that is no way all natural. I read an article with a Victoria Secret model and she said that nine days before the show, she goes to an all liquid diet. Then a day before the show, she only drinks water. The day of the show she doesn't eat or drink anything. That just doesn't seem healthy to me. Yes, I think that women are being noticed for their looks rather than their accomplishments in life. We have heard of every star or celebrity and their workouts so they can look the way they do. While, we never hear about the latest researchers done in science by many amazing women who are changing our world.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is wrong to a point. i mean think of it this way, a woman isn't forced into wearing there clothes and get pictures taken. They choose to show off their body and make money from it. I do believe that woman are noticed more for looks rather then career accomplishments. But times have changed and it the way things work now. but there are some very successful woman that are noticed by their career/political achievements.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrea and Crystal about being undecided about this whole issue. Like with what Lauren and Laura said about it being wrong for these companies to use these models because it makes other people feel bad. The media makes these models seem to be the "ideal" women and what every girl should strive to look like. Little girls watching ads for lingerie or the Victoria Secret's Fashion Show (which was a pretty good show) might think that is what they have to look like. Also I see what Chelsea is saying about some people just interpreting the media wrong. In my opinion, I think it is just business. The companies feel that they are going to sell more if they use skinny models. With how women are being noticed today, I agree with my classmates that they are mostly being noticed for their appearance. I think men would be more interested in seeing a lingerie model than say like a women astronomer. Men don't really care that much. They mostly look for how attractive they are. For example, on Youtube if you see a video with a thumbnail with an attractive girl on it, most likely there will be a lot of comments from guys saying how hot she is. They don't really care what the video is about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrea and Crystal. I am pretty much in the middle of the argument. I think plastering these perfect looking women on media does underlying influence women to want to become those people. I recall watching a tv show that focus on fat camp and it showed one of the characters using pictures of skinny models from magazines as their inspiration. In a way it is good thing because they look up to those people for inspiration and a way to become healthier but they are seeing those girls and thinking that is the way they have to be in order to be happy. They may cause them to do things such as starve themselves or become bulimic in order the reach the high standards of society. i agree with Lauren with the fact that the images all over media are almost unrealistic to achieve. But I also think that recenetly we have been experiencing a change in media. I think that we are starting to recognize the problems with putting these perfect women all over the tv. I have seen many shows portraying a large women as beautiful and successful. Take "Glee"; there is a large character named Mercedes. She embraces being large. Her being apart of the show, shows girls that you can be big and beautiful and a successful next to any girl skinnier than you. I agree with Chelsea with the fact that women are taking media the wrong way. Just because men enjoy those perfect women on tv, doesn't mean they won't take you for who you are. I am sure that women think the same about the perfect looking men on tv. The media is just something for us to look at and people need to start realizing that it shouldn't take over your life and who you are. Media also isn't putting these perfect women on tv and suggesting weight loose to make the rest of America's women perfect but make America healthier. As for acknowledging women more for their looks than their achievements academically or politcally, it's because most of media is targeted to teens and quite obviously most teens are interested in the way someone looks and what cool outfit they are sports or what their hair and make up looks like. As teens we want to be entertained, not educated when we are watching tv or reading magazines. Media should be equally representating all types of women and all the great things they do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tervor, that it is wrong to a point. They don’t actually come out and say this is what you have to be like, and no one is forcing them to be like them. The woman that they are taking the pictures fit the qualifications of the job just like any other job in the world. I feel that it is more evenly split, woman today are being recognized for there accomplishments in almost all fields. Also they are being noticed for their physical appearance due to the media and the way some are portrayed in it. I believe that it is about equal.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrea, I am also undecided on which side of the argument to agree with. I do think that it is unfair for younger girls to think that they need to look like Victoria Secret models to be “perfect” in someone else’s eyes. On the other hand, it is the models jobs, and like other people have stated, it is their option to participate in the runways and the photo shoots. Although people are focused on the looks of these girls it is true that more people are interested in the physical appearance of the models and not on intelligence.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Victoria's secret company is not trying to represent women as the perfect form. I believe that Victoria's Secret is just trying to advertise their product and showing their product on the best case scenario is the best way to represent what the consumer would be purchasing. By showing the women is just the lingerie is not trying to skew the vision of women. The people that are saying that they are trying to change the view of women should speak out to the public and show that they are in fact very smart and a great asset to the work force.
ReplyDeleteI am undecided for the most part. I have a problem with it because the same could be said about men. I don't know about anybody else, but I sure as don't look like the guys in the Hanes commercials. I accept the fact that these people look good for the job hat they are in. By no means do I think that they have the perfect body, and on top of that, by seeing these people in commercials,I do not get angered because I do not look like them. Moving on to the women, I can see why people get upset, but I think it is ridiculous that they are. If all people looked the same,I can venture a guess that people would find something to complain about then too. It's a simple fact that people look different from each other, and some of those people may be in a better position to have their bodies modeled on television. Personally, When I see a women on the front of a Victoria's Secret poster, I think of them in the exact same way I would if a woman was working construction. So in conclusion, I truly believe that this is a rather small issue that really should not be an area of hatred and disgust for women.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is very disrespectful because these people are making younger women and teenagers believe that they need to have the perfect body shape. Some people have eating disorders and have self esteem issues due to the societies view on what the "perfect" body should look like. I also agree that women are being judged on their physical appearance and not their personality appearance. People in the United States look at looks and not how great some people accomplishments that have been made. Everyday women are being judged on what they look like not their personality.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is extremely disrespectful of the Victoria’s Secrets company to represent woman the way they do, because they are making the viewers that are mostly younger woman and teenagers, believe that they too need to have the perfect body figure! I do not think it is intentional that the company tries to make women make themselves skinny- I believe that Victoria’s Secrets is just trying to advertise their clothes on the best model, to make the most money of course. Although, the outcome of these types of advertisement could be self esteem issues due to the media’s “perfect” body image- could result in greater diseases. Everyday women are being judged on what they look like not their personality. And by showing the women in just lingerie with their tiny figures is only promoting that.
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