The Media vs YOUR Body Image!
For my response, I thought I would intersperse some of the positive messages with some of the negative ones. My reasoning behind this is to prove to you that media DOES impact your feelings about yourself. Even if it seems fleeting, doubt can grow rapidly. As you see the different images & messages, one at a time, take a moment to notice how it makes you feel and what thoughts go through your mind. Notice the difference between the “positive” and “negative” images.
This week is all about body image and self-esteem. All of the readings and sites were powerful. Some were difficult to read. Some were infuriating. But some were inspiring.
The media DOES impact how we feel about ourselves (male and female). Even if you have a strong self-esteem, good sense of self and a clear, positive body image, being bombarded with such messages can cause doubt. As an adult, I know how these images can make me feel bad.
The difference between me and a girl is that I know I don’t need to pay attention to these messages that can make me feel bad about myself. I will voice my opinion, loudly, at commercials that are ridiculous. I close the magazine that I thought was about health but turns out to be about being “perfect” and thin. I also use my power as a consumer to REFUSE to support companies that use negative tactics, while I consciously support companies that use positive sales approaches. I try to teach these things to my daughter.
As I read different things from the week, some were very difficult to read. For example, the story of the girl cutting herself made me quite uncomfortable. One article had aspects that made me very angry. USA Today’s “Do Thin Models Warp Girls’ Body Image?” covered a couple views on the matter. Kelly Cutrone owns a company that “produces fashion shows around the world”. She said that runway models are not normal or average and as such, should not have their look aspired to.
That being said, however, Cutrone went on to say that “Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better.” I was so infuriated by this statement, I could barely continue reading. It seems to me that Cutrone is saying that clothes look less than attractive on anyone who does not have the abnormal runway model figure. Does that mean the rest of us should stop wearing clothes altogether? Or should we simply wear whatever we can fit into, because it doesn’t matter- we won’t look good anyway.
Thankfully, I continued reading the article to find a much more agreeable outlook. Audrey Brashich was a model as a teen. She went on to write about the damage that can be caused to girls by the emphasis placed on thinness. Brashich says the problem is that "[t]he most celebrated, recognizable women today are famous primarily for being thin and pretty, while women who are actually changing the world remain comparatively invisible. Most of us have a harder time naming women of other accomplishments." The solution, she says, will only come when we as a culture decide to change our views of what is important.
Guys, I didn’t forget about you. Obviously, I don’t pay much attention to ads that are offensive or harmful to guys- simply they do not have an immediate impact on me. However, as a mom of a boy, I know that there are unrealistic expectations for all of you to have six-packs, be tough, tall, handsome, and (financially) successful. Not to mention the theme that you need to have sex with countless women in order to be considered a “real” man.
Many of the ads that are offensive to women (like Axe and Dolce & Gabbana) are offenders to men, as well, and of course, they are directed at men & boys. That being said, I sadly had a very difficult time finding normal portrayals of guys in ways that were not making fun of them. I found a few bad and could only find one semi-good image for you.
How do these images make you feel?-
http://www.dove.us/#/cfrb/girlsonly/media_smart.aspx/
How did each image change how you were feeling at the moment?
Did they change how you feel about yourself (if only for a moment)?
Which images (if any) made you feel good/positive/happy? Why do you think that is?
Which images made you feel negative/angry/sad/insecure/unhappy? What about the image do you think caused you to feel that way?
I’ve posted this before, but I think it is especially notable this week. I encourage all of you to visit OperationBeautiful.com and see how YOU can help “stop fat talk” and help people to feel GOOD about the way they look.
~Amanda W.
This week is all about body image and self-esteem. All of the readings and sites were powerful. Some were difficult to read. Some were infuriating. But some were inspiring.
The media DOES impact how we feel about ourselves (male and female). Even if you have a strong self-esteem, good sense of self and a clear, positive body image, being bombarded with such messages can cause doubt. As an adult, I know how these images can make me feel bad.
The difference between me and a girl is that I know I don’t need to pay attention to these messages that can make me feel bad about myself. I will voice my opinion, loudly, at commercials that are ridiculous. I close the magazine that I thought was about health but turns out to be about being “perfect” and thin. I also use my power as a consumer to REFUSE to support companies that use negative tactics, while I consciously support companies that use positive sales approaches. I try to teach these things to my daughter.
As I read different things from the week, some were very difficult to read. For example, the story of the girl cutting herself made me quite uncomfortable. One article had aspects that made me very angry. USA Today’s “Do Thin Models Warp Girls’ Body Image?” covered a couple views on the matter. Kelly Cutrone owns a company that “produces fashion shows around the world”. She said that runway models are not normal or average and as such, should not have their look aspired to.
That being said, however, Cutrone went on to say that “Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better.” I was so infuriated by this statement, I could barely continue reading. It seems to me that Cutrone is saying that clothes look less than attractive on anyone who does not have the abnormal runway model figure. Does that mean the rest of us should stop wearing clothes altogether? Or should we simply wear whatever we can fit into, because it doesn’t matter- we won’t look good anyway.
Thankfully, I continued reading the article to find a much more agreeable outlook. Audrey Brashich was a model as a teen. She went on to write about the damage that can be caused to girls by the emphasis placed on thinness. Brashich says the problem is that "[t]he most celebrated, recognizable women today are famous primarily for being thin and pretty, while women who are actually changing the world remain comparatively invisible. Most of us have a harder time naming women of other accomplishments." The solution, she says, will only come when we as a culture decide to change our views of what is important.
Guys, I didn’t forget about you. Obviously, I don’t pay much attention to ads that are offensive or harmful to guys- simply they do not have an immediate impact on me. However, as a mom of a boy, I know that there are unrealistic expectations for all of you to have six-packs, be tough, tall, handsome, and (financially) successful. Not to mention the theme that you need to have sex with countless women in order to be considered a “real” man.
Many of the ads that are offensive to women (like Axe and Dolce & Gabbana) are offenders to men, as well, and of course, they are directed at men & boys. That being said, I sadly had a very difficult time finding normal portrayals of guys in ways that were not making fun of them. I found a few bad and could only find one semi-good image for you.
How do these images make you feel?-
http://www.dove.us/#/cfrb/girlsonly/media_smart.aspx/
How did each image change how you were feeling at the moment?
Did they change how you feel about yourself (if only for a moment)?
Which images (if any) made you feel good/positive/happy? Why do you think that is?
Which images made you feel negative/angry/sad/insecure/unhappy? What about the image do you think caused you to feel that way?
I’ve posted this before, but I think it is especially notable this week. I encourage all of you to visit OperationBeautiful.com and see how YOU can help “stop fat talk” and help people to feel GOOD about the way they look.
~Amanda W.
Comments
Thanks for putting this together. I loved the campaign ads for positive body images.
I know what you mean about flipping through a magazine and sort of being conditioned to the ads. It's like you open a magazine prepared to feel badly about yourself. I am glad I have a better awareness now, so I can can spot many negative ads for what they are- regardless (or sometimes- in contradiction to) their context. It makes me feel good to know they can't trick me anymore. : )
~Amanda W.