Does Media Misrepresent Women Social Media Changing Methods Advertising?

¶ … Media Misrepresent Women? For a long period of time, hundreds of commercials, movies, as well as TV shows have in one way or another misrepresented women by either objectifying them or presenting them as the weaker sex. It is important to note from the onset that the media plays a significant role in our lives. In addition to shaping our politics, the media also influences the way we think and relate with one another.

In the final analysis therefore, how women are represented in the media matters a lot with regard to how they are viewed and/or treated in the real world. There are numerous instances of women misrepresentation in the media. This is particularly the case in advertising. It is important to note that people are shaped by not only the culture but also the environment in which they are brought up. Today's advertisements bombard our kids with images of scantily dressed women advertising all sorts of merchandise.

A look at the mainstream media brings to the fore the extent of women misrepresentation in the media. While the negative depiction of women most particularly in advertising could be mild, representations could in some instances be highly eroticized and sexualized. Sexual objectification of women as Carilli and Campbell point out is in most cases "achieved by exploiting their sexuality, or by fragmenting the female body into eroticized zones such as hair, face, legs, breasts, etc." (4).

In an attempt to display an ideal form, women are also routinely dehumanized in mass media presentations. In some other numerous instances, the picture of women that is brought out is that of objects of pleasure. To illustrate this point, I have in the exhibits section of this text presented a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement in which case a guy is seen leaning over a lady who has her back raised in a seductive way. Some other guys are pictured standing nearby.

In essence, the posture assumed by the lady is largely submissive while that assumed by the men captured in the picture is authoritative and perhaps threatening. This in my view is a perfect example of objectification and dehumanization of women in mass media. Although things could be changing, the media continues to paint a very faulty picture of the "ideal" woman. The "ideal" woman should according to this outlook be compliant and submissive.

Further, the ideal woman as is evident in so many commercials should have flawless skin and teenager looks. Understandably, we cannot do without the media in its various forms. It is through the media that we get informed, educated, and even entertained. However, it is also through the media that our values are modified and/or shaped. Over time, this portrayal of women in the media becomes a norm and not long afterwards, a societal ideology.

Those who are constantly exposed to such advertisements end up developing their own ideologies of how women should behave and/or act. In essence, women end up seeing themselves as mere sex objects. In some other instances, a woman's ego and self-esteem can be negatively affected. Misrepresentation of women in the media has many negative effects. Key amongst these is the resulting real world misconception of women. To rein in the said misrepresentation, we must all be prepared to make the relevant changes in areas that matter.

On this front, people could start by boycotting all the publications and other media products that in one way or the other objectify women and instead patronize those that do not. Klenke on the other hand recommends that women reject jobs that degrade them (126). Further, it pays to put more women in charge. In my opinion, should more women be allowed to "pilot the plane," significant gains could be realized.

Allowing women to run the media would be a step in the right direction as it would allow them to tell their story. Other than focus on the often flawed concept of a "perfect" and "ideal" woman, the media should instead focus on the positive attributes of the modern woman. This way, it could help in the creation of appropriate role models for today's youth. The media plays a significant role in the creation of consciousness.

Further, it is a powerful persuasive force especially with regard to the shaping of our cultural norms. What gets put out there is of great importance as far as the progress of women in today's society is concerned. In the final analysis therefore, we should all play a prominent role in the presentation of an accurate message about women. Is Social Media Changing the Methods of Advertising? The social media has made it possible for businesses and advertisers alike to.