Female Representations

Whether on television, in the movies, or on billboards and advertisements, women are represented in very stereotypical ways. As a woman, I am sickened by the portrayal of FEMALES in the media. Ever since I was young I found myself looking up to the images of beauty that we are exposed to. An image of a tall, skinny woman with the perfect hair, skin and body. I looked at myself and found great discrepancies between my image in the mirror and the image that is always in our face the "ideal" yet unattainable look. I could choose to disregard the fakeness and the facade, but I realize this is nearly impossible because the image is everywhere, wherever I go. Becoming aware and educated about the invalidity of the female forms that we are exposed to is important considering the growing number of women and now children who are dissatisfied with their appearance. We feel that if we are to be acknowledged by men, we must look like the fake image of women that we see in different media every single day. The truth is even these women have been digitally altered and enhanced to display the most ideal size and look. I think that there needs to be more education and outreach in grade and middle schools to teach girls that they are perfectly normal the way they are and that there is not only one size, shape and look that can be considered beautiful.

Cultivation of the Masses

Another Theory we discussed in our class is Gerbner's Cultivation Theory. This theory explains the effects of the mass media as teaching a common worldview. The various media content that we are exposed to often creates a picture of the same kind of people or characters, limiting the exposure of the diversity that is inherent in our actual world. Typically, characters in sitcoms and other shows tend to be portrayed as middle class and the jobs they hold are similar and conform to gender-role stereotypes. Women are teachers or nurses while men are often show as lawyers or businessmen. As viewers, we are repeatedly exposed to the same types of people on the shows that are aired on television. As we watch these people, we are taught that all people are alike and come from the same type of life situation WHICH COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!! We are all different, and instead of forcing one idea of how we are to live, television should reflect the reality and diversity of people in our world.

Monopoly Creates Monotony

Learning a bit about how the business of music and entertainment production works, I am baffled by the restrictions that are created by the monopoly that is in place. With one entity in control, and their main focus in their pocketbooks there is little room for variety or innovation. Considering the state of "popular" music, there seems to be a themed pattern of artisits that the media corporations know will make money. These media corporations then boost the popularity of the artist of their chooseing and repeateddly expose the public to their image and their music through commercials, concert promotions, retail merchandising etc. We are repeatedly exposed to something on so many levels that this artist gets in our head regardless of their talent or if we as media consumers genuinely like their music. It is disturbing to think that we are perpetually brainwashed by the media. If more people were educated about the control that the media has over our choices in entertainment, we may be able to resist the monotonous exposure of what the media corporations are trying to bank on. I only wish that their was more variety and freedom of thinking when it comes to choosing what we expose ourselves to but this becomes difficult when their is only one entity in control.

Reaction to Uses and Graftification Perspective

According to the Uses and Gratification Perpective we as users of media choose what we expose ourselves to according to how we feel. It claims that we use the media to regulate our moods and that we are fully free to choose what we watch. In reality,we are bombarded by and exposed to content of the media that we do not choose. We are not in control of the effects that media could have on us and we are vulnerable to messages and subliminal content that is displayed on television and in other forms of media. We may choose the programs that we view but through viewing, we are not immune to the effects that different media can have on our thoughts, actions, perceptions and behavior.

Reality TV

It is amazing today when we turn on the television the number of reality programs that are out there. I am amazed and somewhat disgusted at the content of many of these programs that supposedly show "real" life and all of its varied content. The truth is half or more of these programs are staged, casted and edited to fit the viewership and audience that watch these programs. I recently read an article about the reality of reality tv and found that most of it is fabricated for the highest entertainment value. If television were to broadcast real-life time in anyone's life, there would undoubtedly be alot of boring lulls and repeated tasks that are edited out in the process of creating the "reality" of a reality television show. Watching someone use the bathroom, sleep, go to work or drive seems boring but if reality tv were actually real, this is what we would see and nobody would watch (unless they have some strange interest in monotony and other peoples toilet habits or driving skills).

Mass Media Concerns

There are far too many sources of information we are currently bombarded with, it is hard to discern the validity of new information as it is presented to us.