Body image in the media?

Question

I am doing a project on body image in the media, what are your views on this, and what do you know about it?

Thankyou

xx

Answer 1

It can be extremely hard when presented with stick thin people with enormous round b*****s to retain a balanced view of what a normal body should look like. It is particularly hard because it is impossible to avoid. Even so-called "higher" newspapers like The Times show skinny models and seem to consider anybody about a size 12 to be above average weight. It is impossible to simply not consume the media like the person who first answered suggested, because it is everywhere. You enter a shop and all you see - not even on the top shelf - are girls with tiny waists, flat stomachs, and huge bossoms. Amd when this is what you;re confronted with every day, it is hard to remember that bodies arent supposed to be like that. Even I occasionally find myself comparing my body to those that I see all around, even though I know that it's stupid.

Answer 2

People get the body images in media that they want, and ultimately, deserve.

By consuming it, they are reinforcing whatever stereotypes are present. The consumer is ultimately responsible for media content.

If they aren't happy with what they see, they should make a choice not to consume that media.

Answer 3

There has been a trend towards thin for a number of years.  In hollywood's early days the ideas of feminine beauty were definitely different, favoring more fuller figure women.

I think that it can definitely be a negative influence especially on young women.  They put too much emphasis on being thin and acheiving that "cover girl" look or conversely they rebel and go for almost the opposite look.  

Either way they are distracted from more important issues in their lives by spending too much time and expending too much of their valuable emotional, spiritual and psychological psyche on this one issue.