The Ugly Truth About Society

Recently, I turned on the television and a woman appeared on the screen wearing nothing but a bikini and high heels. With makeup piled on her face and a can in her hand, she was “advertising” for an energy drink. Switching the channel, a muscular man appeared without a shirt and was holding a pack of deodorant. Unfortunately, this scenario is common. 

(Example of advertisement objectifying women) 

To me, the most frequent and significant examples of sexism occur within our media today. Subtle messages in advertisements like these have the power to influence how we view both ourselves and other individuals. Such messages are often misrepresentations of society and negatively impact our perceptions of beauty and appearance for both males and females. 

Today, the media frequently sexualizes women in order to sell products. In doing so, the average female believes that she must fit a specific stereotype in order to be accepted in society. According to “Miss Representation,” a non-profit campaign and media organization created to develop awareness about the misrepresentation of women in the media, “The number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youth 18 or younger more than tripled from 1997 to 2007.” 

Clearly, the media holds a significant amount of power in establishing gender roles within society. Trust me, I understand how easily it is to succumb to advertisements and other aspects of the media. I remember recently flipping through a magazine and commenting how “perfect” Emma Stone looked in her advertisement for Revlon Products. Despite the amount of airbrush and Photoshop techniques that went into the advertisement, I allowed myself to fall into the trap and compare myself to an unrealistic image. 

In order to resolve the misrepresentations and establish equality for men and women through the media, we must improve our media literacy. We cannot buy into what the media believes we should look, act or feel like. We must honor positive advertisements and other forms of media in order to limit the role that negative advertisements and media play in our lives. 

Halloween Costume Sparks Controversy

Over the past few weeks, I noticed on my Facebook page that many of my friends were posting campaigns to remove a Halloween costume from HalloweenParty2013.com. After further research, I came to learn that the costume featured a skeleton dress with a measuring tape belt and a badge labeled "Anna Rexia." The website went further to create a tagline with the costume stating that, "You can never be too rich or too thin." Below is a video that discusses the costume:                            

In turn, this Halloween costume has faced a vast amount of criticism and illustrates the issue of making light of body image disorders, including anorexia. The video above demonstrates backlash against the costume by including comments from others, including an Independent blogger. Her comment includes, "A skeleton costume is understandable – traditional even – but attempting to turn Anorexia into something sexy by throwing it on a plastic, fake boobed, airbrushed, blonde sex bomb? There are no words." 

I, too, was outraged by this Halloween costume. The idea of making fun of a serious illness that affects nearly 8 million Americans is uncalled for and unnecessary. In addition, I agreed with the blogger's comment that illustrates the issues of identity and appearance through figures that misrepresent the average female. It is important to note how the media is sending the message that the values of girls and women lie in the appearance, because this can cause women to feel worthless and disempowered. 

Throughout my investigation of this Halloween costume, I've realized the incredible role of media and the impact it has on appearance. Without the backlash of bloggers and commentators, or the coverage of mainstream news media, including Huffington Post, the "Anna Rexia" Halloween costume would have been deemed acceptable. While I am disgusted by the creators, manufacturers, and sellers of this costume, I am also proud of the multitude of people that stepped up and acted upon their feelings by speaking out against the costume. 

Through blogging, online campaigns, and other discussions, I hope that people continue to raise their voice and awareness of the dangers of the media, therefore teaching media literacy. So, readers, I challenge you to do the same. Whether you comment on my blog, sign an online petition, or simply speaking to friends and family, my goal is to engage others and teach them to recognize the power of the media in terms of our perspectives on appearance and identity.