Chapter 3: The Media

Do you think what you see in the media is realistic?

Do they feature the types of girls and women you consider role models?

Do media images make you feel empowered and confident, or unsure of yourself, your abilities and your appearance?

What’s do you think is missing from media images?

Comments

[yishun]

i'm very confused today: i read somewhere recently that the french media is villifying the american model of beauty.
that i don't so much have a problem with. what i do have a problem with is that this new french standard focuses all on makeup. now there's a new look going around in paris, dubbed "unmadeup," and it's all about how "looking" natural is the way to go.
now i'm confused, because whatever happened to *being* natural? i mean, really!
and then, while we're at it, how about if we stop criticizing ourselves, and start celebrating what we have?
geezum.

[g]

Of course the media isn't realistic! They've been doctored up, to be made to look perfect. I read an amzing article in Discovery Girls recently, where they took an eleven year old, and after six hours of make-up, she looked about 20, and all her blemishes were gone! And that was just after make-up!

They do NOT feature my role-models. (Apart from Julia Roberts, because she's never done a sex scene, which think is cool) My role models are people who pursued their dreams, even when people told them they'd never do it.

Media images make me feel empowered? HA! They used to make me feel inferior and ugly. Then I started reading among other things, your blog, and I no longer feel that way!

What's missing from the media? REAL PEOPLE, that's what!
I hope this wasn't too long! :)

Do you think what you see in the media is realistic?
definitely not. 99% of the people in the world do not look like what the media portrays. the media does that so that we will try to buy thigns to change ourselves so they can make money.

Do they feature the types of girls and women you consider role models?
smart, intelligent, independent women who are making a difference in the world and are trying to change it for the better should be our role models. but i admit that since celebrities are the people getting the praise, fame, money, and accolades, its easier to want to be like them, than a scientist working to cure cancer
Do media images make you feel empowered and confident, or unsure of yourself, your abilities and your appearance?
media images make me feel unsure of myself and make me think there is something wrong with me.

What’s do you think is missing from media images?
i think realistic portrayls of what women look like is missing from the media. its rare for them media to be honest and portray real what is real. instead, they create this fantasy world of glamour, glitz, magazine shoots, and fashion. but hey, who can blame them really... sometimes, i'll admit, thats what we prefer to see. like its kind of an escape from the mundane, everyday drudgeries of life and gives us something to aspire to.

[Miranda]

Umm...realistic? Heck no! Realistic is not spending 10 hours or more getting made up, and then spending another two hours or more being retouched digitally, and then having your head digitally combined with some other "hot" model's body 'cause according to the media you're just not skinny enough, even though you exercise five hours a day and starve yourself.

In the media, the only women and girls featured are famous for being super-skinny. Those are definitely not people I admire! And the media definitely makes me feel unsure! I have a lot of insecurities about my body, especially my legs, and when I see those super-skinny models, well...let's just say I'm not too proud of my body.

What's missing from media images? Everything that's inside, and everything that counts, about girls and women!

[Teacher/Counselor]

FYI, Julia Roberts HAS done some sex scenes! Have you seen Sleeping With the Enemy? Anyway, I work with young girls and I think it's sad how unrealistic all of the images in the media are! Most of my 6th graders feel really good about themselves but by the time I teach them again in the 8th grade they have all kinds of weird hang-ups about the way they look. And they're all such neat PEOPLE...it's sad that our culture doesn't focus enough on what's on the INside.

[julia]

do i think what i see in the media is realistic no of course not being ditigly modified or whatever they call it to me is not real.

the people i consideras role models are people like cindy klausen or some music bands maybe. definatly NOT models.

i wouldn't say the media mkes me feel confident but it doesn't make me feel unsure of myself either.

what do i think is missing from the media images how about realisticness???? is that how you spell that? i aso don't see rea happiness in models faces they are really really fake.

[Alicia & Via]

We think that what everyone sees in the medai is completley unrealistic. first of all, we know as a fact that they are all airbrushed. Secondly, we know that magazines will take two separate photos and put them together in order to create headlines. for example, the cover of a STAR magazine had the headline: Brad and Angelina cought together on vacation!!! this was actually a complete lie. Angelina and Brad were looking in separate directions, but tests show that they were looking directly at the sun!!!!!!!!!!!!! We think that the fact that people actually do good is completly overlooked. That thing with shakira was amazing!!! But did you see a huge headline on it? NO. The media was too obsessed with Lindsay Lohan's new hair color and Paris Hilton's wild night! The media does not feature the king of women that we should look up to. The media just wants us to think that we should be like Paris or Lindsay but we shouldn't WE think that being like them is totally insane and unhealthy. We think that Shakira and others who do good despite their fame. Although a celebrity, Shakira built a school for 1800 columbian kids. We find that more interesting than stars' new hair color or use of some new beauty product.

you know what the media is missing? real people. The models u c r airbrushed and fixed up on computers. The media want u to think that it is normal to spend hours a day fixing your makeup when in reality the natural look in my opinion is the way to go and so much prettier. you should be happy with who u r and nothing in the world should change that!I feel sorry for the people advertised in the media because probably alot of the time they feel as if there body isn't good enough and thats why they r airbrushed. they r always under constant pressure to get skinner, get a tan or have your legs waxed when this is something u have to decide to do on your own. it should not be under peer pressure.

Lauren
11

[Phoebe]

nothing in the media is realistic for those who advertise a product that gets girls to get the silly 'look'. And they make up stories about people who actually looked better after using the product or service. haha, very funny.
the media always featured celebrtities and unless they are hard working actors and singers, they are my role models as they work hard. models don't work hard. lets face that now.
the media images are all a fake. they make you feel that you are fat or you don't have the look or look nice. as long as you have eyes, ears, a noce and a mouth.... and all your body parts, you got the look already.
what do i think is missing from media images?? the realistic!!! It so un realistic!! I mean, We ALL know that those are fake. no one can cry and look good at the same time!! I mean, cry and look at the mirror. how nice do you look???? Their images don't make sense!!

[CJ]

Roll models!!!!!!!!!??????????????????? Jee whiz, all these girls and women do is starvee them selves to look pretty! Why would i consider them as roll models!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:(

[CJ]

Roll models!!!!!!!!!??????????????????? Jee whiz, all these girls and women do is starve them selves to look pretty! Why would i consider them as roll models!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:(