In the 21st century it is considered that pop culture and the media advocate that women should strive to look and to behave in certain ways. This essay will explore how women are portrayed in the media and whether these portrayals are influencing young people today. Some people may consider that the portrayals of women, often seen in music videos, hip-hop and R&B in particular, are negative. The reason for this is that in these videos there seems to be a connection between selling a sexual image and the selling of the music itself. These images also appear in advertising but are also evident in other sectors of the media such as TV programmes, magazines, newspapers and video games.
It is arguable that music videos and advertising glamorize certain attitudes and society’s conceptions of women. A high proportion of music videos in particular, it may be argued, are aimed at young people. This essay will explore the extent to which young people between the ages of 12-16 are affected by the visual images presented to them. It will also analyze a variety of adverts, music videos and other aspects of media in order to show that what is presented to young people can have long-lasting impact. The writings of John Berger in his book Ways of Seeing (1972) and Laura Mulvey in her book Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema (1990) will be used to explain the meanings behind key examples, which portray women in a specific way. The essay will then go on to look at how these portrayals of women affect young people’s perceptions of themselves in terms of issues relating to sex, teen pregnancies, self image, eating disorders and general behaviour.
According to UK statistics in the last 10 years there has been an increase in eating disorders amongst females and males. Anorexia is the most common form and is most likely to strike during mid-teenage years. The highest rates are seen between 13-19 year olds and only 10% of these are men. Currently, in developing countries and black communities, anorexia nervosa appears rare. These statistics , it could be argued, indicate that a young woman’s ideal self image has become more prominent in the media, forcing more people to conform to satisfy a particular stereotypical image whereas, in developing nations, where there is a more restricted access to the media, the images of ‘ideal women’ place less emphasis on being thin.
It may also be argued that images created of women in the developed world -through television, music videos, magazines, video games, the Internet, movies, and music lyrics - show them to be thin, glamorous, leggy, stunningly ‘beautiful’ and that young girls follow this glamorous lead, feeling the need to conform because they believe men want them to look like this.
English art critic, novelist, painter and author John Berger explains that in European art, from the Renaissance and onwards, women were depicted as being aware of being seen (by a male). In Berger’s book, ‘Ways of Seeing’, he explores this phenomenon in modern society. Berger states, ‘Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.’ (1972, p47) This implies that women enjoy being looked at by men and behave in a way to allure. How a woman appears to men is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as success in life; this illustrates that looking the way men want her to look is an ambition a woman holds close to her heart. Having men look at her in a certain way makes her feel as if she has ‘achieved’ and is therefore ‘accepted’.
Laura Mulvey, a British feminist and film theorist, argues that women are looked at as sexual objects. Mulvey’s theory is based on an analysis of cinema and identifies the male gaze, in sympathy with the Lacanian statement that ‘Woman is a symptom of man.’ (GAZE) What this means is that femininity is a social construct, and that the feminine object of desire, is what constitutes the male lack. The issue of ‘looked-at-ness’ is significant to a woman, it appears.
Music videos emphasize the construction of the self, and influence how women think they should look, often influenced by men from the media. Young people feel pressured to conform to a specific image and so judge and criticize their own bodies.
This essay is now going to examine some contemporary examples of women in the media and the effect their appearance may have on a teenage viewer.
Diana Crane, writer of Fashion and its social agendas, states the content of popular music and its videos is heavily oriented toward subversion: drugs, crime, violence, sexual orientatations that are not widely accepted, and negative attitudes towards women. Rape, abuse and humiliation of women are samples of many music lyrics, particularly in rap. In music videos, women are frequently portrayed as sex objects, particularly in rap.
These poses include sexual cues, such as closed eyes, open mouth, legs spread to reveal the genital area and nudity or semi nudity, particularly in areas of the breasts and genitals.
Naomi Wolf writer of The Beauty Myth (2002) talks about how images of beauty are used against women:
‘A mother who radiates self love and self acceptance actually vaccinates her daughter [or son] against low self esteem. To ask women to become unnaturally thin is to ask them to relinquish their sexuality.’(p273)
This tells us that if a mother is content with the way she looks and who she is this will reflect on how her children feel about their experiences by leading an example as a positive role model. Her children will eventually follow in her footsteps and feel about themselves the way she feels about herself.
Wolf also asserts:
‘The more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us.’(p10)
Suggesting that the way women are now portrayed in the media is a result of the idea of free will which women fought for, although the images of the idealistic women shown are now affecting the way women view their own physical appearance worse than ever. This could be related to the increase in eating disorders amongst young girls.
A current advert aimed at young people, showing a negative portrayal of women, is in the HEAT advertisement promoting a fragrance by Beyonce (Figure 1). In this image Beyonce is presented in a robe-like silk dress as a red goddess with both cleavage and thighs on show. Beyonce appears both strong and yet vulnerable, adopting a sexually available pose, seated with a tilt of the body, legs wide open and inviting. It is as if the audience is her lover and she is ready to seduce them, oozing sexuality and glamour. The theme of the image is suggestively a boudoir scene implying sexual pleasures. The colour red denotes passion and lust.
This image is similar to those of the cinema, which Mulvey discusses in her essay VPNC title in full (1990) where she would interpret the images in the following way:
This image is similar to those of the cinema, which Mulvey discusses in her essay VPNC title in full (1990) where she would interpret the images in the following way:
‘In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness,’ (p33)
Mulvey would state that Beyonce is the "bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning," (p33) implying that Beyonce acts to make an impact: to be looked at by men although by doing this she is not in control. On viewing this image a teenage girl, it may be assumed, may see the glamour of Beyonce and strive to look as she does, believing that there is an expectation to act in a sexual manner around men. For teenage boys reading Nuts for instance, this image may lead them to presume that all girls should strive to look like this and therefore this type of body shape is the ideal. It could be argued that when women look at these ads, they are actually seeing themselves as a man might see them.
Music video ‘Carry Out ft. Timberland and Justin Timberlake’ is a perfect example of the provocative sexual videos teenagers are viewing on a daily or even hourly basis.
Dancers are flaunting around the artists - his girls are dancing for him- even if he’s not physically attractive. The girls wear little and their provocative costumes resemble a maid’s outfit with both ‘bum and boobs’ on display', which creates the impression of a Brothel. The dancers are at the service of men and act as ‘accessories’.
Berger uses the phrase “Men dream of women. Women dream of themselves being dreamt of” (p46). To describe why women conform to this sort of behaviour, which involves getting men to be attracted to them, is to reinforce that this makes them feel more successful in life. The man is seen as controlling female behaviour. As Berger states: “The promised power may be moral, physical, temperamental, economic, social – but the object is always exterior to a man” (p45) suggesting that teenagers could see this video then focus on their outer appearance believing that things like intelligence are of little consequence and that looks will determine how successful they will be in life.
Critic and professor, Robin Roberts, opposes this view in his book ‘Ladies First', Women in music videos (1996) stating that:
“Demolishing stereotypes, today's singers expose the flawed images that have restricted women. They condemn male dominance. They assert the right of women to be sexual and to express sexuality.”(p184)
This argues that more and more women are being presented as positive role models because they are fighting for the free will that women were once oppressed for and still are in some countries. However it is impossible to ignore some women have gone too far and even though some women sing about positive female empowerment they then dress in a provocative manner and conform to the way that would capture male attraction. But does this defeat the object of their intention?
The vast amount of provocative behaviour, which is presented in the media, is having effects on young people that cannot be forgotten. Nicole Scherzinger, who is number one in the charts this week, sings about not going back to a man who has hurt her, whilst undressing herself in the video. It seems that the younger generation are receiving mixed messages from these types of videos.
Fashion and the media have their social agendas. It may also be argued that the content of popular music and the media are heavily orientated towards subversion: drugs, crime, violence, sexual orientations that are not widely accepted still help develop negative attitudes towards women. Rape, abuse and the humiliation of women are evidenced in some music lyrics, particularly in rap linked to the videos where women are frequently portrayed as sex objects, partially nude, submitting to overt sexual advances as well as the “male gaze”
One example of how women are portrayed in the media is in 90210, a programme aimed at teenagers. This programme may be less sexual than the other examples because the women do not obviously flaunt themselves at men; however each of the characters is slimmer than an average size twelve with not one character even slightly out of proportion. This exerts pressure on the target audience who accept, as ideal, those women who look and conform to this ‘ideal’ body shape. Accepting women with a larger body shape is not an option.
In the Independent article ‘Media blamed for rise in eating disorders’ it states that presenters and actresses on television are abnormally thin and that doctors claim this causes a rise in the number of young women suffering from eating disorders.
‘It is a psychiatric illness with a high death rate. Those who don't die suffer from long- term health problems, such as teenage girls suffering from early onset of osteoporosis, brittle bone disease.’(The Independent, 31/05/00)
This shows the long-term effects on physical health- a far reaching problem that these images are leading teenagers to question their body shape and therefore jeopardize their lives in order to achieve the unspoken feminine ideal.
The evidence and arguments presented in this essay strongly suggest the media is adversely affecting young women to strive to become an ‘ideal’ as a result of the consistent representations of ‘ideal’ women in the media. This is substantiated by the way some young girls act, the way they dress and the way they mimic the behavior of their role models in the media. It is affecting boys because the media portrays women as sexual objects, making men regard woman as commodities. In severer cases it may be argued, this could lead young men to feel superior and abuse women as they grow up.
Berger states ‘The Powerful nature of the media is everywhere; we are saturated in it.’ (p153) It is consumed by teenagers, making it impossible for them ignore it, leading them to believe that the images they see advertised are idealistic representations of the norm that they should conform to. It may be argued that the media should show more realistic body shapes and stop being unfair to women
The way women are ‘mis’represented in the media has been noticed for many years now yet nothing has been done about it. It could be argued that women are being presented and are presenting themselves more ‘sexually’ than ever. With most female pop artists today selling sex through lyrics and videos it could be argued that these idols that young people admire and seek to aspire to, are setting bad examples.
It cannot be stated that the way media portrays attitudes to women is entirely to blame for the problems amongst young people; however this essay shows that it does play a part. It needs to be determined whether the negative aspects of this media portrayal outweigh the positive. On the one hand they provide entertainment value but society needs to ask the question once and for all: ‘Are the consequences of this just too extreme?’.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Books
Bach, A. (1997). Women, seduction, and betrayal in biblical narrative. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. London: The British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books.
Crane, D. (1990). Fashion and its social Agendas. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Mulvey, L. (1989.) Visual and other pleasures. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nicholson, L,J. (1990). Feminism/Postmodernism. New York: Routledge.
Roberts, R. (1996). Ladies First: women in music videos. United States: University of Mississippi.
Watkins, S. Rueda, M. Rodriguez, M. (1992). Feminism for beginners. Cambridge: Icon Books.
Wolf, N. (1990). The Beauty Myth. London: Vintage Books.
Websites
Articlesbase (2008). Effects of Mass Media on Young Generation. [online]. September 2008. Available from: http://www.articlesbase.com/article-marketing-articles/effects-of-mass-media-on-young-generation-562352.html [Accessed 12/02/11]
Gulland, A. (2009). Fears grow over the sexualisation of young people [Online]. April 2009. Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/04/22/111313/Fears-grow-over-the-sexualisation-of-young-people.htm (Accessed 14/02/11
Disordered Eating. (2010). Anorexia Nervosa Statistics (UK). [Online]. Available from: http://www.disordered-eating.co.uk/eating-disorders-statistics/anorexia-nervosa-statistics-uk.html (Accessed14/02/11)
Topics Education (2006). Sex and the hip hop generation [Online] Available from: http://projects.psi.org/site/DocServer/BET_HipHopGuide_-_Get_Educated.pdf
(12/01/11)
Witmer, D. (2011). How does the media effect body image in teens? [Online]. Available from: http://parentingteens.about.com/od/bodyimage/f/media_bodyimage.htm (Accessed 07/01/11)
BBC News. (2007). Sexualisation ‘harms’ young girls [Online]. Febuary 2007. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6376421.stm
(Accessed 07/01/11)
Image reference
Fig 1: Beyonce Heat Perfume advert http://hollywooddame.com/2010/11/17/beyonce’s-banned-heat-perfume-ad-video/beyonce-heat-ads/ (Accessed: 25/02/11)
Fig 2:Timberland – Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake Stillshttp://w666w.blogfa.com/post-24.aspx (Accessed: 26/02/11)
Fig 3: 90210 cast photo shoot
http://www.accesshollywood.com/dustin-milligan (Accessed: 26/02/11)
