Eunjung Carney

English 848
Mrs. Escamilla
03/16/2013
An Essay on a Miss Representation Images of women are presented in all different kinds of mass media. Such images of women in the media portray the ideal women’s body as very thin and as a sexual object. These unrealistic images are particularly found in women’s magazines all over the country. Many young women between the ages of 14 and 32 hold these unrealistic and unattainable images of ideal models’ bodies. There are numerous studies regarding the negative effects of women’s body portrayal in the media. Two of these studies, cultivation theory and self-schema theory, explain why and how women internalize unrealistic and unattainable ideal body images in three ways: women’s body objectification, repetitive exposure to unrealistic images, and women’s internalization of the idealized body. These cause women to have eating disorders and low self-esteem. Women should be aware of theses subtle but strong influences and these negative effects should be eliminated. Many fashion magazines objectify the woman’s body in order to sell products by portraying women in very sexual ways and by emphasizing women’s body images rather than women’s health and ability. For instance, a recent American Apparel ad in a magazine, with the copy “now open,” sends the message that a woman in the ad spreading her leg widely is open for sex. This sexual availability of the woman in this ad implies that she can be had by anyone. Usually the copy in advertisements is short, but has influential messages so that marketers can sell more products and can make more money. Although the damage caused by widespread female objectification is very problematic for girls and women, most women don’t recognize this as problems due to their internalization of the ideal body. They even consider it as a normal. This dysfunctional belief causes women to focus more on their appearance and discourages them from pursuing powerful positions.