Women Studies Media Analysis

Gender inequality has been a significant issue in society, where females are oppressed in various aspects of their lives. Oppression concerning gender is a problem factor in the current society, and it is influenced to some degree by the media. Different media programs meant to promote a product, educate or entertain the audiences usually find themselves biased on a particular side, thus oppressing others. Although the media should observe equality, it has failed in some instances. Therefore, media plays a crucial role in the oppression of certain societal groups, thus creating inequality.

According to Singley (2001), Nike used a video advertisement that caused an uproar in public due to its clear indication of the female as an inferior gender. In 1987, the company wanted to enter the women's market for sports and fitness. It had to successfully market the men's products and show their effectiveness and benefits. Nike designed and produced several advertisement programs that accentuated the difference between genders. The company had been trying to address the hopes and aspirations of female athletes. It tried to reassure girls and women of their inclusion in the sport. However, one of the advertisements used during the October 2000 summer Olympics raised questions about the role of media in female oppression. The advertisement starts with an isolated house in the woods at nighttime. The camera turned to the bathroom, where a woman was preparing for her bath by combing her hair. She sees a masked man in the mirror when she closes the cabinet door. The lady ran away from the man screaming for help, and went into the woods. The distance between the women widened, and the masked man could not reach the lady. What was displayed on the screen of the advert was the question, "Why Sport?" the corporate response was, "Because you'll live longer." The lady escaped from the man because she was an athlete, fit, and wore Nike shoes. The advert was discouraged, and the company pulled it down because it demonstrated female victimization in society due to being unfit and lack of a Nike shoe to wear.

The ideal beauty in women in the West is extreme slimness. The media ads present slimness as a mask of disgust for the flesh, sexually immature, and competence (Coward, 1985). The idea puts all women, especially the older ones, in conflict with their body shapes. Most women in the media industry should present such a shape to qualify to be used on the screens or other media outlets. Women are subjected to various activities to maintain the shape of their bodies as required by the media sector for an ideal lady. Women's magazines give information about alternatives to maintain a feminist shape. They are promoting the use of cosmetic Surgery for women to remove excess body fat. The West dominantly believes that slimness is the most attractive shape for a woman because that is what the media presents to the public. If the media continue emphasizing specific body shapes and sizes in their ads, women will feel pressured to meet the requirements to be accepted in society.

Aesthetic Surgery has become familiar to the current generation, and its advertisement has affected the female gender. The aesthetic surgery industry relates to body changes, which translate to the mind (Covino, 2000). The advertisement uses females with fit, young, and proportionally shaped bodies to promote their services. The industry connects the body's beautification as the mind's promoter. They state that her inner life is restored when a woman's body is well-shaped. The industry encourages women to seek services to improve their mental performance because of the interrelationship between the body and the mind. This has raised many concerns about women who do not have the body shape claimed to be fit and the mental capacity. The media is contributing to oppressing women who do not meet the claimed fit body shapes by supporting such ads. Women who cannot attain the required shape feel inferior, thus lowering their self-esteem. For female artists to be accepted in the industry, they tend to seek aesthetic Surgery for society to have a positive attitude toward them.

The advertising images of slender, young, and able-bodied represent sexuality. Most of the sexual images in the media portray white women raising concern over racism. The media advertisement portrays women living with disabilities and older ones in every racial group as sexless (Cisneros, 1996). The media has contributed to isolating women with disabilities from expressing their sexuality. Older women are sometimes portrayed as having left the sexuality group because of their age and shape. Ads that use female bodies to promote their products also sell heterosexual ideas. They present women as sex objects and child-like playthings used for entertainment. Media has contributed to the oppression of women based on disability, culture, and age.

Media is a vital factor in society due to its contribution to communication. Media can determine how people think in society and how they perceive things. Although the media's many positive impacts on society, it also contributes to oppression. Gender oppression's foundation is in the media outlets like magazines, commercials, magazine covers, social media campaigns, and TV shows. The role of media to inform people can be misused, leading to misinformation in society. Therefore, there is a need to redesign the media industry to avoid the oppression of the female gender.

References

Cisneros S (1996) Guadalupe the Sex Goddess: Women's Sexuality

Covino C (2000) Outside-In: Body, Mind, and Self in the Advertisement of Aesthetic Surgery

Coward R (1985) Consumer Beauty Culture: Commodifying the Body: The Body Beautiful

Singley C (2001) From Women's Movement to Momentum: Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been, and Do We Need Nikes to Get There?