Genders in Media Advertising Communications & Media Paper (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Patrick Johnson
Professor Alex G. Page
February 27, 2021
Genders in Media
The manner which women are characterized in advertisements and how advertisements represent good looks constructs unreachable standards for real women. Ordinary, real-life women will never be adequate to obtain the perceived perfection found in advertisements. This impractical ideal is leading women to be unable to perceive their own good looks.
One University of Nairobi female student said, Advertisements make me feel self-conscious about my body. I already don't like my body, so when I see models in skimpy swimsuits it really kills my self-esteem (Appendix-II, Q13).
The problem is not only in Nairobi but also the bulk of women across the world do not feel pleased applying the word “beautiful” to describe themselves (Etcoff, Orbach, Scott & D’Agostino, 2004).
Despite the efforts by organizations like Dove, advertising and the mass media continues to have a negative impact on women’s perception of beauty and self-image. Jean Kilboune says women today are “living in a toxic cultural environment (Kilbourne’s 2010).” This notion has given three conventional mental health disorders among women are depression, eating disorders and low self-esteem. Men are also affected by advertisements concerning to how they feel about women. After being shown images of models in advertising, men found their partners unattractive than before (Kilbourne 2010). "The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report" found that women link self-esteem to marriage and romantic relationships.