Media Dysmorphia

Living in the present day in a developed country means a constant bombardment of

different mediums of media. While standing in the supermarket, one can see the glossy pages of
the magazines adorned with pictures of beautiful, scantily clothed, size double-zero models. On
that magazine, it makes the claims, Lose 10 pounds fast! or Get toned for summer! You put
the magazine back on the shelf and you begin to rethink that package of double stuffed Oreos
that you once wanted two minutes ago. On the drive back to your home you observe a billboard
with a sultry-looking woman modeling jewelry on a billboard. You glance at yourself in the
rearview mirror and think my skin certainly does not glow like hers. Upon returning home, you
turn on your television and a Victorias Secret commercial is being shown. I wish I had her abs
and I wish my legs looked like hers run rampantly through your head. Your once voracious
appetite is forced to dwindle and you decide maybe you can skip lunch today.
This is how the ever-present media impacts the lives of women all over the world. Due
to the medias overwhelming presence in an American womans life, womens visions of
themselves are clouded due to images in the media that idealize one body type, the sexualization
of women, and that encourage perfection.
While some may argue that women have the power to diminish their exposure to media
and that it is impossible to let an advertisement dictate their views of beauty because it differs
from person to person, I strongly disagree.
Those who do not support my opinion may attempt to argue that the media does not
negatively influence women by saying that women have the right and the power to distance
themselves from the medias so-called harmful messages. Lauren Berninger shares this belief

Comment [SD1]: This paragraph is a little

short. It might have worked better worked into
other paragraphs or expanded on its own.

which she makes known in the Huffington Post when she proclaims, you have the power to

Comment [SD2]: Good framing

turn off the television, put down the magazine or stop shopping at that store (Berninger, Stop
Blaming the Media for Our Body Image Issues). While that may seem like a reasonable response
to these messages, it is simply not viable in the culture that we live in. As I mentioned before, the

Comment [SD3]: I like the word choice

media is present in every aspect of our lives. While it is possible to turn off the television and put
down the magazine, it is not practical to ignore every other source of media that is in our world.
For example, if you see a large billboard while driving that shows a beautiful young model, free
of flaws and imperfections, it is not logical or safe to advise women to shut their eyes and not
look at the advertisement. While strolling through the local mall it is not logical to turn your eyes
away from the photos in the windows of the slender models displaying the stores clothing.
There are more sources of media than just television and magazines. Although these mediums
are very popular and common, more forms of media are present in our world. These forms of
media are harder to turn off or put down, therefore harder to ignore. The media is all around

Comment [SD4]: You wouldnt put turn off

or put down in quotes.

us; unless one wants to be a hermit, the media will creep its way into your life and most

Comment [SD5]: You switch from one to

yourits okay to use your but be consistent
within the sentence.

importantly, how you view yourself.

Comment [SD6]: Good summation and

counters

Others with differing opinions may claim that beauty cannot be singularly defined,
otherwise known as the common phrase beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I agree with this
notion completely. However, if there is not one singular definition of what our country considers
beautiful, then why is only one type of body and overall image displayed on magazine
advertisements, billboards, and television commercials? If the media recognized that some do not
necessarily want to see a woman who is a size double-zero and 511 walking the runway, rather
one who is 55 and a size ten, then I would say that this claim is better supported. However, this
is not the case. Flip through a womens magazine and look at the women chosen to model the

Comment [SD7]: The end of this is a little

confusing. Could be clarified.

clothes or accessories. That womens dress size could not possibly be higher than a size two, her
buttery blonde hair waves perfectly down her back, her skin is flawless and smooth, and her
smile is perfectly straight and bleached white. Models are supposed to be the prime example of
beauty. The definition of model is the example to follow or imitate. As mentioned in Stop
Blaming the Media for Our Body Image Issues written by Lauren Berninger, only five percent
of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media. Does this

Comment [SD8]: Good framing and use of

quote.

mean that the other ninety-five percent of women are not beautiful? No, these women are just as
beautiful but their beauty is not being represented in the media and in advertisements.

Approximately eighty percent of women are not satisfied with their bodies and even more
shocking; over ten million are currently suffering from eating disorders (Coker Ross, Why Do
Women Hate Their Bodies?). These negative body images can even be seen in young girls
starting in the first grade. As many as forty-two percent of first through third grade girls want to
be thinner (Grefe, National Eating Disorders Association). Similarly, two-thirds of girls ranging
from grades fifth through twelfth claim that images of women in magazines influence their body
image. Half of the girls questioned stated that the advertisements made them want to lose weight
(Coker Ross, Psych Central). This is true of older women as well. In Beauty in the I of the
Beholder: Effects of Idealized Media Portrayals on Implicit Self-Image, the authors describe a
study performed on seventy-one females age eighteen through twenty two that looked at not only
the medias effect on body image but on eating habits as well. This experiment done by
researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis show the effects of what they refer to as
Ideal Beauty Images. In the experiment, subjects were either sat in a waiting room with news
magazines such as Time or Newsweek or with Ideal Beauty Images with magazines like Fitness
and Shape. The waiting rooms also contained foods, some junk food and some to be considered

Comment [SD9]: Strong paragraph and I can

definitely see the connection to the next,
although the connection could be made more
explicit.

health foods. The study showed that not only did the women shown the health magazines score
lower on the studies tests of self-esteem such as the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the BodyImage Ideals Questionnaire Importance, but the women shown the health magazines ate
significantly less of the food (junk or healthful) offered to them in the waiting room. This could

Comment [SD10]: healthy

show that seeing these ideal body images can impact eating habits of women, to the point where
it can be detrimental to their health. Because these health magazines or the media in general only
idealize one body type by showing only one body type, this causes women to believe that their
body does not measure up. This could lead women to begin excessively exercising or partaking
in unhealthy dieting behaviors.
The media affects womens views of themselves by making them feel insecure in their
own skin, but its messages also contradict themselves by then influencing women to show more
of the skin that they are so uncomfortable in. You turn on the television and there are half-naked
women prancing around a stage wearing angel wings and underwear, on national television,
during prime time. The next day, a fast food company airs a new ad which shows a supermodel
washing a car in a skimpy bikini while eating a juicy burger from said fast food company.
Commercials that air during The Super Bowl are notorious for being extremely racy and showing
degrading images of women, of course while being scantily clothed. Not only are these images
being shown on national television but they are being shown during a time when most viewers
will be actively watching television. This means that really anyone can see these images. This
includes very young girls who will then think it is okay to act like the women in the
commercials. This includes teenage girls and women of all ages who have poor body image
whose self-confidence has now taken a hit because they believe they will never look like that in a
bikini. Even marketing strategies are different for products marketed to women as opposed to

Comment [SD11]: Consider word change.

men. For example, Fruit of the Loom, a company that sells mens underwear, is known for their
humorous marketing which shows men dressed as a variety of fruit in order to sell their product.
However, when marketing womens underwear, companies like Victorias Secret opt for
showing images of women in extreme push up bras, tiny underwear, and seductive looks in their
eyes. With images like that in the media, does this give the impression to men, and even women,
that all they are are sexual objects? These suggestive advertisements sexualize women by
making it seem like all they have to offer our society is their flesh.

The media not only produces images that sexualize women and cause them to despise

Comment [SD12]: You use a lot of

questions, and most of them are really
effective.

Comment [SD13]: Good connecting

sentence

their appearance, but it also over emphasizes the idea of perfection. While many believe that
perfection does not exist and is completely unattainable, the media does not mirror this opinion.
The media encourages women to constantly be made up like China dolls, or else men are
shocked, surprised, and even scared of what women look like beneath the creams,
powders, and liners. The makeup industry is a billion dollar industry, profiting solely off

Comment [SD14]: We know its big, but

citation?

womens insecurities due to the media. Women are being sold the latest and greatest wrinkle
cream, and if that isnt good enough, Botox, just to get rid of impurities that would otherwise
deem them as imperfect. When women very strongly believe that they do not measure up to
the women shown in movies and magazines, they get plastic surgery and forever alter their body
which can have very serious consequences, including death. It is also important for women to

Comment [SD15]: Citation? I dont doubt it

though.

realize that even models dont look the way they do on the pages of the magazine. Because of the
use of Photoshop, it is possible to remove blemishes on the skin, whiten teeth, smooth cellulite,
and even trim the arms, thighs, and waist to make them appear smaller; another example of the
emphasis on the bone-thin appearance.

Comment [SD16]: Good point.

The media greatly affects women in our culture. The media is not something you can run
away or hide from, regardless of what some may say. The media is ever-present in our society.

Comment [SD17]: This sentence is a little

redundant.

Some may argue that it is important not to take the images of these perfect women to heart and
that women need to understand that there is no singular definition of beauty. That is extremely
true, but the media does not show all the different kinds of beauty. The media portrays beauty as
blonde, tall, thin, with perfect hair, skin, and teeth. Because of these images seen in the media,
women believe that they are not good enough, to the point where it could cause them to have an
eating disorder or just practice unhealthy behaviors. Women are over sexualized in the media
with images of women strutting around in their underwear or a bikini being shown on a regular
basis. Finally, women are negatively affected by the media because of its emphasis on
perfection, which is simply unattainable for a human being. Regardless of what the media
portrays, womens bodies are beautiful; whether youre a size double zero or a size eighteen. If
you want to show a little skin, you can, but its your choice and its important not to let the media
influence that. Additionally, it is important to remember that perfection does not exist and to stop
chasing smoke. Be proud of and love the skin you are in because its going to be yours for a
while.

Comment [SD18]: Your conclusion is a little

lengthy, but it does wrap up the paper nicely.

Comment [SD19]: Everything looks good

here!

Works Cited
Berninger, Lauren. Stop Blaming the Media for Our Body Image Issues. The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
Coker Ross, Carolyn. "Why Do Women Hate Their Bodies?" Psych Central.com. World Of
Psychology, 1 June 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
Grefe, Lynn. "NEDA Applauds Massachusetts for Discontinuing Controversial Fat Letters."
Nationaleatingdisorders.org. National Eating Disorders Association, 21 Oct. 2013. Web.
16 Mar. 2015.
Gurari, Inbal, John J. Hetts, and Michael J. Strube. Beauty in the I of the Beholder: Effects of
Idealized Media Portrayals on Implicit Self-Image Basic and Applied Social
Psychology. 28.3 (2006): 273-282. Print.

Content
Area

Description of An Exemplary Position Paper

Points

Argument

The introduction presents an overview of different stances on the 35_/35

issue, demonstrating an understanding of these views and contains
a main claim statement. The writers main claim is clearly defined
and the writer refers back to this claim throughout the paper. The
writer presents an opposing viewpoint (acknowledges a counter
argument) and successfully argues against that view. The writer
uses at least two scholarly articles or book chapters with opposing
viewpoints to situate his or her own argument. The writer has a
clear understanding of these articles and uses the research to
enhance the writers own argument.

Analysis

The writer uses secondary sources (articles or book chapters) in

their paper to create an effective dialogue with the opinions of

_24_/25

Comment [SD20]: There were some claims

that could have used citations, but otherwise,
you frame and use research very well. Good
job!

other writers. The writers critical thinking skills enhance their

analysis helping the writer to present his or her own stance on the
issue as an extension of another writers argument or as a synthesis
of two opposing arguments.
Organization

The paper is organized in a logical manner that enhances the flow 14_/15
of the writers argument. The writer has included an introduction
and forward thinking conclusion. Body paragraphs have
topic/point sentences that show the reader the paragraphs
relationship to the argument and concluding sentences. The writer
has used transitions between ideas and paragraphs to add to his/her
ideas clarity.

Presentation
& Format

The report is free of

distracting errors of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The
report meets the page length requirement. The writer has used
Times/Times New Roman 12 point font; the document in double
spaced, and uses 1 inch margins.

_10_/10

Style

The writer uses an economic style meaning that the language is

concise, not repetitive or overly wordy. Sentence structure and
meaning is clear.

__5/5

Cover Letter

The writer has supplied a cover letter that discusses the rhetorical
situation for their document (3 points), overview of
strengths/weaknesses (2 points), a request for specific feedback (1
point), and a reflection on the required SLOs (4 points).

_8_/10

Total:
97/100