Stereotypes In Mass Media

Mass Media The media is a huge part of today’s society. It is where the latest trends are shown and the latest news and gossip is spread. It is also where old traditional norms still can be seen. While media tries to cover it more than they used to, it is still evident that these norms still exist. There is still a gap between the equality of men and women. And not just their gender but their race and the stereotypes that are used to define them. While many think these have all gone away, they just need to look though the cloud of smoke the media uses to cover it.
The media has played a major role in people’s lives whether they realize it or not. It alters that way we see people and more specifically women. While it has gotten better in recent …show more content…
Stereotypes are everywhere. They are big. They are small. They are general or they are very detailed. Many of these stereotypes are seen and portrayed through the media. The media shows how people of different races are supposed to act. It shows how different classes are supposed to operate and it also shows the inequalities among the genders. The production of media is a great example of this. Movies and television shows are often produced by males and directed by males, and predominantly white males. The famous novels and movies, The Twilight Saga, was written by a female. When they went to find a producer for the saga it was turned away multiple times because they did not think it would take off. The producers did not think it would take off because it had a female lead. Many wanted her to rewrite it to have a male lead. They found a small production company that was willing to produce the saga. The director of the movie was a female, who was very good at her job. It took off and became more famous than anyone could have imagined. When it came around the time to produce the second movie they found a male director (Miss Representation). This was a blunt notion that now that the movie was a big hit they thought a male would be better suited to direct it. Males also use to be the main leads in the shows. That has begun to change. Women are beginning to get more important roles and have more important parts. However, “women are starting to be shown as competent, strong, athletic, and in control of their lives rather than ditsy housewives or sex symbols, they still are very physically attractive and are often highly sexualized” (Women’s Voices 260). The women are getting roles but their roles are still not quite as important as the male’s roles. They are also still being portrayed though the male gaze. A now classic movie that is a great example of this is Pretty Woman. It is what one