Body Ideals Change In The Media

Society during the time when the literature from this week was being published was likely to be somewhat different from present day, especially in how quickly different trends and messages are spread in both more standard forms of media and social media. One particular aspect of this week’s reading that peaked my interest the most was the idea that body ideals change as society is changing, as mentioned in Smolak and Murnen (2001). Furthermore, there are changes in gender norms and expectations of individuals, some of which are quite positive in terms of equaling the field for men and women. However, it seems that certain standards are still enforced on both men and women.
Smolak and Murnen (2001) mentioned the notion of a superwoman model for women, the type of ideal figure can be independent, intelligent, and beautiful – beauty and brain. This immediately reminded me of Miss America and Miss Universe. I remember watching these pageants as a child, and thinking to myself “How does she do it?” …show more content…
There have been campaigns to be more body-positive, and to be mindful that body shapes come in a full range. There is an increasing number of models who are curvier than the ideal body shape that has been portrayed in the media in the recent past. It would be interesting to see whether research would encounter new findings with the rise of body-acceptance in social media. Are women feeling more empowered? Will there be a general downward trend in the prevalence of eating disorders? Of course, like any other change, it will take time for everyone to be accepting, and even with time, there may be those who will not agree for a variety of reasons. One potential reason might be the culture that one might be immersed in. Changes in Western thinking may not reflect how other societies are approaching body ideals and gender