Representation Of Women In The Media Research Paper

Women are expected from an early age to assume particular roles based on their surroundings, physical appearance, and other indicators of their status in society. Young girls are told to be quiet, sweet, “sugar and spice”, and playful while simultaneously being subservient. As these individuals develop into young women and approach puberty, the message is clear: sex sells and being sexy is desirable. However, slut-shaming appears from both male influences as well as fellow females. There lies an invisible and constantly moving line that indicates what is “sexy” and what is “slutty”. For each situation, the line is drawn at a different point and is easier or harder to cross for the individual involved. To attain the good looks and material possessions that make a woman worthy, one must spend money. If she does not have a steady income or, better yet, a man supplying her with an allowance, she will not …show more content…
However, from a young age, the media blasts a message that women amount to what is being portrayed in movies, television, and social media platforms. Women are portrayed as sexual and subservient beings, willing to always give pleasure and attention to men in exchange for financial support or other material objects. To achieve the attention of a woman, a man must have money, power, and high status. The male perspective is never outright affected by femininity being challenged, so the message to men is that there is no problem using their status to achieve higher than their female counterparts. Being smarter than women is desirable because it not only makes men look better for job prospects and in social circles, but also prevents their masculinity from being challenged by being told that a woman is doing a task better than they could have. At its core, men are conditioned to be threatened by females with a similar skill set and characteristics that do not benefit