Shape related disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are not only results from poor body image, but they are also glamorized in the media. For instance, in the early 90s various fashion magazine highlighted grunge-inspired fashion where waif models were glamourized. The waifish models were categorized as models with extremely pale skin, dark circle eyes and angular bone structure The use of drugs such as heroin addiction was seen as glamorous, erotic and cool. This unhealthy image caught the attention of bill Clinton which he later condiment the look. According to Shrum (2009), it is important to consider “that cultivation may not always create attitudes but often serves to reinforce them. The more “thin ideal” images women observe, the more
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Morgan and Shanahan (2010) also noted that viewers “often seek out programming that reflects and reinforces their existing beliefs, thus further strengthening attitudes”(p.43). The last theory consists of audience reception of the media. This allows the audience to encode and decode information. The social constructionist feminist theory argues that the “ideal bodies are the product of society’s gender ideology, practices, and stratification system. Western societies expect men to be aggressive initiators of action and protectors of women and children; therefore, their bodies should be muscular and physically strong. Women are expected to be nurturing and emotionally giving, willing to subordinate their own desires to please men and their own interests to take care of children” (Lorber, and Martin., 2001, p.231).Therefore, male body are meant to be admired even feared for its physical strength and power, whereas female are sexualized young and desexualize as they get older. In conclusion, since media outlet such as a fashion magazine neglects their audience class, ethnicity, and race this gives false assumptions of what beauty is. This leads to the distorted perception that only others are attractive or that the individual body size or lack of shape is a sign of personal failure if it doesn’t correspond to media definition of
Morgan and Shanahan (2010) also noted that viewers “often seek out programming that reflects and reinforces their existing beliefs, thus further strengthening attitudes”(p.43). The last theory consists of audience reception of the media. This allows the audience to encode and decode information. The social constructionist feminist theory argues that the “ideal bodies are the product of society’s gender ideology, practices, and stratification system. Western societies expect men to be aggressive initiators of action and protectors of women and children; therefore, their bodies should be muscular and physically strong. Women are expected to be nurturing and emotionally giving, willing to subordinate their own desires to please men and their own interests to take care of children” (Lorber, and Martin., 2001, p.231).Therefore, male body are meant to be admired even feared for its physical strength and power, whereas female are sexualized young and desexualize as they get older. In conclusion, since media outlet such as a fashion magazine neglects their audience class, ethnicity, and race this gives false assumptions of what beauty is. This leads to the distorted perception that only others are attractive or that the individual body size or lack of shape is a sign of personal failure if it doesn’t correspond to media definition of