Essays

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To what extent do you agree with the campaign video ‘how the media manipulates our morals’ that the media plays a major role in constructing regressive female identity in our society?

The media is supposed to be based around the idea of ‘zeitgeist’ and is therefore supposedly meant to reflect the ideologies of our current society, but to what extent is that true? Our society is surrounded in media texts, sexualising women from all aspects, objectifying them to be perceived as men would like them to be.

In the video ‘the media’s manipulative influence over your morals’ the same ideal is carried all through. All the people featured in the video carry the same values in that ‘women are objectified’. The major theme recurring is that young girls are shown what they should aspire to be and look like from a very young age suggesting that everyone knows that it is a problem. As a result of this constant message shown through advertisements and film itself, according to the hypodermic needle theory, girls will eventually get the mantra embedded into their mind that ‘I need to look like this in order to be liked’. Viewing sexualised images of women also effects males, as they feel that ‘this is the perfect women’ as they are shown constant images of women with the same body shape; encouraging them on what they should and shouldn't find attractive.

Of course everyone knows that this is wrong and shouldn't be promoted but why does this still happen? Currently the importance of perceptions of women has grown ever more prominent in the media, specifically in the beauty products industry. People are starting to recognise that they can’t advertise artificial images of women sized 0 when the average size of women in the UK is size 15.

One company that has taken an active interest into changing morals is ‘Dove’. The Dove advert ‘Onslaught’ was released in 2008 with the moto ‘talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does’. This thought provoking message allows us to identify that there is evidence to prove that people have recognised how women are portrayed in the media and that there needs to be some changes implemented. The fact that young girls are used is significant as it suggests that if young girls ideologies are changed about how they should view themselves, then the zeitgeist in our current society should eventually change too.

This advert however, is completely contradictory to the Lynx ‘fallen angels’ advert which is from the same company as Dove yet it depicts the complete opposite of the ideals that Dove is standing for. This advert is directly targeted towards men aged 16-24 and projects the explicit meaning that ‘If you wear Lynx, you will get the most beautiful woman in the world’. The concept of using angels is effective as it suggests that even pure innocent angels can’t resist the temptation. The fact that the top models of every country in Europe were used is even more domineering as it idolises beauty which is impossible to achieve by the rest of society. Not only this advert but in many perfume or aftershave adverts women are used because of their sex appeal. The reception theory can be addressed here as the information in the advert is decoded by the audience (men) who follow the understanding that ‘If I buy this cologne, then I will get a beautiful girl like that’.

After considering these two polar opposite adverts from the same company ‘Unileaver’ one fact remains crystal clear. ‘Sex sells’ and the beauty industry will remain reluctant to completely let go of the current artificial image of the ‘perfect women’ due to fear of losing sales. But how long will this last? With a population growing more obese by the day and people growing more aware of the unrealistic images shown to us, how long will this last before  a change occurs?

To conclude the media is the most powerful tool that our society has. I think it is saddening that it is taken advantage of and manipulated in such a negative way that artificial images is what girls are now aspiring to be like. Education seems to have become a myth as the most interest anyone has in anything is regarding how they are perceived in other people’s eyes. They say we have come a long way since the 1800’s. Women have equal rights now; women have the vote; but women are still objectified, women are still not valued in the same way as men. Women are still not admired just the way they are.

The words ‘real beauty’ have become meaningless.

adverts addressed in essay:
Lynx fallen angels

Dove onslaught

The media's manipulation over our morals