Women and their race in USA Media

How women are portrayed in the USA media

Females today continue to dominate the USA media. However, the way they are portrayed has over the time raised numerous controversies and still does. In an article, Showing sexy women in ads sparks different responses in national survey among men and women in (1999, Feb 04) by the PR Newswire, the author claims that it is women themselves who accept to be featured negatively by the media. They should refuse to take up the roles they are given in the media. More men in fact feel that the role of women in the media continues to go down. Since women make the majority purchases in the US, then they are the ones targeted and the advertisers bank on this to come up with female dominated advertisements. These ads however portray women in limited roles.

Magazines and televisions have portrayed the ideal woman as one with a body that is hard to attain. However males no matter their shapes are portrayed as heroes. Overweight women are not frequently featured in media, and if they are, jokes are made about their body types. Televisions also air more men sports as compared to female sports.

In another article, Pioneering critique of advertising’s image of women by jean kilbourne, he notes that in video games, the female characters are portrayed as sex figures. They are dressed in a scanty manner. Specific video games such as The Grand Theft Auto Series have also bluntly praised violence against women and have prostitutes featured.

The film industry on the other hand has also discriminated against women as males make the most characters. Females who are of age are given discriminatory roles and the ideal female body remains the central theme.

Women find some ads offensive as they portray them in negative light and playing limited roles. Feminists argue therefore that advertisers must research to understand what is offensive to women and what is not. Ads and their sole purpose have not changed over time. They still glorify the looks of women and the ideal woman body. They still hold that female bodies can sell everything. Advertising culture has also propagated violence against women as women are portrayed as the weaker sex (Alice & Sarah, 1971).

In conclusion, women have generally been portrayed as inferior to men and been used as objects in the advertising media. This does not go down well with a number of them, and so the advertisers should make changes in how they portray females in the media. The viewers should also be critical when watching ads and not just follow what every ad tell them. Young people especially need to be very critical with what they see in the media as they are targeted by most programs in the media. 

References

Alice, E. C., & Sarah, W. L. (1971). A woman’s place: An analysis of the roles portrayed by women in

magazine advertisements. JMR, Journal of Marketing Research (Pre-1986), 8(000001), 92-92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208764341?accountid=45049;

Pioneering critique of advertising’s image of women by jean kilbourne updated in new release from

media education foundation: Killing us softly 3: Advertising’s image of women. (2000, Apr 27). PR Newswire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/449348511?accountid=45049;

Showing sexy women in ads sparks different responses in national survey among men and women.

(1999, Feb 04). PR Newswire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/447971899?accountid=45049;