The Portrayal of Women in the Media

Bear with me here. This is an essay I wrote for school. I share it here because I gained some interesting insights from my research, and it has affected how I view things. Also, I'd be curious to see what girls think. I tried to write it from an objective point of view, but my approach is undoubtedly biased since I am not a girl. The writing style is pretty straightforward, so I apologize if it's not necessarily a fun read, but hopefully the content will keep your attention. Comments and feedback are welcome from either sex to broaden the perspective.

Introduction
When speaking of the “media,” one often refers to the many forms of communication that saturate today’s society. The public is bombarded with messages from countless sources: television, movies, radio, the internet, magazines, etc. Underneath the core content of these messages are images and subliminal portrayals of societal stereotypes. Whether or not these stereotypes are a true reflection of society, they instill conscious and subconscious perceptions of what people should look like, act like, and expect from each other (Morris, 2006, p. 13). These images raise significant questions with regard to the portrayal of gender identity, with particularly unfair representations of women. Does the average woman in today’s media reflect “every woman,” or is she merely the product of superficial male perceptions? Many would say that women are unfairly and inaccurately represented. The misrepresentation of women in the media leads many women to develop unhealthy views of themselves, and it implants unfair and unrealistic expectations in the minds of men with regard to women. People seem to accept the prevailing standards as normal, but perhaps a closer examination of individual and public perception is in order.

Portrayals of Women in the Media

Movies
Motion pictures have been a beloved form of entertainment since their inception in the early nineteen hundreds. Today they permeate American culture in theaters, in homes, and on the internet. As such, movies significantly affect the construction of gender stereotypes in society. One of the most prominent female images is the “princess,” which is famously portrayed in many of the timeless Disney classics. The princess often finds herself in some predicament that requires the heroic effort of prince charming to free her, which seems to be a poor ideal. As one feminist puts it, “a multitude of sexist messages are present in Disney movies teaching young girls that they are expected to fill a submissive role in society. The fairy tales are symbolic of women’s lives being shaped by male influences.” (Wachutka, 2006, p. 1). The embodiment of the princess ideal can be seen in today’s culture where the woman often waits for the man (her prince charming), who is expected to woo and impress her. Thus, a woman’s role in the dating world seems to be defined in terms of the man.

Another movie phenomenon is the “chick flick” genre. These films, which also commonly portray a princess-like ideal, specifically target female viewers. They typically contain heavily romantic themes with fateful match-ups, relationship drama, and the eventual triumph of love. However, the genre seemingly attempts to combine all the stereotypical interests of an entire gender into one movie structured around traditional gender roles and sexist courting practices (Thompson, 2007, p. 43). Chick flicks are often looked down upon as “mindless, sappy, and overly-commercialized fluff” (Hinders, n.d.). Nevertheless, these movies are extremely popular among women and are a typical feature at young girls’ slumber parties. Examples abound of stereotypes in movies across various genres, and further primary research is needed to objectively evaluate such portrayals. But generally speaking, women are often portrayed in terms of men–as wives, girlfriends, mothers, objects of male desire, etc.

Television
In addition to the power of motion picture films, television exerts a dominant influence in the lives of Americans. Many studies have been conducted to determine the nature of television content. In almost all cases, the studies conclusively revealed that there are fewer women than men on television in general, and that fewer women play lead roles. The studies also showed that women were most commonly portrayed as submissive, passive, and more inclined to compromise rather than to compete (Lauzen, Dozier, & Cleveland, 2006, pp. 449, 451). In political campaigns, female politicians have been shown to receive less press coverage than men, and they are often trivialized and scrutinized for how they look and what they wear (Jost, 2008, p. 278). Statistical data clearly shows an unequal quantitative and qualitative representation of women on television.

Without even conducting a study, one can think about the content of commercials and quickly realize that women are frequently portrayed as homemakers and mothers, or as fashionably conscious and appearance-oriented. The same is true with women’s lead roles. Few women occupy lead roles in television programming who are not somehow attached or associated with a strong male figure. Soap operas, which are notorious for this depiction, also frequently associate the “possession of goods with possession of women … [and imply that] a woman’s identity is rooted in a relationship with a man who can provide her with ‘a materially satisfying style of life’” (Stern, C. Russell, & D. Russell, 2005, p. 223). In almost all cases, women are dependent on men or equated in male terms.

Magazines
Magazines are notorious for objectifying women and portraying young girls as sex objects. A quick glance at women’s magazine covers like Cosmopolitan and Seventeen divulges headlines such as “Make Him Want to be Your Boyfriend,” “Learn What He Loves,” and “Real Guys Tell You What They Want in Bed.” Are these the type of things that all girls are interested in, or should be interested in? The National Organization for Women asserts that “these messages charge women to mold their bodies and behavior – to suit men. Page after page, photographs and columns strip women of their individuality… [and] women are encouraged to perceive themselves, and in turn their self-worth, through a male lens.” (Kane & Satiani, 2006, p. 19). With regard to men’s magazines, one need only mention names such as Playboy and FHM to capture the essence of female representation in these publications.

Many magazines targeted to female audiences attempt to capture “feminine” interests, such as homemaking, decorating, etc. Despite these stereotypical portrayals, however, women’s magazines do offer specialized advice and information on women’s health. A study of articles that focus on women’s health revealed that such articles generally tend to empower women as stewards of their own bodies and imply that women are smart enough to make their own decisions. But these articles also reinforced the traditional notion of women as the caregivers and nurturers of society. The prevailing notion was that the family’s health and well being is “women’s work” (Barnett, 2006, p. 8). Overall, magazines reinforce the stereotyped roles of women in society and the sexualization of women’s bodies.

The Effects on Women

Role Models
As mentioned earlier, the number of women on television is proportionally less than the number of men; the discrepancy is even greater with regard to women in lead roles. As also previously discussed, the portrayal of women in numerous forms of media, in terms of societal roles and expectations, is strikingly stereotypical. This leaves female consumers with a narrow set of role models in the mass media. Although girls can look elsewhere for role models, the media has a powerful influence on the minds and attitudes of people in society.

Scholars have researched the effects of stereotypical portrayals on the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of viewers. The general hypothesis, “that if the media present female characters with only a limited range of attributes, skills, and abilities, viewers will develop equally limited assumptions about the sexes,” has been confirmed with relatively high confidence (APA, 2005, p. 5). Following this hypothesis, and given the previous discussion on women in media, girls who imitate what they see in the media will tend to be more passive, less ambitious, and view themselves primarily as homemakers, nurturers, and objects of men’s sexual desire. Many people would like to see a wider variety of female role models in the media, which would give girls a broader perspective of femininity.

Objectification Theory
Social scientists claim that society’s emphasis on beauty causes girls to define their femininity largely in terms of physical appearance. This has led to the development of objectification theory, which “argues that learned cultural practices of sexual objectification lead girls and women to self-objectify or, in other words, to adopt a view of themselves as objects whose value is based on appearance” (Grabe, Hyde, & Lindberg, 2007, p. 164). The media fuel this objectifying atmosphere by constantly bombarding the public with sexually charged messages and depictions of women. Within such an atmosphere, researchers believe that “women’s worry about their appearance is not out of conceit or free choice; rather, constant self-surveillance is an adaptive strategy to avoid negative judgment” (Grabe, Hyde, & Lindberg, 2007, p. 165).

This unwavering pressure has a number of negative effects on women. First and foremost, the socially established standards of beauty depicted by the media are almost impossible for most women to achieve. Studies suggest that “the inevitable failure to meet these sociocultural standards is likely to generate shame and anxiety that are recurrent and difficult to alleviate” (Aubrey, 2006, p. 160). Numerous studies have also revealed a direct link between self-objectification and depression in women (Grabe, Hyde, & Lindberg, 2007, p. 170). Thus, women seem to develop a sense of shame and worthlessness as they internalize the messages and standards portrayed by the media, which negatively affects their emotional health and self-esteem. This mental state perhaps contributes to the stereotypical woman who feels weak, inadequate, and who needs a man to make her feel important.

The Effects on Men

Women as Objects
Media images not only influence women, but men also. (Note: the objective of this section is to evaluate how men perceive women as a result of media exposure; the objective is not to evaluate how men perceive themselves.) If women are led to view themselves as objects of sexual desire, it follows that the media can similarly influence men to view women as sex objects as well. This objectification can be defined as “the reduction of women to their sexual appeal in terms of their outer appearance and a focus on their body (parts). It also entails a strong concern with women’s sexual activities as the main criterion of their attractiveness and the depiction of women as sexual playthings waiting to please men’s sexual desires” (Peter, 2007, p. 383).

Exposure to objectifying messages can lead men to believe (either consciously or subconsciously) that a woman’s primary function is his sexual gratification, decreasing the importance of the woman’s wants and needs as an individual human being. These messages can also imbed unfair standards and expectations of women into men’s minds, adding to the pressure women feel to look and act a certain way. Aside from sexual objectification, the stereotyped portrayal of women in the media influences men to perceive women as emotionally intense beings in their traditional roles as homemakers, nurturers, decorators, etc. If a woman steps outside of these norms, men usually do not take her seriously.

Pornography
People debate whether pornography is good or bad for society, but this section will focus simply on how women are portrayed in pornographic material and how it affects men. One particular study that evaluated depictions of women in pornography described the following recurring themes: (1) women were sexually available to any man at any time, (2) women were reduced to objects, (3) women were dominated by men, (4) women had a lower social status than men, and (5) the women’s satisfaction was not as important as the men’s (Cowan & Dunn, 1994, p. 13). According to one feminist, the porn industry objectifies and degrades women as much as possible to satisfy men’s desires of domination over women (Cohen, 2007, p. 36).

While the previous statement may be somewhat charged, pornography certainly does affect men’s behavior and attitudes. A recent study shows that adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit material is associated with a belief that women are sex objects. The study also found that the degree to which viewers have this perception is related to the explicitness of the material (Peter, 2007, p. 393). This is not surprising, given the effect that the regular media has on the perception of women. Also of note is a study by a social scientist that found that almost half of rapists viewed pornography before they committed the crime (Deffner, 2007, p. 13). Clearly pornography affects the way men view and treat women and the problem is made worse by pornography’s addictive nature. In essence, pornography has an amplified effect on men’s perception of women as sex objects, sometimes driving them to criminal behavior.

Underlying Causes

Media Control
Feminists would argue that the prevailing representation of women in the media is largely due to predominately male occupation of powerful positions within the industry. Indeed, one study in particular examined the relationship between the presence of powerful women behind the scene and the portrayal of women in television shows. The experiment revealed a more egalitarian representation of women on the screen when there was a female writer or executive behind the scenes (Lauzen, Dozier, & Cleveland, 2006, p. 451). In film, 7 percent of directors in 2005 were women; 19 percent of films released in 2005 employed no women directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers or editors; and zero women have ever won an Academy Award for best director (Ruby, 2007, p. 15). The number of female executives and writers in the media industry is simply far less than the number of men.

Claiming that men purposefully portray women through a male lens to perpetuate female stereotypes in society might be a stretch. But the argument could probably be made that men, who might not understand femininity in its entirety, generally control media content. Therefore, depictions of women are created from a man’s perspective and are not representative of how women perceive themselves. If the men in power who dictate media portrayals of women hold stereotypical and sexually objective views, this likely adds to the proliferation of these images in today’s media.

Market Forces
An equally powerful argument that explains the media’s depiction of women is the simple principles of supply and demand. Suppliers will produce that which consumers want most. Logic follows that Hollywood will keep producing chick flicks as long as the movies continue to generate ticket sales; advertisers will continue to market homemaking supplies to women if they keep buying the products; and the pornography industry will continue to sell women as sex objects if it generates $57 billion a year (Deffner, 2007, p. 13). The economic factor is a major driving force in the construction of social behavior and media images.

In fact, adherence to stereotypes benefits producers by creating a perceived need for conformity to cultural norms and societal expectations. A major component of marketing is to present an ideal that consumers will aspire to. If advertisers can convince girls that beauty is essential to their feminine identity, then more girls will be inclined to buy beautification products. The princess ideal, for example, creates a desire in the minds of young girls to act like, look like, and be treated like a princess. The Disney company “profits off of and relies on young girls’ false illusions through their various marketing strategies including the sales of princess classes given in the New York Disney Store” (Wachutka, 2006, p. 1). No doubt, capitalism strongly influences the formation and promulgation of stereotyped and sexually objectified images of women.

Discussion
The issues with female portraits in the media can be separated into two main categories: (1) the stereotypical portrayal of women’s attitudes, interests, roles, etc., and (2) the objectification of women as sex objects.

Stereotypes
Stereotyped media representation is contested because it limits the roles of women in a social context. But the question arises, are stereotypes wrong? No one would argue that men and women are not different. In fact, science proves that men and women’s brains function and develop differently, though scientists debate whether the gender differences in society are the product of environmental factors or a result of biological differences between the sexes (Haier, 2007, p. 114). Either way, the fact remains that although men and women may be “created equal,” they are not the same. So maybe the media should not be criticized so much for portraying men and women in different roles.

Perhaps this is not the argument, however. Some might simply complain that the diversity of portrayals is too narrow and does not capture the ideals of all women (Thompson, 2007, p. 45). Do stereotypical depictions in the media put pressure on women to fulfill a limited set of roles and aspire to a certain status quo? The answer seems to be yes. A more diverse representation of women in the media would give girls more role models to emulate, but ultimately each girl must choose her own role in life based on her individual experiences. If people are unhappy with portrayals of women in the media, a solution might be to give them good parents as role models–both a mother and a father in the home who play an active role in teaching and providing their children with opportunities to learn and grow. If parents act as equal partners, this would give girls equal representation of both sexes, allowing girls to make educated decisions about their own lives – their roles, preferences, attitudes, and sexuality.

Sexual Objectification
To most, the issue of sexual objectification is unquestionably wrong. But some women argue that sexual freedom and expression is an essential feminine right, saying that “being proud of one's female body is being a feminist … and wearing a tight shirt isn't being slutty but is the modern equivalent of giving up bras … My philosophy of feminism is more about the freedom to do things — not protecting girls from pop culture.” (Glazer, 2006, p. 324). Some would even argue that it is a woman’s prerogative to express her sexuality and find fulfillment as a sex object by being a model or a porn star; girls may want to submit themselves to a certain extent (Taormino, 2006, p. 113).

Although every woman has the right to act as she will, women cannot ignore the social and moral implications of their actions; with freedom comes responsibility and accountability. In the end, however, women who set themselves up as objects of sexual gratification, prizes to be won, or trophies to be had, give up their power and submit to the carnal desires of men. If these pursuits bring women satisfaction, so be it; but women must realize that sexual objectification alters both men’s and women’s perspectives and has been shown to induce unhealthy behaviors in both sexes. Stricter media standards should be enacted, and stronger protection from sexualized images should be implemented to guard those who do not want their own perceptions, or those of their loved ones, to be skewed.

Conclusion
The market forces that drive female media portraits are beyond the control of any one group or individual. The challenge is for people to shelter themselves and their loved ones from undesired media influences. A sensible solution seems to lie in individual restraint and the support of the family unit. Men and women are biologically different on many levels, and these differences can express themselves in a variety of ways. The differences cannot be ignored or explained away. The best way for boys and girls to make proper evaluations about themselves and each other is to give them a home where they are exposed to healthy relationships and equal representation of both sexes. Any false notions gained from the media can be contrasted and defeated by correct principles learned through real life associations.