Women in the Media

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to Naomi Wolf's assertion in "The Beauty Myth" that the media is creating a particular image of women with the goal of keeping them in a less powerful role within the patriarchal system. The paper discusses the popular image of thin, beautiful women that forces women to concentrate all their energy and time on trying to become thin instead of attaining more power.

From the Paper:

"Naomi Wolf has published a book entitled The Beauty Myth. This book argues that the mass media deliberately creates and disseminates a particular image of women. The mass media creates an ideal of female beauty. Wolf believes that this ideal is a method of keeping women in a less powerful role within the patriarchal system. Wolf argues that the media pushes this image so hard because of a backlash against the feminist movement. She believes that this image encourages women to use up all their time and energy on diet and exercise, to try and look like the ideal. If they cannot succeed (and most women cannot match up to this ideal), then they will be filled with anxiety. In either case, they will have no energy and confidence for business and politics."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Friends. Television series. Episode details retrieved from http://www.friends-tv.org
• Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. New York: William Morrow & Company, 1991.

More papers on Women in the Media:

• Analytical Essay # 42692 : "Images of Women in the Media"
• Research Paper # 3038 : "The Representation of Women in the Media"
• Persuasive Essay # 134861 : "The Portrayal of Women in the Media"

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