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TatianaChambrasi
English101#1418
Prof.Ogbara
12/01/2015
TheMediasContributionInGenderInequality
Forcenturieswomenhavealwaysbeenatadisadvantagethanmen.Forsomereason
womenhavealwaysbeenlookeddownupon.Ifyoulookbacktocenturiesagowomenwerenot
treatedfairlyorevenlookedattherightway.Astimewentontheinequalitybetweenwomen
andmenhasgottenbetter.Sincethenwomenhavebeenmoreequaltomenandhavemuchmore
rights.Stilltodaythereissomegenderinequalitywhenitcomestothemedia.Themediafor
womenisabigsourceofinformation.Thewaythemediaportrayswomeninsocietyisvery
specificandputsthemuptothisstandardwhichisnotrightforthefemalepopulation.Ingeneral
themediamainlyfocusesonfemalesinsteadofthemale.Ifyoupayattentionthereisnotmuch
aboutmenandhowtheyshouldlookorwhattheyshouldwear.Althoughmediacoversboth
maleandfemale,Idobelievethereisabigdifferenceonhowmuchthemediashinesthelighton
thefemalepopulationinsteadofthemalepopulation.
Centuriesagowhenyoulookbackwomenweretreatedhorribly.Womenseemedtobe
tormentedwithandharassedbythemen.AswereadtheanarticlecalledTheYellow
WallpaperbyCharlottePerkinsStetson,Inoticedthewomeninthearticlewasnottaken
seriously.Inthearticletherewasawomanwhowasveryill.Herhusband,whoisalsoherdoctor
issupposetotakecareofherbuthedismissesherillness.Heportraysasifthewholesituationis
herownfault.Thiswoman'shusbandandalsodoctortellsherIfIdontpickupfasterheshall


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sendmetoWeirMitchellinthefall(Stetsonpg650).Throughoutthearticlethehusbanddoes
nottakehersicknessseriously.Hemakesitseemlikeitsherfaultsheislikethisandexpects
hertogetbetteronherown.Thisshowshowwomenaremistreatedandareshutdownasiftheir
problemsarentasworthyasmens.Thisproveshowmostmenareabovewomenandwomen
arenotgiventhechancetospeakforthemselves.Asthisgoeson,thewomangetsworseandher
husbandisstillherdoctorwhichIbelieveisahugeissue.HerhusbandNoonebutmyselfcan
helpmeoutofit,thatImustusemywillandselfcontrolandnotletanysillyfanciesrunaway
withme(Stetsonpg652).Herdoctorhetellherstogetbetteronherownandthatistheonly
waytohelpherself.Butasherhusbandheshouldbegettingherallthehelphecangether
becausesheissick.Thisiswherewomenarelookedatasiftheirproblemsarenotlegitimateand
theyarealwaystheproblem.Helooksatitasifsheismakingallofthisup.Anotherarticlewe
readinclasswasVirginiaWoolfShakespeare'sSisterbyVirginiaWoolf.Thisarticlewas
abouthowwomenwerebelowmenandthesewomenhadnovoiceintheirownlife.AsVirginia
WoolfsaidItwasstilltheexceptionforwomenoftheupperandmiddleclasstochoosetheir
ownhusbands,andwhenthehusbandhadbeenassigned,hewaslordandmaster,sofaratleast
aslawandcustomcouldmakehim(Woolf).Thisarticletalksabouthowwomendidhave
somerightsbuttheymadeitseemlikethoserightswereuseless.Eventhoughsomewomenwere
abletochoosetheirhusbands.Thehusbandsstillhadcompletecontroloverthesewomen.As
timegoesitgetsbetterforwomenbutatthesametimeitdoesnotreallyseemlikemuchis
changingforthem.
Womensomehowseemedtobelowerthanmenduringatimeperiod.Lookingatthe
historyofwomensaysalotofthetimeperiodandthewaytheyworked.IntheReaders


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CompaniontoU.SWomensHistorythereisasectioncalledImageofWomenbyWilma
Mankillerwhichtalksaboutthehistoryofwomenandhowtheywerelookedat.Itexplainshow
Thespirituality/sexualitydualismalsoreflectsWesternhierarchiesofclass,race,andgender,
whichhavebeenconnectedwiththevenerabledoublestandardofsexualbehavior.This
genderdifferentiationhasoftenlinkedfemalepuritytomakehonorastheprimaryguaranteeof
patrimony,whileuntilthelatenineteenthcentury,womenwerecataloguedasthepropertyof
fathersandhusbands(Mankiller).Thismentionshow19thcenturywomenwerelookedas
property.Womenwerentevenconsiderapersonbackthentomaketheirownchoices.There
hasalwaysbeenadoublestandardseemslikewhenitmaketowomenandmen.Asitgoesonit
alsosaysAmongWesternbinarycategorizationofwomen,primaryonehasbeenbetween
beautyandugliness.Therecenttrendtowardreshapingbodiesaccordingtoanimageof
perfectionandnotonlyreinforcesthebeauty/uglinessdualitybutalsoposesspecialthreatto
physicallychallengedwomenandtoallwomenwhochoosetoretaintheirnaturalappearance
(Mankiller).Thisexplainshowwomenarethemainfocusonhowapersonshouldlook.This
sectionexplainsevenlongagowomenhaventhaditfairtowardsmeninwaysoffeelinglikea
personwhohasrights.Itseemslikewomenhavealwayshaditalittlemoredifficultfor
themselves.
Nomatterhowfaryoulookbacktherehasalwaysbeensomeformofgenderinequality.
Womenhavealwayshaditmuchharderthanmen.Andforsomereasonmenhavesomealways
beenabovewomen.Asshownthearticleswereadinclasswomenwerenottakenseriouslyor
treatedfairly.Menhavesomehowhadthishierarchyabovewomenwhenitcametomaking
decisions.Astimehaswentontheinequalityhassuppressedandwomenhavegottenmorerights


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butstillintodayssocietymediahasabiggenderinequalityproblem.Womenaremuchmore
talkedaboutinthemediaanditisnotalwaysinagoodway.Withthemediacausinggender
inequalityitalsobringsproblemsforthefemalepopulation.Theseproblemscanbehealth
issues,depression,andworstitcancausedeath.
Asresearchhasshownthemediahasbeencoveringalotforyoungfemalegirls.The
mediahasbeentalkingabouthowafemalegirlshouldlookanddress.Thisarticlecalled
Children,Adolescents,andtheMedia:SevenKeyIssuestalksabouttheproblemspeopleface.
OnemainthingthisarticlepointsoutisThemediaplaycrucialroleintheformationofbody
selfimageandmayberesponsibleforcreatingunrealisticexpectationsandbodydissatisfaction,
particularlyamongyounggirls(Children).Thisarticlementionshowthemediaplaysabigrole
increatinganimageforfemale.Thisarticletalksabouthowitshapesafemalesselfimagebut
doesnotmentionanythingreallyaboutamalesselfimage.AsthisarticlegoesonitsaysA
naturalfieldexperimentinFijirevealedthattheprevalenceofeatingdisordersincreased
dramaticallyaftertheintroductionofAmericantelevisionprograms,whichtypicallyshow
excessivelythinfemaleleadcharacters(Children).Therehasbeenexperimentstoshowhowthe
mediaaffectsafemaleslife.Andthemediahasshownhowitcauseshealthproblemsforthe
femalepopulation.AsRachelNowaktalksaboutinWhenLooksCanKillshementionsIn
particular,peoplewhogoundertheknifeinthequestforamoreattractivebodyorfacearemore
likelythantheaveragepersontobesufferingfrompsychiatricproblems.Thereisamounting
evidencethatthosewhochoosetoundergocosmeticsurgeryaremorelikelytocommitsuicide
(Nowak).Racheltalksaboutcosmeticsurgeryandhowgoingthroughthisisworseforaperson.
Thisshowshowthemediaaffectsfemalepopulationandgivesthemtheseideashowtheyshould


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look.Knowingtheseideastheywillgotoanylengthstochangethataboutthemselves.Going
totheselengthscancauseevenmoreproblemslikedeath.Themedianeedstonoticesinglingout
womeniscausingwomenmanyissues.Ifthemediamaybechoosenottosingleoutjustfemales,
itmightbealittlebetterwhenitcomestothesocietyequality.
Thiswomanwhoisamotherofbothboysandgirlshasnoticedthemediaandwhatitis
doingtoherkids.ShewrotethisarticlecalledOurbodies,OurDaughtersbyJillS.
Zimmerman,shetalksaboutherexperienceonthemediaandtheeffectsonfemales.Shestates

Inthisdayandage,raisingdaughtersisabigresponsibility,andperhapsbecauseIamthe

motherofsonsaswellasapsychotherapistforyoungwomen,Icanbothstayobjectiveandfeel
theheatofthisburningpoint.Burningbecausedespitethefeministgains20thcentury,girls
todayareindangerofhavingtheirwingssingedastheynavigatetheirwaytowomanhood
(Zimmerman).Thiswomanhasdealtwithotherwomenandnoticedhowtheyarechangingas
theygrowintowomanhood.Amotherwhohassonsanddealswithwomanondailybasisagrees
womenaremoreindangerforhavingthemediaaffectthem.Asthiswomangoesonshetalks
abouthowThemediaisaprimaryfactorinthedevelopmentandmaintenanceofawomens
bodyimageproblems.Itisnotsimplythepatriarchalestablishmentthatismanipulatingour
selfimage(Zimmerman).Zimmermantalksabouthowthemediaisthemainsourceforwomen
andhowtheydecidetogrowup.Asshegoesontotalkabouthowitaffectsthemshedoesnot
mentionmenonce.Shebelieveswomenareaffectedsomuchmorethanthemensincemedia
focusonfemalepopulation.Shealsobelievesthatmanyfemalesimageswillchangebutother
causeswillcomealongwithitforthem.Oncethemediashiftstheirfocusoffwomen,itwill
changesomuchforthesefemales.


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Onemajorproblemisthemediaandthewaytheychoosetofocusonwomen.Bythe
mediafocusingonwomenmakesitseemthefemalepopulationiswrong.Forexamplefrommy
personalexperienceIhavenoticedtwomajorlabelsDoveandVictoria'sSecret.VictoriasSecret
hasalwaysusedskinmodelsfortheiradvertisingwhichportrayswomeninanegativeway.
Doveontheotherhandhasmodelsthatvaryinsizewhichisbetterforwomensinceeveryoneis
different.Alsoneitheroftheselabelsusementoadvertisetheirfocusiswomen.Theymakeit
seemlikethefemalepopulationshouldchangeandfixtheirways.Themediahasestablishedthe
differencebetweenwomenandmen.Theyhavealsochosentopickwomenandmakethemthe
maintopicwhenitcomestothewaysheshouldlookorbe.Somepeoplemayarguethatthe
mediaalsocoversmenandhowtheyshouldlook.Themediadoesnotjustpickonwomen,men
arealsoaffectedbythem.Yesthismaybetruehowthemediacoversmenalsobutthereisa
differenceonhowmuchtheycoveroneovertheother.Theyshifttowardsfemalemostofthe
timewhichbringsinthegenderinequality.Themediadoesnotseemtoeverfocusonmenand
theyshouldlookoract.Themediahasalwayscausedproblemsforwomenwhenitcametheir
selfimage.Thesolutiontothisisforwomentostoplisteningtothemediaandstartnoticing
themselves.Womenneedtoredirecttheirfocustotheadvertisementsthatcoveralltypesof
womenandnotjustaspecifickind.Anothersolutionisforthemediatofixtheirownwaysof
puttinginformationout.Themedianeedstoshifttheirfocusoffwomenandstarttalkingabout
menalsoiftheywanttocontinuesayinghowsomeoneshouldlook.Itisnotfairforwomentobe
theonlyonestoldtolookacertainwaywhenthereisalsomen.Themediashouldjustoverall
stopadvertisingtoolookacertainwayingeneralandjustcoveralltypesofmen/women.Media


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shouldnotmakeeithergenderthemaintopic,therightwaytogoistalkaboutbothgenders
equally.
Inconclusionnomatterhowfaryougobackintimetherehasalwaysbeengender
inequalityinsomeway.The19thcenturytheinequalitywasshownbythewaywomenwere
treated.Andhowtheyhavealwaysseemedtobebelowmenandneverreallysaidanythingabout
it.Butastimegoesonwomenhavegottenmorerightsandstartedtospeakupforthemselves.As
themediachoosestotalkaboutwomenovermenintodayssocietywomenhavenoticedandit
theyhavebeganquestioningwhymusttheybefocusontopicswhenmenarealsothere.Itdoes
notseemfairforthemtobepickedonsincetheyshouldbeequaltomen.Genderinequalityhas
beengoingforaverylongtimeandastimegoesithasgottenbetter.IfthisproblemcontinuesI
believewomenwillstarttakingmoreseriousactionsandbegantotrychangingpeoples
mindsetsonfemaleandmales.Andalsoifthisissuesgoesonitwillstarttocausemoreissueson
therightsforwomenandwhatthefemalepopulationwillbelievesisrightforthem.Solutionsfor
genderinequalityareveryhardtocomebybuttheonlywaywehaveachanceoffixingthis
problemisifeveryonedecideswomendeservetobeasequaltomen.


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WorkCited

Children,Adolescents,andTheMedia:SevenKeyIssues.

(2010,PediatricAnnalsVol.39no.9,556)

Gilman,CharlottePerkins,andDaleM.Bauer.
TheYellowWallpaper.
Boston:Bedford,

1998.Print.23Nov.2015

Mankiller,William,andOthers.ImagesofWomen.TheReadersCompaniontoU.S

Women'sHistory.MagazineInDatabase.

1998.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Book.23Nov.2015

Nowak,Rachel.WhenLooksCanKill.NewScientist(London,England)Vol.192

No.2574.Oct.212006.Magazine.23Nov.2015

Woolf,Virginia.AWorldofIdeas.
ShakespearsSister.
NewYork:Bedford/St.Martins.2013.

679705.Print.

Zimmerman,S.Jill.OurBodies,OurDaughters.
Mothering
,7277

1997.SIRSIssuesResearcher.NewsArticleInDatabase.23Nov.2015