This reading over advertisement's way of making women what it wants them to be is SO true! It's crazy how the media has such an influence on nearly every being and we have a tough time realizing how much it actually does effect us. Today women and men are both scrutinized and then recreated into whatever the world demands of us. Women seem to be a super target for the media. According to the assigned reading, maybe this is so because we are in fact more intrigued by the advertisements than men are. Think about it, if men actually were half as influenced by advertisements and the pressure of the media, there would be more advertising directed towards a male audience. Now this is not to say that men are not a target audience, however, the advertisement for a man is usually a woman. Which is semi degrading to women, even though we have been taught and forced to think that this particular attention is great. Anytime a man views a woman as sexy, or women are portrayed as sexy, cute, glamorous, etc. we tend to be proud of that as females. Or seeing it advertised like this forces us to feel less that mediocre. In my own opinion I don't agree that any of these two beliefs are healthy for women. Number one, were is the self respect, the gentleness, the ladylike ways? And why does the world think that it is best we all conform to this way of thinking? Number two, what good is there in having no self esteem? Neither of these demands are good at all. I wish women AND the media (completely) would open up to a more positive, real, unique outlook. I can only imagine how much better everything would be if advertisements shifted to an encouragement rather than a beating and women began finding comfort in the uniqueness that they were created.
And speaking of advertisements, I found it very interesting to learn how the world of advertising actually works. Which might explain my attitude in this response. It's unfair!! Ugh, they try and think extremely hard to find ways of getting into minds and conforming them so that they can simply sell a silly product. Which is exactly where all the problems begin. How can men find an innocence in thinking, women find self respect and security, and this "beauty contest of life" find its way off of this never ending ornamental path with the creepers we call "media" prying their way into our minds?