1. By Marissa Banning

2.  A stereotype is defined as creating an on
oversimplified, false, or generalized portrayal
of a group of people. They are often
inaccurate and derogatory.
 Stereotypes prejudge a person’s ability, skills,
and personality based on unfair assumptions
about racial, physical, or cultural traits. [YSU]

3.  As seen in pop  Though many
culture, strides and
depictions of females milestones have
are chock full of the been made in the
predominately last 20 years on
white, desperately these
thin, and scantily portrayals, the
clad. stereotypes
unfortunately
remain.

4.  Articles and advertisements in
women’s magazines often paint
of picture that if a woman is
thinner and more
youthful, she’ll have an all-
around, more successful life.
 By presenting a bodily ideal
difficult to
main, additionally, cosmetics
and diet products companies
are assuring themselves
economic prosperity.
 American women currently
invest between $40 & $100
billion dollars annually in the
diet industry and are likely to
spend on the higher end of the
scale if they are insecure.
[Beauty]

5.  Research shows that
exposure to women
like the air-brushed
and made-up ones
depicted in print media
is linked to depression,
loss of self-esteem,
and the development
of unhealthy eating
habits in women and
girls. [“Beauty”]

6.  Anorexia Nervosa and  The Canadian Women’s
Related Eating Health Network were
Disorders,Inc. reported shocked and concerned
that one out of every to find that such
four college-aged measures were being
women use unhealthy taken by children as
methods of weight young as five and six,
control, including, fastin proving that the pressure
g, skipping meals , over- to be thin crosses all age
exercising, laxative demographics.
abuse, and self-induced [“Beauty”]
vomiting.

7.  A 2006 study entitled “Appearance in Culture
in Nine-Twelve Year Old Girls: Peer and Media
Influences on Body Disattisfaction” showed
that almost half of all pre-adolescent girls
want to be thinner and have engaged in and
are aware of dieting concepts. [Beauty]

8.  In 2003, Teen Magazine
reported that thirty-five
percent of girls ages 6-
12 have been on at least
one diet.
 The study also showed
that 50-70% of normal
weight girls believe they
are fat.
 Generally, ninety
percent of women are
dissatisfied with their
bodies in some way.
[“Beauty”]

9.  . The number of girls
who seek Barbie doll-
esque proportions is a
fast growing
epidemic.
 In 2006, it was
estimated that over
450,000 Canadian
women were affected
by an eating disorder.
[“Beauty”]

10.  Women’s magazines
contain 10 ½ more ads
and articles promoting
weight loss than men’s
do.
 Over ¾ of the covers on
women’s magazines
include at least one
message about how to
change one’s bodily
appearance. [Beauty]

11.  Television and movies
reinforce thinness as a
measure of a woman’s worth.
 Three-fourths of the female
characters in situation
comedies are underweight,
with only about 20% being
average.
 Heavier female characters
tend to receive negative
remarks from the males in
the show, at which the
audience tends to find
amusement and humor in
more than eighty-percent of
the time.[Beauty]

12.  Despite reforms  Modern models weigh
concerning twenty-three percent less
diversity, models’ weights than the average woman,
and compared to twenty years
Photoshopping, advertisin ago when they were only
g is what still ultimately eight- percent lighter.
drives the motto, quot;Thin is [Beauty]
in.” because of backlash.
 These models are believed
to sell more products for
the company.

13.  The mass media  Many women choose to
barrages women with internalize these
the idea that the female stereotypes and begin to
form is something to solely judge themselves
perfected. by the media’s
 Real bodies have standards.
become almost invisible  These “ideals” also cause
in mass publications, women to compare
due to further backlash themselves to one
and financial success. another and fuels
competitiveness in the
dating world to see who
is the most attractive
and desirable to men.

14.  The media puts
shockingly
profound pressure
on women to be
both sexually active
and attractive ,daily,
through ads,
television, and
cinema.

15. According to the National Eating Disorders Association
one out of every four television commercials send some
sort of message of attractiveness , informing viewers of
what is hot and what is not.[“Sex”]

16. Thirty-eight percent of
female video game
characters are dressed in a
risqué manner, with 23
percent baring breasts and
cleavage, 31 percent
exposing thighs and mid-
drifts, respectively, and the
remaining 15 percent
baring their backs. [Sex]

17.  Women’s bodies are
used to sell almost
anything that can be
advertised.
 Is it often argued that
these ads are only
presented to grab
consumers’ attentions.
 The fact that sole body
parts are often focused
on, further reinforces the
objectifying.

18.  Women’s magazines  The presence of these
and others alike today findings is disturbing
often still contain, due to the fact that
which do they admit, a research shows that
single image of female about 2/3 of young
sexuality: that females’ people turn to the
main focuses should be media for information
attracting and on sex, the same
physically pleasing number who report to
men. their mothers for the
same advice (Sex).

19.  The over-depiction of thin
women in the mass media
has eventually caused the
female society to equate
physical and sexual
attractiveness with the
physique.
 Articles about dieting and
weight loss are often
placed adjacent to advice
in dealing with and
pleasing the opposite sex
in many popular magazine
publications. [Sex]

20.  Female television and
film characters are
depicted as being
occupied with what men
want.
 Professor Nancy
Signorielli, of the
University of Delaware,
points out that women
are shown caught up in
the dating world in such
productions, while men
are on the job and doing
other activities. [“Sex”]

21.  The media is often accused of
infantilizing women, making
them appear weak and helpless.
 Being vulnerable is often
equated with being a potential
victim of such violence.
 Some advertisements are
criticized of implying that they
don’t really mean “no” when
objecting to sexual advances
and are only teasing, the most
famous example of this being a
fragrance called Fetish. This
infamously read, quot;Apply
generously to your neck so he
can smell the scent as you shake
your head “no”.”

22.  Though the number of  Women in politics are often
female professionals in the given less media coverage
last two decades, there are than their male counterparts.
still some discrepancies when  If they do indeed get
it comes to news coverage. coverage, the stories often
 The press often relies on men involve the domestic aspects
to report on of the woman’s life as
business, politics, and opposed to her actual
economics. political positions and other
 Women are more often than important campaign
not are covered issues such information. [Media]
as accidents, natural
disasters, and domestic
violence, as opposed to
stories of personal
achievement.

23.  In 2000, a study  In the realm of talk
showed that only shows, studies done on
eighteen-percent of “Meet the Press” and
news stories quote “Face the Nation”
women. showed than only 9%
 Women-related stories of the total guests
also accounted for a were female.
little less than ten-  The women were also
percent of all media seen to be given 10% of
coverage. the speaking while on
the show. [Media]

24.  Women involved in
politics are often
stereotyped by and put
down by the press as
being “witchy”.
 The best example being
Hilary Clinton has been
referred to as such more
than fifty times in her
political career.
 [“Media”]