Wednesday, January 28, 2009


When you look at this picture what do you think? Does it make you think of sex? Going to the Gym to get buff like him? If you are a woman, does it make you feel depressed because you may or may not be able to get a man that looks like that? If you are an overweight man, does it make you feel self conscious? Obviously I'm not a man, but I'm sure the men in the world sometimes feel pressure about needing to look like this, because this picture is a perfect example of what the world portrays men to be.
But what about the men that do not look like this picture? Men that are overweight, and who are not "attractive"? How do you think they feel when they see muscular men all over the media. The movie that we watched in class the other day was so interesting because it talked about how men are so dependent on what they see through the media, and what it portrays. Men HAVE to be competitive. Men HAVE to be in good shape. Men HAVE to go to work everyday to support their family. The truth is, most of what was said in the video is an opinion of what the media thinks a man needs to be. If you go to a crowded mall and look around at the men, there will be a very small percent of men that are "perfect" in the way that media portrays them. Muscular, good clothes, confident, successful, good looking,... the list goes on and on.
Now, for us women. I am married now, but when I was in the "dating world" I was picky! I would look for men that had all of the characteristics of the "media man." Muscular, good clothes, etc. I quickly found out that there are very few men that have all those qualities. I think us as women need to look past all of the physical characteristics in a man, and start looking at the emotional and personal characteristics. The man that I married has some of the "characteristics" that I talked about, but he does not have all of them, just like 90 percent of the men in the world.
What I want to really get across is that the media does not only effect women, it effects men just as much! We as a society need to stop thinking that the media knows everything. In reality, all men are different, all women are different. Opposed to what the media makes us think, that all men are the same, and all women are the same.

3 comments:

  1. Honestly, when I see a picture like that, I'm not thinking, "Hmm, I wonder what that guy is like...what's his name? What does he like to do? Where does he work?" Magazines and television are good at picking only the attractive people with nice bodies, because I think we came to the conclusion today in class that sex sells, whether we'd really like to admit it or not. Objectification is everywhere, unfortunately because it works. It gets products to sell and it gets TV show ratings. So what do we do? I think like Errin said today, we all just need to make a conscious decision to be more critical of what we're being shown, told, and entertained with.

    ReplyDelete
  2. He looks like a tool to me. Haha no but really what guy looks like that? What girl looks like the ones in sports illistrated? These are unrealistic fanasies. I love the product dove that is currently advertising "real women" and in their commercials they have girls and women of all ages, weight, freckles you name it. I love seeing real people and what they have to offer. Objectification gets looked over all the time as dare i say natural? The movie was interesting to watch people get sucked up in this I have to act/look this way if I am going to be a man. Please I want some diversity :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can say that I'm not completely jealous. I don't want to completely look like that my self. I do admit, however that i wish i was at least toned and had a little muscle definition and maybe a six pack, but not like his. It is interesting that we always focus on woman in the media and all the Victoria Secrets models and not usually on the male models. When ever you see a clothing add you see men who are most likely in pretty good shape. You see an advertisement to buy a new suit and the guy is not overweight. Do you ever see overweight people in McDonald's commercials?

    ReplyDelete