Casual Argument Essay

Memphis Christie

ENGL 102-048

Casual Argument Essay

04 February 2013

The Media and the Redefinition of Beauty

Does it surprise anyone to hear that only four percent of women around the world consider themselves to be beautiful (“Surprising Self Esteem Statistics on Dove”)? No matter what the answer to this question may be, I am sure people are wondering where this low self-esteem is coming from and the answer to this question is that it is coming from the media. The media has created such high standards for what it believes “beautiful” is that ninety-six percent of women will not look in the mirror at themselves and see a beautiful reflection, according to Dove Research (“The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited”). The media, along with its unrealistic standards about meeting the criteria of the ideal beautiful image is continuing to cause low self-esteem, especially amongst women and young adults.

Fig.1 The image above demonstrates how the media can change the way one views his or her reflection (“Beauty and the Body Image”).

The media influences lives every day from its use of television to billboards and to the magazines a person picks up when waiting at a doctor’s appointment, thus subjecting Americans everywhere to self-destructing messages about their self-image. When a person flips open these magazines the only thing visible to the eye is spray painted, size two, blemish free, perfect models who are setting an unrealistic standard that, unless a person looks like the illusions on the page, she believes she is not beautiful. “The idealization and pursuit of thinness are seen as the main drivers of body dissatisfaction, with the media primarily setting thin body ideals” (Hill, 2006). What happens when the girl holding the magazine then walks over to the mirror and does not see this same representation starring back at her? It causes low self-esteem, the main contributor in other serious conditions, such as eating disorders, unhealthy-weight control behaviors, depression, and suicidal thoughts. According to the article, “Low Self-Esteem at Crisis Levels for Girls,” if the media did not have such a strong influence on today’s generation, then low self-esteem would not be in its highest percentile than all past decades.

Fig. 2. This image is a representation of the media’s portrayal of beauty demonstrating how an image has the power to hide the truth as being something that is unseen (Google image).

Representation of women in the media has become a form of false objectification that rarely portrays the truth to the world of an individual’s inner significance. “Objectification of the female body teaches girls and women that they are valued primarily for their looks, reinforcing the need to pursue attractiveness” (Moradi et al., 2005). This type of representation causes young women to yearn for physical attention and gratification and when this is not obtained insecurity develops in them. It is only natural to turn on the television and wish to trade places with whomever appears to be the “picture” of perfection after all, this perception is what the media desires; it thrives off the unattainable wants of America.

In the documentary, “America the Beautiful (2007),” the impact the media has on self-esteem is examined, especially in a scene where a group of students were asked how the media influences the way that they feel about themselves. A twelve-year-old girl admitted, “Sometimes I can feel sort of insecure and it affects me a lot” (America the Beautiful). Another classmate then stated that the media causes her to feel ugly, and when asked if she really felt this way about herself, she did not have an answer. Here we have two beautiful twelve-year-old girls already dealing with low self-esteem inflicted by the media and their biased portrayal of beauty.  

Some might ask why a person even cares what the media thinks, and why would a person allow what she sees posted on a billboard effect how she feels about herself? These are two valid questions, however, the media has more influence than one may want to admit to in such a case. In this particular issue the fact that the media’s influence surrounds America in almost every aspect of everyday routine makes it practically impossible to ignore. For instance, imagine holding a green balloon in front of a child and constantly telling him or her that the balloon is red. Eventually that child will begin to believe that the balloon is indeed red, regardless of previous perspectives the child holds about it. This same concept can be applied in regards to the media’s influence; eventually its message will appear as the truth. Once it has, the individual is then faced with lowered self-esteem and a drive to find beauty, which can then lead to more self-destructive behaviors. The media should, instead, portray to the world the importance about loving oneself for who they are as a unique individual. Not everyone is a size two, with perfect hair, a perfect smile, and perfect skin, so why make it appear that way? The sooner the media redefines what is considered beautiful, the sooner twelve-year-old girls will know without question or hesitation that they, too, are beautiful.

The media also controls a person’s self-esteem in the value she holds about herself that is outside of the physical appearance. It manipulates the perception of happiness, according to Patel, who writes about the Solace Counseling and Treatment Center, which works directly with patients who have had their self-esteem tarnished in response to the media’s influence. “The media shows an unrealistic view of the world. Movie and TV characters are often privileged, witty, and happy without any real effort. It can cause a sort of sadness or loneliness for people when they realize life isn’t like it is in the media (“how the media affects”).” Reality is not as it appears on television; the truth most people experience is that there will be obstacles and hard times facing them, especially when there is no wealth to compensate of the pains. But it is the longing for the type of happiness that the media depicts that drives individuals to pity their own lives, and to want the falsehood that the media presents before them.

Realistically, the media will always hold a level of influence over an individual, but at what cost? This type of negative influence is causing people to lose their sense of happiness, values, and self-worth, all of which are defined within self-esteem. It is time the citizens of the world reclaimed their self-esteem and take that power back from the media. People should smile at their reflection and take pride in everything that contributes in defining who they are. One should not be misled by perfection; nothing should be allowed to dictate one’s worth but oneself. The media can only take as much control as it is allowed only if given the opportunity to do so.

Works Cited

America the Beautiful. Dir. Darryl Roberts. By Darryl Roberts. Prod. Micheal Beach. Perf. Ted Casablanca, Eve Ensler, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson. First Independent Pictures, 2007. DVD.

Beauty and the Body Image. Digital image. Beauty and the Body Image: The Media and Its Negative Effect on Body Image. Eva Chernoff, 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 03 Mar. 2013. <Beauty and the Body image: The Media and its Negative Effect on Body Image>.

"Get the Facts." AboutFace. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. (http://www.womenslifelink.com/beauty-and-the-media-the-truth/)

"Low Self-Esteem at Crisis Levels for Girls." Crosswalk. Ed. Jim Liebelt. PRNewsWire, 09 Oct. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Patel. "How the Media Affects Self-Esteem." Solace Counseling. N.p., 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"Protect Our Girls and Pass the Media and Public Health Act." N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Schelegal, Amanda. "How the Media Affects the Self Esteem and Body Image of Young Girls." - DivineCaroline. N.p., Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"Surprising Self-Esteem Statistics on Dove."  Dove Corporation, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.