Body Image and the Media

            The role of the media and the entertainment industry in the promotion of negative body image is a highly controversial topic.  In the digital age, it is very easy to access the so-called beautiful people of the world.  Unfortunately, in society today, beauty is often a synonym for unattainable perfection and thinness.  The media perpetuates this impossible standard of beauty.  Runway shows and print ad campaigns showcase waif-like models; prime-time television shows are often headlined by extremely thin women; airbrushed ads cover magazines and billboards.  But do these social realities really influence personal perceptions of self-image?  Yes; researchers have found that ongoing exposure to certain ideas can shape and distort our perceptions of reality (Boston Women's Health Book Collective, 2005). Sarah Murnen, body image researcher and professor of psychology at Kenyon College, agrees that there are negative outcomes of this social standard, stating, "The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies (Hellmich 2006)."  

            This warped body-consciousness can lead to serious life-threatening diseases like anorexia and bulimia.  These eating disorders even destroy the lives of people who are commonly thought of as aesthetically perfect, including numerous athletes and celebrities like Princess Diana, Jane Fonda, and Christy Henrich (Mudgett 1998).  Allegations against the media and ultra-thin celebrities have sparked much controversy, and most thin models and actresses attribute their thinness to genetics and metabolism.  When Brittany Murphy died of cardiac arrest in 2009, many media outlets reported that her struggle with eating disorders was a principle cause.  Her husband, Simon, defended her body, saying, "She was slim, but that was her natural physique.  She tried to gain weight but had one of those metabolisms—a high metabolism—but enjoyed food as much as anyone ("Why Did Brittney Die?" 2009)."  While genetics and a fast metabolism do affect body type, the presence of unnaturally thin women in the media has a negative influence on the national body image.

            Since the recognition of the media's involvement in body image issues, there have been many personal and corporate campaigns advocating a healthy body image.  There are also more actresses in Hollywood with healthy weights (Whitton 2011).  Size-14 actress Christina Hendricks, for example, has publicly embraced and praised her curvy figure.  Popular business corporations have also launched international campaigns focused on improving body image.  Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty Worldwide has a mission of "creating a world where real beauty is a source of confidence" (Dove 2010).  The campaign partners with the Girl Scouts, Girls, Inc., and Boys and Girls Clubs of America to encourage healthy self-image at a young age.  Dove has also released numerous print ads and viral videos commending real beauty (see below).  While the media still tends to have a negative influence on self-image, these public campaigns and confident celebrities are an important part of improving body image in the United States.

 

Media Effects on Body Image (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCKJe8KEgY)

Dove Evolution Ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U)

Works Cited

Boston Women's Health Book Collective. Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for A New Era. 8th ed. Chicago: Simon & Schuster, 2005. Print.

Campaign For Real Beauty. Dove. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/>.

Dove Evolution. Dir. Tim Piper and Yael Staav. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 6 Oct. 2006. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U>.Hellmich, Nanci. "Do Thin Models Warp Girls' Body Image?" USATODAY.com. 26 Sept. 2006. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-thin-models_x.htm>.

Media Effects on Body Image. Dir. Gina Fortunato. YouTube. 6 May 2007. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCKJe8KEgY>.

Mudgett, Heather. "Eating Disorders and Body Image in the Media: Celebrities and Athletes Who Battled Anorexia and Bulimia." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 4 Sept. 1998. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/eating_disorders/9979>.

Whitton, Chelsea. "Curves of Controversy." The Daily Collegian. University of Massachusetts, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://dailycollegian.com/2011/01/26/curves-of-controversy/>.

"Why Did Brittany Murphy Die?" Women's Health Magazine: Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More. Rodale, Inc., 24 Dec. 2009. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/brittany-murphy-eating-disorders>.