A New Media Image

Olive Jackson

            Trawling through images of women in adverts, from Gucci to Aldi, across the covers of Vogue and Cosmo, you can't help but question, "Who the hell comes up with this stuff?!"

Cosmo advertising a woman's body
              as the focus of their front page...

            The idea of a woman bending in a confusingly contorted position, wearing nothing but a thong, purely for the purpose of advertising this new fragrance or that new shampoo, is truly out of my grasp.

            Yet this seems to be the norm wherever you look - the objectification of women within the media has become commonplace, and, despite all the advances in women's rights elsewhere, we seem to be slipping in this essential area.

            As a feminist, a woman and an optimist for change, I see this as another area where women can and will strive for change.

            Women, as much as men, have equal rights to power, dominance and their own dignity. 

...whereas it's completely acceptable for a man
to be shown in a shirt and geeky bow-tie

            However this is not seen in the media, where women are seen for their bodies, whilst men are seen for their skills and intelligence. This, in turn, is having a poor effect on the younger generation, meaning girls are focussing on appearance over intelligence and skills.

            I'm not saying men aren't also subject to this prevalent objectification - the images of overly muscular bodybuilders are also rampant.

            My point is that the presentation of body, weight and shape is affecting the population, and not for the better. 

Even in 8-10 year-old girls, 80% admit to have dieted; a shocking amount at such a young age.

 But what can we actually do about this media barrage of the "perfect" look? Sit back as models get thinner, buffer, and more unrealistic?

  We, as a society and a population, must make a change. We must show the companies, the advertisers, the media barons, that: We. Do. Not. Agree.

  We need realistic standards for both us and the younger generations, and the freedom to look, wear and weigh what we want.

   We need change, and we need it now.