The Media's Portryal Versus the Reality of America

Jaylin Gibson

Ap English Language and Composition

Mrs. Jean Biglane

16 November 2012

The Media's Portryal versus The Reality of America

My first day of high school was a sad and devastating day. As I walked through the halls of my new school I saw students yell, smoke, and ridicule me. Throughout the day, I met only Allie, who became a close friend of mine. Allie was obsessed with fashion magazines and the way celebrities acted. One day while watching television and reading magazines, Aliie commented, "She's gorgeous. My mom would slap me if I cursed at a teacher.Wow! His body is amazing." Allie's comments hit me like a dodge ball, as I realized that the scenario I witnessed happens every day across the world. Americans are losing sight about the reality of life because the media idolizes bad behavior and unrealistic looks.

The media portrays hulk- like men as being good-looking. For example, in Sports Illustrated the publishers show men with tight abs and built arms. Of course, in this type of magazine its common for athletes to have this type of body, but television shows and commercials also idolize this body type. I have seen many boys around the world that are not built like the models that are shown in ads, commercials, and magazines especially the boys at my school. Body types are genetic and the only way you can change them are through surgery, diets, and exercising. There is three body types for men, and they are ectomorph or skinny endomorph or fat and mesomorph or athletic built (www.livestrong.com) Yet, with the various body types the media portrays the athletic built body as being the ideal type. The men that the media advertise are often shirtless, and the media wants to attract the females' attention that is why they focus on men having athletic bodies. In the media, women are easily attracted to rich, handsome, athletic, and muscular men. Tim Tebow is a perfect example of a man that has women falling at his footsteps. The media also focuses on the mesomorph body type because they think that men desire to obtain a built body, and they will buy products to achieve this body type. The media do not only portray men in America differently from the reality of life , but they also portray women as over-sexualized barbies.

The media portray thin and half dressed women as being good-looking. Modeling agencies rarely incorporate plus-size models in their photos or fashion shows. Magazine editors photo shop women pictures to make them look thin and beautiful. They do not incorporate natural beauty, but they focus on a Barbie image. Alessandra Ambrosio, a famous Victoria Secret model, is known for her height, long hair, and skinny waist line; most women dream to have an appearance like hers. For example, they desire to have her skinny waist line. Women look at edited magazine pictures, and they deplore self - conscious opiions about their weight. The average size of a woman "is between twelve and fourteen" (www.clevland.com); and even though there are models of all size most modeling agencies require to be a size two or below. Julia Bluhm, a confident, beautiful, and inspiring young lady, decided to take a stand on magazines editing pictures; She started a petition asking Seventeen magazine to stop photo shopping the models in their images because they should show all types of body sizes. We often hear the "sex sales," and the media degrades women when they dress them inappropriately. Television shows like Rip the Runway and Toddler and Tiaras are examples of how young women are dressing inappropriate. Rip the runway shows women wearing explicit clothing, that makes them look likesex symbols, and showing