How Media Promotes Gender Stereotypes Against Women Paper Example

Introduction

The media misrepresents reality by reinforcing and creating gender stereotypes that portray women as less talented, less hardworking, society dependents, victims, and sex objects whose primary role is to take care of families, homes, and men. Media can be termed as one of the most crucial aspects in today's society because it is an exceptional platform with a vast audience following. Therefore, the media plays an essential role as it has a significant influence that has an impact on society either positively or negatively. Over the years, the relationship between gender and media has dramatically advanced because it has become a highly debatable issue. Despite this significant progress, there have been issues related to the intersection of gender and media. The most controversial question regarding the intersection between gender and media is gender stereotypes against women in society. A majority of media outlets including films, TV programs, music videos, and commercials tend to promote the degradation of women in terms of how women are perceived. The media seems to misrepresent the roles and character of women as it creates a different picture from what goes on in society. Sadly, this misrepresentation impacts society in a negative way since individuals tend to conform to the lifestyle that the media represents, and this lifestyle degrades women.

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Kalviknes Bore, Inger-Lise. "(Un) funny women: TV comedy audiences and the gendering of humour." European Journal of Cultural Studies 13.2 (2010): 139-154, doi:10.1177/1367549409352272.

This first essay narrates how women are perceived to be less funny as compared to men in comedy films. It also explains how men are more likely to be given lead roles in comical films. The author describes how the media has had a significant influence on gender roles. As media depicts, women are only valuable in their young ages as these exhibits their sexuality and beauty. In films, television programs, media production, and the music industry, females are represented in a degrading manner from the characters and roles they play, the dressing and even the careers assigned to them. Media sexualizes women and portrays that that sexuality and beauty is the only asset and potential that a woman could have.

On the other hand, media depicts men as responsible, hardworking and leaders. In films, television programs, media production, men play characters who have stable careers, prosperous lives, and responsibilities. Meanwhile, in the music industry men are mainly the bosses. This perception of gender roles has an impact on society. Most people tend to believe that what the media showcases are what is acceptable in society. Society conforms to gender roles that the media portrays. Other than that, the media leaves little room for different definitions of masculinity. Media demeans caring men who support women and oppose violence against women. This, therefore, promotes an imbalanced vision of gender roles within society.

Lauzen, Martha M., David M. Dozier, and Nora Horan. "Constructing gender stereotypes through social roles in prime-time television." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52.2 (2008): 200-214, doi:10.1080/08838150801991971

This second essay discusses gender stereotypes against women as it talks about how women in television programs are assigned careers that directly relate to taking care of families and housework. The author also explains how the media promotes male dominance in society. Men are considered tough, sturdy, and durable, both physically and intellectually. On the other hand, women are supposed to be emotional, soft, and caring. Hence they are expected to be supportive of the men. This perception is highly problematic since it discriminates and degrades women. This discrimination is profoundly depicted in the employment sector by how Television and radio stations choose their employees. It is evident that men are usually assigned with superior roles that have more authority whereas women are assigned support and junior roles that have less power. Other than that, male dominance is highly illustrated in films and TV programs. The dominant and main characters are usually men whereas women are assigned with minor casting roles. Other than that, movies and TV programs with male main characters typically have a high production budget whereas those with leading female actors have a lesser production budget.

From my analysis of the two essays on this specified rhetorical framework, media is a dominant means of communication that misrepresents reality by reinforcing and creating gender stereotypes that portray women. The media being a powerful communication tool could be further promoting gender discrimination against women in society. Individuals see how women are represented by media, and they tend to conform to how media shows how women should be treated. Instead of addressing and minimizing gender discrimination against women, gender further promotes the issue. The media create unrealistic expectations that women are supposed to meet whether their roles or career options. Therefore, the influence of media on gender stereotypes against women should be among the top debatable issues that need to be discussed and addressed if at all the goal is to do away with gender stereotyping and introduce gender equality in the society.

Given the fact that media is a highly reliable platform and is depended on by a majority of individuals, then it would be the perfect platform to address the issues relating to gender. It is essential to understand that the media does not accurately reflect women's gender roles in society. The media acts as a mirror to show us precisely what happens in society. If the media portrayed gender equality, then society would be blinded into assuming that their gender inequality does not exist because media normalized gender discrimination against women. Therefore we should use the media as a source of information to know precisely what gender issues need to be addressed. It is essential for the media to portray gender equality in films, television programs, media production, and even the music industry. Taking these issues into consideration is critical because the media misrepresentation further degrades women in society sometimes to the point that women get violated. However, I think that the media should take the responsibility of showing individuals the positive impact that gender equality would have on the society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the media is a powerful tool that could play a significant role in the evolution of cultural and societal gender norms. The intersection between media and gender could be taken advantage of to create a positive impact on gender equality in society. If media portrays fairness in gender, then society would also adapt to the changes hence eradicating the existing negative gender stereotypes. Therefore it is essential that the people controlling the critical aspects of the media pay attention to identify and address the imbalances regarding gender. The media could be used as a tool that not only identifies gender issues in society. It could help address these issues by making sure that the content displayed talks about the benefits and the positive impact of gender equality within society.

Works cited

Kalviknes Bore, Inger-Lise. "(Un) funny women: TV comedy audiences and the gendering of humour." European Journal of Cultural Studies 13.2 (2010): 139-154, doi:10.1177/1367549409352272.

Lauzen, Martha M., David M. Dozier, and Nora Horan. "Constructing gender stereotypes through social roles in prime-time television." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52.2 (2008): 200-214, doi:10.1080/08838150801991971