Celebrities. We follow their every move. Look up to them as idols. Want to be them in every shape and form. We are drawn to their exciting lives. Why? Because the media makes us believe we should look and act like them. Most of us grew up playing with Barbie dolls. At a young age, Barbie inspired us to look a certain way. But if Barbie were given real life measurements then she would stand 6 feet tall, with a 39 inch bust, 18 inch waist, 33 inch hips, weigh 110 pounds, wear a size three shoe, and be forced to walk on all fours due to her awkward proportions. Today television and magazines along with many other media advertisements use PhotoShop to make their models and actors fit into the medias definition of beauty. The media today is making us ask ourselves, “am I beautiful?”.

Introductory Paragraph:

In video:Pictures of thin celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, and more - voice over

Video of the interview featuring life size barbie - voice over

Video using photoshop? - with no sound and just voice over

Pictures of magazines that say “The New Thin”, “How I Stayed Thin” etc.

Memo 2: explain the problem

Previous to the popularization of the television, a person would walk down the street of a typical American suburban neighborhood and see children out playing in their yards, before their mothers called them in for dinner. Today, those same streets are now deserted because of America’s fascination with the media. It would be an understatement to say that the media has impacted the lives of Americans. This new form of communication has promoted the idea of beauty and youth, which has made Americans obsess over these ideals.

Video/picture of young kids playing in the street from the olden days Video/picture of kids staring into/at a television screen

Memo 3: background of problem

We have been influenced to look a certain way since existence. Acording to Margo DeMello in an article found on ABC-CLIO, “one aspect of culture that plays a strong role in standards of beauty is economics. In many societies, a body that signifies elite status is considered the most beautiful. So very light skin would be considered beautiful when darker skin is a sign of working out doors; conversely darker skin became beautiful as wealthy people could afford to travel to warmer climates during the winter. Plumper bodies, especially on women, would be considered beautiful when working people and the poor were thin; on the other hand in contemporary western culture, thinness is considered beautiful whereas plumper bodies are associated with the poor who cannot afford healthy diets, nutritionists, and trainers and do not have time for exercise,” (DeMello). In 1927 the first television was invented by Philo T. Farnsworth and was introduced to the public at the World Fair in New York in 1939. This was one way the media impacted our perception of beauty.

Pictures/videos of models/females from the past.. 1900s & up, maybe late 1800s?People standing around a television (from 1940s)Philo T. FarnsworthPlump apposed to thin bodies- maybe throw Marilyn Monroe picture in here

Memo 4: recommendationThe influence of the media in everyday life affects the physical and mental well

being of women. Many companies have tried to change the way the media makes us feel. Dove soap started their “Campaign for Real Beauty” in 2000 Although this attempt may have influenced some it did not address a large audience. In order for the message to be heard it must be told at a larger level and explained in different perspectives to make it understandable to all.

Picture of the larger Dove beauty activistsPlay videos - Onslaught, fast-forward through PhotoShop, depressing girls one.

Memo 4: explain benefitsBy reaching out to a larger audience we can inform more women of the media’s

altered images. If people are informed of these altering images our society as a whole will realize the media’s lies and define beauty for ourselves. The standards we feel pressured to reach will be illuminated and others will be informed of their real beauty. These would directly result in a decrease of eating disorders, diet supplements, and over exercising.

Images/videos of thin and unhealthy girlsRunway video hereMusic video scenes - Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, Beyonce*Audio plays over all*

Memo 5, 6, & 7: opponents argument

There are many different opposing arguments suggesting different reasons for our distorted view of our body image. Erica Goode a writer for the New York Times says “those who already are dissatisfied with their bodies, who have little support from family and friends, or who feel pressure from peers or parents to be thin [absorb the medias message more],”(Goode). Erica Goode is arguing that it’s not the media that influences us to look a certain way it’s our family and friends. Peer pressure is also argued as a heavy contributor to our distorted perception of beauty.

Pictures of family/friends pressuring someone…Pictures of kids looking at magazines together?Picture of kids taunting others

Memo 5, 6, & 7: why your position is superior

We are constantly surrounded by the media and it’s these advertisements that are planting the idea of a different beauty than our own in our family and friends minds. Brands such as Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Victoria’s Secret, and American Apparel have all faced recent scrutiny for their advertisements displaying either distorted body images, or stereotypical and sexual images of female models. This proves that advertisements are putting the image of an ideal body in our minds. What Not To Wear, a show on TLC, is also wanting women to conform to a specific feminine standard of beauty and fashion.

Don’t know what to put here yet

Memo 8: call to actionWomen are continually forced by social pressures formed by the media to

conform to a certain standard, and therefore lose their drive for individuality. Not only does the media prove to force conformity upon women, but this medium also renders negative effects on the body and minds of American female population. By spreading a message to a larger audience we will be able to inform women of their true beauty and the negative effects of allowing the media to plant false images in our minds.