Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Reflection Post 1

I thoroughly enjoy class discussions because it allows everyone to express their own experiences as every single person’s lives are different. Overall, I feel as though this class has caused me to become extremely more critical about the images that surround me every single day.  I am constantly analyzing visuals of women I see whether it be on subway ads, television plots or their roles in films.
The other day I went to the movies and decided to hit the bathroom before it began. I was startled by the signs on the bathroom door.

 I can now use symbiotics to try and uncover underlying messages within images such as this. This picture shows representations of two genders by the standards of the 21st century. The woman no longer is seen wearing a triangular cartoon-like dress but rather is displayed as a curvy big breasted person. This is an example of how in which the media is further instilling ideas of what it is to be a “woman.”
On the other hand, this “womanly” figure contradicts the other belief that to be beautiful, one must be thin. I always feel uneasy when the topic of beauty is discussed. I understand that the standard of beauty that society has created includes an ideal look that perpetuates this notion that being “white, blonde haired and blue eyed” is beautiful. I am white. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. However, I do not look like these people that we see on display. I feel as though I constantly struggle with the fact that I have been given these characteristics but I still do not portray this notion of beauty. I’m hope that I am articulating how I feel in a way that is understandable as I have been having a lot of trouble putting this feeling into words. 
I suppose I would have to say that a question that has arose from all of this would be how in which can I move forward from simply analyzing the issues that I am continuously seeing. What can I do to change these depictions of women in the media? How can I bring forth the problems I see from my mind to a tangible action that changes the way women are presented? I want to take this knowledge and use it to make a change.


Kaitlyn Harrington

1 comment:

  1. Wow, this is crazy. I've never seen this before! Thank you for sharing it.

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