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 21^st 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