Mass Media Representation of Men and Women

The contemporary society is made up of different kinds of people shaped by the ideas represented in the media and the popular culture.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media Representation of Men and Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Generally, the ideal man is portrayed according to the views of the media and in most cases; many individuals do everything possible to resemble the people represented in the media. Being a black American in a white society has its difficulties as many stereotypes are associated with this particular race. All these stereotypes and differences are majorly influenced by the ideas represented in the media. This is further exacerbated by the position the media plays as an influential agent of socialization that has the capacity to influence even the other agents of socialization such as peers, the family and the family or school institutions. JHally in his documentary â€Å"Des ire, sex and power in music videos†, talks about women and men who are represented in an overly exaggerated manner as opposed to a real representation. He describes the women represented in music videos as a fantasy of the adolescents. The ideal woman is defined as one who is slim and light skinned in complexion, with blonde hair being overly exaggerated as a mark of beauty. The men portrayed in the music videos are also associated with certain features, which include the masculinity aspect.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A real man is supposed to be masculine and thus, the girls who get to watch such kind of men may end up losing partners in their lives because they always look for the ideal man as represented in music videos and other visual media. Relationships are represented in a stereotypical manner. For instance, in Katz video â€Å"Tough Guise†, he an alyzes violence, media and crisis in masculinity. In this video, masculinity is analyzed in terms of relationships that exist between the male and other males and the males and females. In both videos, the aspects of racism, classism and heterosexism are represented. People relate with each other in terms of race and class. Thus, the blacks associate with fellow blacks and the whites too. Heterosexism is an aspect that is not strange according to the whites and according to the â€Å"Tough Guise† video male-male relationships are part of their relationships in their society. However, these two videos are against the stereotypes associated with human beings as they urge people to watch all videos with a critical eye. The directors of these videos say that, the media and popular culture can influence our thinking and lifestyle in a great way albeit all the views they represent are not true. The ideas and views in these videos are a mere representation of the adolescents’ fantasies. These representations relate to what I am today since, have always thought that the media represents the perfect man.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media Representation of Men and Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Popular culture has had an effect on me, as I have lived to believe that women who are viewed as pretty are petite and light skinned. On the other hand, a man should be masculine for him to qualify as a real man. This exercise has changed my way of thinking as I have learnt that; the men, women and everything that the media represents are all purposely meant to attract an audience. The advertisements, music, and films represent people who are a creation of fiction and not reality. Their representation in the media is more influenced by the need to paint a certain mental picture that only represents what should be ideal as opposed to what should be a reality. This essay on Mass Media Representation of Men and Women was written and submitted by user Saanvi I. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.