In today’s social media driven world and where young kids
have complete access of the Internet at the tip of their fingers, we are
starting to notice more younger girls feeling insecure because they don’t look
like what they believe is beautiful. Where do 6-year-old girls get this idea of
beauty? They’re getting it from their TV programs, movies and from the
Internet. I want to know why I’ve heard
my 9 year old sister say that she’d rather have blonde hair and blue eyes.
Approximately 80% of 10-year-old girls have been on a diet and most pre-teen
girls have a problem with their physical appearance. The numbers only get higher as girls get
older and become more exposed to the world of media and images that alter their
perception of what “beauty” is.
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| This image was in an article that talked about disney princess characters are so small compared to the men. The author showed this by comparing their hand size. While it is true that SOME men have large hands, the difference is never quite this obvious. |
There are many different types of media that follows young girls through out their life that allows them to have this idea of what beauty is and what they think girls should act like. It starts off with their Disney Princesses. They're always the most beautiful and “fairest
in all the land”. They’re always the good ones of the story because you know
the bad ones are “ugly”, like the ugly step sisters from Cinderella, or Ursula
from the Little Mermaid who was a bigger woman, which was not usually seen, even
for the antagonist. From Snow White to Queen Elsa & Princess Anna from Frozen, all the princesses in between look the same and share similar stereotypes of women. There have been of course little breakthroughs here and there, and we have had princesses trying to break out of the chains, like Princess Jasmine and Mulan. However it isn't enough to erase the internalized images many young girls have already retained.
Once they’re older and they start reading those YA fantasy
fiction books, the main character, although usually a girl is often depicted
the same. She’s slender with delicate features. The main character is always
pale or just generally white skin, with either dark hair that “makes her look
paler” or light colored hair. The main character’s eyes are always green
“freckled with gold"or some other elaborate description that just means she has fancy light eyes. So not only are girls moving past the Disney princesses, but
these YA heroines in their books, also look the same. When does it end? Of course even when authors decide to break out of these molds, if the book were to ever become a movie, the character is white washed.
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| While not many YA novels have been made into movies, the ones that have usually depict similar feautures. White, slim and light hair with light eyes. *Side note: Katniss from the Hunger Games trilogy is the only understandable thin character because she lived in poverty and could not afford to eat. Its a shame because she was described to darker than what the movie showed as well. |
I’ve already bookmarked several articles online that will
help me prove my point, and I’ll also go out on my own and do my own bit of
research. I’ll look at the latest magazines for young girls and tweens to get
an idea of what is being marketed out there for them. Get a good idea of the shows and movies that
is being marketed for them as well. I think even focusing on books is important
too. We often tell girls, to pick up a book and read, but what exactly are they
reading. What personalities do these fictional characters have? What do these
fictional characters look like? There are so many different types of media out
there that is portraying the same kind of beauty and stereotypes and young
girls are picking up on them and in turn not being happy with the way their
body looks like.
I’ve also decided to make a short video of me interviewing
my little sister to put on YouTube in which a variety of questions about
beauty. Things like “describe the perfect girl” “slowly leaving her childhood and
entering the world of being a teen. She’s only 9, but I still think she’s at
this age where she still likes certain childlike things, and at the same time
showing interests to “tween” content. Hopefully the outcome of this video will
prove my point on how all these different types of content can have a huge
effect on young girls as to what they feel they should act like and what they
think they should look like.
Would you rather be really
smart or really pretty? And why?” I only have accesses to one young girl at the
moment, but as much as it pains me she is
I want everyone to know the damages that the entertainment
world have on little girls.
Some sources that I have gathered:
Along with some of the earlier readings we have had like "Cutting Girls Down" and Wolf's "Culture" chapter and "Beauty and the Beast of Advertising"
I think interviewing your sister is a wonderful idea. It would certainly help give perspective on the impact our culture has on kids. However I think it would help to have someone older to interview to compare perceptions, opinions and motivations. Maybe your sister could interview you with the same questions?
ReplyDeleteThis is a good idea. Making claims about how girls are influenced on how to look and then showing your claims proven in mainstream movies is a great way to have people question things around them, not to mention it's going to really affect some parents since you are using their kids' movies. Between relating to the audience through the movies, using articles to back your points, and showing real implications this has on girls with the interview with your sister, this seems pretty solid.
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