Media Homework Log 1

Log 1:

Assignment: Find another example of a construction of reality in the media (ex. news article, magazine, TV show, etc). Explain how media is constructed in the piece. Explain your reaction to this piece (1-2 paragraphs, with the picture/link/item in question).

            The pictures above show how magazines have altered the appearance and features of two perfectly normal women. Both women looked healthy and happy but the magazine felt the need to edit and alter their bodies. This constructs reality, as many women who read these magazines and follow the trends and styles of celebrities will feel pressured to look and have the similar appearance. The media presents an altered image of the celebrities who ‘grace’ the covers of the glossy magazines with their ‘natural bodies.’ It changes the way society sees women and it paints the image of how women are supposed to look and act therefore, constructing reality. We often see the thin bodies, the lifted cheek bones and the magical thigh gap that appears on the covers but what we don’t see is the hours magazine computer employees, hired with degrees in I.T and whizzes at photo-shop, put in to carefully edit and alter the celebrities body to, well, society’s idea of a beautiful woman. We don’t see how the extra inches on the hottest country star’s arm get trimmed off or the USA’s number 1 basketball player’s biceps ‘magically’ get larger. This not only affects women, but men often see the athletes on the cover of sports magazines flaunting their abs and quads, making them feel, well as though, as a man they need to be muscular and buff as well.

            Seeing these images and knowing many are altered make me feel disappointed as I know that even the women on the cover of the magazine aren’t really the cover of the magazine. It’s sad to know that this is how far media has gone to make society feel the need to only want to see these perfected, edited people on the cover who aren’t even realistic and make men and women strive to be this altered person.

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