Muhammad Ammar

16097
Sectons : C6

Discuss to what extent the media is responsible for the creation and maintenance of
gender stereotyping.
Media: Super- Hero or Super-Villain?
In a world governed by post-modernism, its quite impossible to distinguish between reality
and mere fantasy, and interestingly, with the technology we possess, reality can be created out
of sheer nothingness. This ability to create can often be used as a means of implanting
various ideas, which in a given period can then establish their roots in a particular society. A
perfect epitome of such an ability for creating reality as we know it is Media. This, being an
interesting collective nown is known to cover newspapers, magizines, television, radio,
internet and other sources of communication and entertainment. One of the many things it has
been known to effectively reproduce over time is the issue of gender stereotypes. And, this is
simply because it functions on specific kinds of representations, which often are shown in a
user-friendly way. However, upon further analysis by their target audience, they due to their
convincing nature and appeal transform into speecific roles stratified in accordance with
gender.
My essay shall therefore seek to establish as to whether media is the main promotor of gender
stereotypes in a particular society. This it shall do by understanding as well as carefully
elaborating on the many effects it has on gender roles-this being on a typical male and a
female in that particular society.

Media is generally commercial body which needs to sell its product by hook or by crook.
Often, it is that very crooked characteristic of this mass communication body which leads to
a distorted representation of the female species. Not only are the damsels placed in distress
because of such an epic distortion, but even the common man becomes a victim of sexual
exploitation. Advertisments of basic commodities are deliberately made with women to
provoke men to buy those goods. This automatically creates an impression for the general
audience that women are nothing more than tissue papers, which upon use can be discarded
once theyve served their particular sexual purpose. Furthermore, this can be re-emphasized
by consdering their portrayal advertisements on cars and beer. Moreover women are
controlled by media through the Trap of complex. Super models with some super natural
grooming are shown on TV to make women realize the amount of work required to increase
their appeal in a particular society. But, no matter how much they try, they can never achieve
the desired goal, which in turn makes them a permanent customer of such specific cosmetics..
Hence, media plays with the mind of both genders to maximize their profits on a large scale.
And on an empirical note Jean Kilbourne (2002), director of the movie Killing us Softly
[Motion picture]. USA: Cambridge documentary films, also emphasizes on money-making
scheme of Media, which serves only to achieve it by tricking its customers into buying their
particular goods in order to better an aspect/aspects of their lives in general.
Men also are a victim to the fallible governance of mass Media. We can relate this claim to the
time when the participation of women in social and economical development by getting
education and awareness of mainstream affairs of society was emphasized upon through
several movies like Sex in the City, which made men undergo a social identity crisis given the
slow shift towards a more matriarchal state of living. As a counter-measure, men used the
phenomenon of Beauty Myth to control women. Women were asked to fit in double
standards, like they had to be pure and sexy, soft spoken and bold, nave and strong at the

same time. Ingeniously, they invented a society where man is asked (to) not to rape, but
women are asked to prevent a rape situation by paying attention to the way they presented
themselves in a particular society, as stated in Beauty Myth. Therefore, men used the given
gender stereotyping technique in order to secure their top position in society.
Beside all conspiracies against women, the fact that can never be negated is that no woman is
unmarked, in other words women are born stereotyped. There are several examples of
women these days, who are proud to admit that they are indeed sexy, bold and sensitive
objects. Similarly, men are shown as naturally strong, quarrelsome and short tempered.
Therefore we can say nature has created them stereotyped for different purposes. So, perhaps
media is merely representing a societys views upon its own request rather than sheer
imposition? This however, owing to its unresolved nature is something leaving unattended
for time being until further evidence is gathered to facilitate either argument.
Hence we can conclude that media plays an important role in creating a basis for gender
stereotyping, because it has to earn by exploiting both genders. Advertisments and movies are
the clear examples of exploitation through media. But perhaps, they find themselves justified
as a product of a self defensive mechanism, for if they do not keep women under pressure,
their jobs and elite position might get taken away from them. Nevertheless, it seems safe to
assume that Media indeed is the mastermind in the use as well as abuse of genderstereotypinh.
Naomi Wolf. (2010). Beauty Myth. In A. N. Eken, B. Rodrigues, H. G. Ataba,
J. Harris, M. Geri, M. L. Bilgi, S. Tack & Z. . nel, Contemporary issues in focus
(pp115-126. ). Harlow: Pearson Custom Publishing.
ONLY 1 SOURCE? TITLE OF REFERENCING?

GOOD IDEAS BUT NOT MUCH ABOUT MEN? AND NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE,
WHICH IS NOT SO GOOD FOR ACADEMIC WRITING!