Body Image via Magazine Ad

In my Proposing a Solution Essay, I discussed the issue of poor body image in young girls and women due to the medias presentation of female musicians. I chose mothers as my main audience because they are the ones who have the most influence over their daughters’ responses to articles and images in publicity magazines like People or Star. The solution to my argument was education, eating well and regular fitness. I targeted mothers for this paper but chose the media to target in my presentation of the rhetorical version. The media I chose to represent my argument was a magazine advertisement to be featured in a magazine like Star or People, which are the examples I discussed in my paper. I thought it would be very persuasive to illustrate the progression of beauty through the ages. I chose famous paintings and sculptures from 24000 BCE to the 1980’s to show how a beautiful woman has shifted from a voluptuous fertility goddess to a withering away artificial depiction of Lindsay Lohan. I feel that art reflects the general opinion of people during the time period and a way a woman is pictured represents the purpose of the painting and the skill level of an artist. Therefore, art is a good tool for measuring the standard of women during the time period. I placed the art in timeline format to show the evolution of beauty and in the bottom portion of my ad included a letter. The letter is from the women of America to the media. This is a more personal way to address the issue as well as show who is being affected by the glorified images. I kept the design simple and elegant to appeal to a variety of audiences yet grab the attention of those at stake. Overall, I feel that both mothers and the media are responsible to foster a positive body image.

Body Image and Music Videos

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/media/media624.shtml

In this article, a University of Sussex research team found that young girls from the age of 12-19 are psychologically effected by the use of too thin models in music videos. Two groups were selected to watch the music video and then listen to the song and were then asked questions to learn of their self esteem levels. The conclusion made by the researchers was that all girls, previously with or without body issues, felt significantly worse after seeing the music video rather than just hearing the music. In order to eliminate poor body image due to visuals, a healthy body image developed from home is key. It is very important for mothers to tell their daughters both that the mother is beautiful and smart and the daughter is as well. Simple comments such as "My hair looks good today" can boost self esteem. Saying phrases like this aloud is much better for a girl to learn from than "My butt looks fat in these jeans." Children mimic their parents so when the mother has a positive body image and shows the daughter this at a young age it will translate into a healthy body image in the future. I feel that my mom did a very good job promoting a good body image for me. She always told me I looked great, no matter what and my mom always let me dress myself yet I wasn't allowed to wear certain things. I think that having a hold on what young girls can and can't wear shows girls how to present themselves and how to feel good about themselves. For instance, although Miley Cyrus has a good image in the public eye, I think the way she dresses is questionable, and all little girls strive to be Miley.