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Obsession with thinness is about cutting girls down to size they are becoming thinner and thinner

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Difference between Natural beauty and Computer touch

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Difference between Natural beauty and Computer touch

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What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you

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References for all the pictures and materials

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References for all the pictures and materials

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In advertising and magazines, women are usually portrayed as young, slim and with beauty that meets the accepted standards. Women with this kind of appearance are often associated with sex objects.

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“Acne Doesn’t Make You Ugly" | SHAKE MY BEAUTY

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Drastic Representation about Women in Media

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Drastic Representation about Women in Media

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Simon Pitman talks about how social media has dramatically shaped the beauty industry

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Media plays a large role in creating social norms, because various forms of media, including advertisements, television, and film, are present almost everywhere in current culture. Gender roles, as an example, exist solely because society as a whole chooses to accept them, but they are perpetuated by the media. Conspicuous viewers must be aware of what the media is presenting to them, and make sure they're not actively participating in a culture of oppression.

Even on young children, gender roles are being pushed through advertisements. My search for American advertisements with girls playing with action figures and boys using easy-bake ovens was fruitless, and even when I moved to a gender neutral product, sidewalk chalk, the advertisement was sending different messages towards boys versus girls. The girls were all coloring on the sidewalk, as the one young boy rapped, ending in a short dance routine where it was clear that the only male in the advertisement was the main character. Are consumers of sidewalk chalk actively trying to send this message of submission to their 9-year-old girls? Likely not, but the media is sending them the message without being stopped. However, Tide, a Proctor and Gamble laundry detergent, has taken its advertisement in a better direction, recently showing a clip where the leading male actor proudly proclaims "I'm a stay-at-home dad," and later goes on to braid his daughter's hair. By showing a man playing out typically "feminine" behaviors, Tide is promoting a more equal society.

Television is the most pervasive form of media, with 96.7 percent of American families owning a TV, according to The Nielsen Company, which takes TV set ownership into account when it produces ratings. This, of course, means that viewers must carefully examine the content of the programs they choose to watch, and decide if they can ethically support and promote said content.

For example, The Big Bang Theory, in its earlier seasons, had only one consistently present female lead -- Penny, played by the lovely Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. Penny's character was that of the stereotypical female: the ditzy, attractive neighbor, who existed solely to create sexual tension between herself and one of the show's leading men, Leonard Hofstadter. As the show progressed, the characters developed and more females were introduced, but Sweeting's character still exists primarily to create romantic tension.

A better example of female representation in television can be found in the American version of the TV show The Office, which had five consistent female leads -- Pam Beesly-Halpert, Angela Martin, Phyllis Lapin-Vance, Meredith Palmer and Kelly Kapoor. There is a strong, working-class female represented in each department of the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin, and all of these female characters are dynamic. Even though some of them did portray female gender roles, such as the character of Kelly being emotional, the characters were given enough development and background to be more than just stereotypes. The Office worked against the unfortunate statistic that men outnumber women in television two to one, and gave viewers a plethora of strong females in the workplace, helping to move the media to more accurately represent the real world, where women are 51 percent.

Film is less pervasive than television, which means consumers must be even more particular when choosing movies to support. Every $8 movie ticket tells the film industry to produce more movies like the ones viewers have paid to see, which is why it is disappointing that Grown Ups 2, directed by Dennis Dugan, grossed about $200,000,000 more than The Call, directed by Brad Anderson. Only about a quarter of the cast of Grown Ups 2 is female, and the movie doesn't pass the Bechdel test, a test created by Alison Bechdel, which asks only three questions: Does the piece have two or more female characters? Do they speak to each other? Do they speak of topics other than men? Although the movie has stars such as Maya Rudolph and Salma Hayek, the female characters don't have a conversation about anything other than men. The Call, starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, features a strong female lead (Halle Berry) who saves a young girl (Abigail Breslin) after being kidnapped by a character played by Michael Eklund, but grossed significantly less. The message consumers are sending to filmmakers is that they should produce more films with women falling into the resigned, quiet, gender role, as opposed to films that break away from these molds.

There's nothing wrong with accepting gender roles. For example, I want to be a stay-at-home mom, but this is a personal choice, not something that I feel society or tradition is forcing me to do. The problem with gender roles is that they can cross a line and become oppressive. If a young woman wants to become a doctor, and a young man a teacher, it is the rest of the world's responsibility not to bat an eye. If a doctor can cure the sick, what does gender matter? If a teacher can educate a student, who are we to deny the pupil the right to learn, solely on the grounds of the sex of his or her teacher? If a man wants to cry, let him cry. Men feel just as women do.

Although the media isn't yet representing either gender void of stereotypes, a societal change will bring about a change in the media. Regardless of this, gender roles are just that, roles. It is up to the individual to decide whether or not they are going to fill them. The best advice that can be given is to make sure, above all else, that you are fulfilling a role you want to be fulfilling, regardless of where it fits in society's set of theoretical constructs.

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Media plays a large role in creating social norms, because various forms of media, including advertisements, television, and film, are present almost everywhere in current culture. Gender roles, as an example, exist solely because society as a whole chooses to accept them, but they are perpetuated by the media.

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SATURDAY, May 5, 2018 -- Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest may not be good for women's self-esteem, a new study suggests.

Women are less likely to be happy with their bodies if they spend more than an hour a day on social media, the findings showed.

These women tend to think thin people are more attractive, and may be more self-conscious about how they themselves look, said lead researcher Martin Graff. He is head of psychology research with the University of South Wales, in the United Kingdom.

In addition, these women are also more motivated to exercise in an attempt to improve their bodies, the researchers found.

"Spending more time each day on those social networking sites that are often used to post images of oneself, and for comparison with others, is linked to having unhealthy relationships both with body image and potentially exercise as well," Graff said.

The all-pervasive nature of social media make these findings particularly troubling, said Dr. Nancy Mramor, a psychologist and media expert from Pittsburgh.

"Social media has become a way to put these false images right in your field of vision whether you opt for them or not," Mramor said. "You can turn off a movie, close a magazine or consciously step back from a billboard, but not so with social media. If young women want to know what someone is doing today, or stay connected to their friends, they have to turn it on."

People with a negative body image are more likely to develop an eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. They also are apt to feel depressed and isolated, and to become obsessed with weight loss.

For this study, Graff and his colleagues recruited 100 female college students and had them complete a series of questionnaires about their social media use and feelings about body image.

Participants were split into four groups based on the amount of time they spent each day on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. The first group spent less than 30 minutes on social media each day; the fourth spent more than 90 minutes a day using social media.

The researchers also quizzed the women on three measures related to body image: how much they had adopted societal views of the "ideal body"; how much they worried about how their body was seen by others; and how motivated they were to improve their body through exercise.

Women scored higher on all three of these body image measures as they spent more time on social media, particularly if the time exceeded one hour, Graff said. But the study did not prove that too much time on social media caused poor body image.

So, why the link?

The feedback women receive on social media could be making them insecure, particularly if they fail to realize that "what people post is nearly always images of themselves in a positive light," Graff said.

"People generally portray themselves positively -- in the gym, running a marathon, or having a happy time," he added. "People don't post 'bad hair' days or photos of themselves looking sick."

However, it could also be that insecure women are more drawn to social media, Graff suggested.

Mramor agreed. "Insecure women and girls may use social media to try to feel better about themselves, yet using it may make them feel worse," she said.

Vulnerable girls and women who use social media in this way could be those who are depressed, anxious or suffering from eating disorders, said Ramani Durvasula, director of the psychology clinic at California State University in Los Angeles.

Girls and young women are going to use social media regardless of findings like these, Durvasula said.

"The genie is out of the bottle, and we are not getting it back in. Teaching our children and young adults to consume it while remaining aware of their individual vulnerabilities is key," she said.

Mramor advised: "Decide before going in that the images and information you see are not reality. If someone posts pictures of an expensive vacation that you could not afford, remember that posts are often exaggerated. Many people post pictures of trips, romantic anniversary parties and days at the beach that were not really as exciting as they appear."

However, Durvasula warned that these findings should be taken with a grain of salt.

"We need to be careful to not overgeneralize," Durvasula said. "This was a small sample of college students in the U.K. More research is needed to find out if this is also observed in the U.S., in ethnic minority girls, across all social class groups, and across cultures."

The survey results were to be presented Friday at the British Psychological Society's annual meeting, in Nottingham, England. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The National Eating Disorders Association has more about body image.

Copyright © 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Study: Excessive social media use could harm female self-esteem

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SATURDAY, May 5, 2018 -- Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest may not be good for women's self-esteem, a new study suggests. Women are less likely to be happy with their bodies if they spend more than an hour a day on social media, the findings showed.

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Today, saying the beauty industry has a diversity problem is putting it pretty lightly. There have been many opinion pieces and reports that have addressed the issue and asked why so many of the world's largest beauty companies still only offer one or two deep shades (while they offer numerous fair shades) or why they tend to use fair-skin models in ads. And while the industry has made strides towards change-Lancôme signed Lupita Nyong'o as the brand's first Black beauty ambassador, a woman who is very vocal about her African heritage and fully embraces her natural beauty, and Mattel created the first ever Barbie doll with locs to celebrate the actress Zendaya Coleman-it has happened far too slowly and is most times only half-hearted.

The industry's inability to quickly and authentically change in a holistic way gives rise to a new type of beauty entrepreneur: the social-media savvy individual who is on a mission to make the beauty industry more diverse and inclusive.

Social media is incredibly powerful. If you can scroll past the never-ending pet and celebrity memes, you'll find something that's unified people and given birth to communities that have empowered its members to become agents of change. Take the hashtag, #blackgirlmagic for example.

Black girls and women have always been strong and intelligent, and now many are loudly and proudly proclaiming it or tagging their pictures with #blackgirlmagic, a tag that has currently been used close to a million times on Instagram. It's what CaShawn Thomas (who first coined #blackgirlsaremagic and took it viral) started as a way to counteract negativity and is now a full-blown movement.

"Social media and online platforms make it much easier to create arenas where we [Black women] can see ourselves and celebrate what makes us uniquely beautiful such as our rich skin tones and beautiful natural-hair textures," says Desiree Verdejo, owner of Vivrant Beauty, a beauty boutique in New York City.

Kristen Brown, the founder of Gold Label Cosmetics, points out that "Tumblr and Instagram have hundreds of beauty accounts showcases Black women where the reposting of a selfie or a gorgeous hairstyle goes viral in less than an hour. Many social media posts, where women of color are shown, you will see comments that compliment their beautiful skin and features."

Historically this community hasn't had a space where they could vocalize their beauty frustrations, however this is no longer the case. Being able to connect with like-minded individuals, allies who too want to celebrate their beauty both inside and out, gives women of color a collective voice in a uniquely profound way.

"Black women are tired of pleading with [big] brands to include them and are tired of being overlooked," says AJ Crimson, founder of AJ Crimson Beauty, a makeup brand that strives to be inclusive of all ethnicities. "She understands her power as a consumer and she is demanding to be serviced, and social media has publicly forced many companies and influencers to listen to these women and take action to be all-inclusive or she is taking her Black dollars elsewhere." Black women spend a staggering $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, but spend twice as much on skin-care products and 80% more on cosmetics than everyone else.

So, who better to help swiftly and effectively make the beauty industry a more inclusive place than the individuals who actively use social media to talk about their current frustrations or constantly tag their photos with the hashtag #blackgirlmagic? Well, that's exactly what many are doing.

Ofunne Amaka started Cocoa Swatches, an app and Instagram account that showcases the latest makeup swatches on underrepresented complexions "after a number of disappointing purchases, where I ultimately guessed completely wrong about how a product would look on me," she says. For many, this is an incredibly frustrating and easy mistake for women with deeper complexions. She credits social media with helping her foster a community that didn't exist before and allowing her to positively contribute.

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Social Media Is Taking the Beauty Industry By Storm

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Today, saying the beauty industry has a diversity problem is putting it pretty lightly. There have been many opinion pieces and reports that have addressed the issue and asked why so many of the world's largest beauty companies still only offer one or two deep shades (while they offer numerous fair shades) or why they tend to use fair-skin models in ads.

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Unreal Beauty of Women in the Magazines

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Representation of Women using Cosmetics in a highly manner

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Representation of Women using Cosmetics in a highly manner

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Stereotype Feminity

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There is no longer a clear cut understanding of "masculinity" and "femininity" in western society due to manipulation in the media, affecting the views of individuals on these two terms. Concepts and ideas formed by the media have created inferable connotations that stray from the formal definition of these words. Masculinity portrays men as strong, dominant, aggressive, independent, breadwinners, and main directors of attention. Women and femininity are defined as weak, submissive, vulnerable, dependent, emotional, nurturing, and targets of attention (5 Gender).

Webster's dictionary defines masculinity and femininity without social qualities. Masculine is "having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man" (1B Full Definition of Masculine). Femininity is "the quality or nature of the female sex" (1 Definition of Femininity). Nowhere in Webster's definitions is weakness associated with femininity or dominance associated with masculinity. This shows that media has constructed these subjective definitions and over multiple exposures (i.e. television and magazines), society has accepted the media's definition as the norm.

The popular television show, Modern Family, enforces these concepts through traditional gender roles that characters portray. Claire Dunphy is the bossy, overprotective mother. She is seen taking care of the family and household; rarely is Claire shown working outside of the house. Claire is the typical mother. The popularity of Modern Family and Claire Dunphy reinforces the values of femininity (21 Gender). Phil, a realtor and Claire's husband, is clearly the "breadwinner" of the Dunphy residence. Episodes show him working overtime and on days off. The Halloween episode shows Phil promoting a house to treat-or-treaters while handing out flyers to parents; Claire, on the other hand, has spent the whole day decorating her "haunted" house for the pride of having the scariest home in the neighborhood. This episode, like others, promotes the idea that women have more fun being a homemaker.

Gloria Pritchett is Jay's trophy wife; she is often seen dressed in tightly-fitted, revealing clothing. Similar to the media's inferred definition, Gloria is dependent on Jay, unintelligent, emotional, and nurturing. Gloria's sole purpose is to abide by and bring joy to Jay and Manny. Jay Pritchett enforces the older white male superiority complex. Jay, like Phil, is the "breadwinner" for the house, although not as hilarious. Jay controls the household with discipline, rarely showing his soft spots. Phil and Jay embody the two most common portrayals of masculinity within television. Men are expected to restrict any range of emotion or display emotion which makes them "less manly" (9 Femiano).

Restriction of emotion is a constant issue within television for male characters. The Walking Dead contains complex characters: Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon (the most beloved tough guys). Despite their constant tough exterior, both have moments of utter despair. Rick cried when his wife, Lori, is killed while in childbirth. Daryl cried when Carol's daughter Sophia was discovered as a zombie. These were deep character changing moments for both men. However, when Carol Peletier, another tough character, cried over her daughter, there was no initial character development because viewers saw her as weak and unsuited for the apocalyptic world. Men "are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly" (7 Femiano). This is why Daryl and Rick's emotional breakdown played in favor to viewership of the series. Whenever these male characters display emotion, the audience is more engaged, as opposed to when female characters show the same emotions.

Television shows like The Walking Dead bring hope to equality for men and women. The characters on this show are in a post-apocalyptic world of zombies, where traditional gender roles and duties still persist despite the chaos that surrounds them. Rick Grimes and Machonne are fierce leaders: Machonne shows her caring qualities within new situations and is more accepting of others, while Rick holds back his emotions and acts according to logic (almost robotically). Despite these media gender roles forming in this apocalyptic world; women, like Machonne, stand tall and take charge of situations. The Walking Dead, although influenced by media's definitions, is attempting to break the mold of a "weak women" and "strong man."

Carol goes to the extreme of threatening a kid, saying that she will throw him to the monsters outside and they will eat him alive (not very "feminine"). Rick, despite being someone who often hits the extreme, would not have resorted to such brute speech. Often within these characters' extremes, Rick is irrational and Carol is rational. She threatened for a proper reason, if Rick had been in that situation, however, he probably would have sternly talked to the boy. Here, the media's definitions are flipped on their heads with the dominance and aggressive nature in Carol's confrontations.

Shows like The Walking Dead attempt to change the media's definitions of masculinity and femininity, but these concepts are already heavily ingrained within the television industry. The progress to try to reverse this trend is slow due to being largely dependent on character development.

Gays, lesbians and transgender individuals are also subject to masculine and feminine portrayals in the media. Although there has been some progress from the stereotypical norm, but a tall order of change is still sorely needed. Three shows that exemplify these stereotypes are Glee, Orange is the New Black, and Transparent.

Throughout its six seasons, Glee has had several gay characters. Glee has been considered to be an all-inclusive and rather diverse television show; however, it has reinforced masculine and feminine stereotypes even through two of its gay characters: Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson.

Kurt, played by Chris Colfer, is a gay male who is seen as more feminine than other female characters on the show. Kurt's hyper-femininity is most apparent in his obsession with fashion, overly flashy attire, and high pitched voice. He is seen befriending more women than men, further enforcing the gay friend stereotype. The girls also show comfort with Kurt by taking him into the women's bathroom. The writers take his stereotype a step further by changing his career goal to becoming a fashion designer (3 Scheuer).

Blaine, played by Darren Criss, is Kurt's boyfriend. His character, however, is neither flashy nor portrayed in any way that would be viewed as stereotypically gay. Blaine fulfills a different stereotype; that gay men come from an all-boys school. In reality, the audience knows no one else from the all-boys school is gay (4 Scheuer). Blaine is seen as the masculine figure in the relationship.

Orange is the New Black is a rather progressive Netflix series that has its stereotypical moments between lesbian characters: Alex and Big Boo.

Alex, played by Laura Prepon, is a femme lesbian that does not strictly follow all the expected characteristics and is classified as an "eyeliner lesbian." Eyeliner lesbians are those femme lesbians who identify with countercultures such as punk, rockabilly or Goth (6 Hannell). She is seen as more feminine and potentially heterosexual because of her feminine looks. Alex is also a white, college-educated woman, who lived a luxurious lifestyle; aligning her within racial and socioeconomic stereotype of femme lesbians (7 Hannell). Orange is the New Black shows Alex's romantic and sexual side with another attractive woman, which appeals to the male interest of girl-on-girl action. Male-on-male displays of affection, however, are seen as "horrific" or even "taboo" in society.

Big Boo, played by Lea Delaria, is a butch lesbian portrayed as such through her masculine haircut, deep voice and masculine physical appearance and gestures (8 Hannell). Her character admits that she is butch and even has the word "butch" tattooed on her arm. Some stereotypes show butch lesbians as distasteful and unattractive, which can be seen in Big Boo's gestures and scenes. Big Boo is rarely shown with a partner and is shown as being sexually predatory and aggressive (8-9 Hannell). In one scene, Boo dresses like the societal view of an appropriate female: wearing makeup, having her hair is done, and hiding her masculine side. This, however, fails to stick and Big Boo reverts to her masculine butch self.

In the last year, shows about transgender women have become more popular; however, these shows have their flaws. Transgender men are scarcely represented, and if they happen to be part of a show, they are stereotyped. Transparent is the story of Maura, a transgender woman, but also includes a transgender man named Dave.

Dale, played by transgender actor Ian Harvie, is portrayed as desirable and dateable, but is also shown as a stereotypical transgender man. While he is depicted as emotionally unstable or frustrated, he mostly viewed as "a man with a vagina." Harvie's character is stereotypically open to discussion about their genitals with strangers, views himself as a man with a vagina, accepts that people may only sleep with him out of curiosity, and is sexually defective because he does not have a "normal" penis (15 Keegan).

Maura, played by Jeffery Tambor, is thought to be a great portrayal of transgender women, even though she has flaws. Often, Maura and her family discuss her life as Mort (her male birth name) and his time at Berkeley. She attends womyn festivals that have beat poetry and topless people. Transparent is written within a time period where feminism, racial equality, and sexual openness were radical and viewed as wrong (4 Kornhaber). Maura is seen as overly feminine and unable to control her thoughts and feelings like other transgender women. The biggest complaint about Maura and other transgender characters is that they are played by cisgender men or women. These stereotypes may exist this way on television, but not quite so in the real world. The media must learn to portray the real lives of these people and stop the stereotypes.

"Men versus women" is an old cliché that refuses to disappear no matter the battle against it. No side truly wins or loses but they continue to think they hold the upper hand over the other. Stereotypes surrounding masculinity and femininity make it very difficult for advertisers not to offend each side. According to an anthropological study, "the masculine stereotype has been said to imply 'aggression, the possession of dominating and manipulative attitudes toward persons and the environment, and the tendency to create boundaries between the self ... and the 'other'". This same study said women are to have personalities based on relations and connections with others. Advertisements show that a man alone can dominate an entire picture, whereas women are portrayed as collective beings. The traditional masculine traits are depicted as dominance, aggression and strength within magazine covers; whereas women are nurturers, submissive and rational. Men are seen as workers while women take care of the home and family. Gender roles are established at a young age, beginning with advertisements that children see growing up. Girls see a thin, tall blonde in the cover for the Vogue Magazine, and believe that they have to look similarly (Daly 1973).

It is all about the "in", new trends, and current events. Magazines cover all these bases while flaunting celebrities on the front covers to lure consumers to the nearest newsstand. Stereotypes that follow masculinity and femininity are so common it is normal to see them portrayed on magazine cover. It is almost possible to predict what Kim Kardashian or Justin Timberlake will be wearing or not be wearing on the newest Rolling Stone's cover.

There is no real definition as to how magazine covers portray the masculinity and femininity of transgender and gays. The definition of masculinity and femininity are exactly the same for both heterosexual individuals as homosexual individuals.

Most people associate of the LGBTQ community with flamboyancy and eccentricity. These stereotypes are blatantly present within magazine covers. Similar to heterosexual individuals with dramatized appearance, so is the LGBTQ community.

OUT, a popular magazine, focuses on LGBTQ fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle. This magazine gives this community an opportunity to truly express themselves. Popular gay couples like Tom Daley and Justin Black have graced OUT's covers; while heterosexuals like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Adele have also been featured on OUT.

The Rolling Stone's cover features Neil Patrick Harris with colorful confetti: not particularly masculine. Who says confetti is feminine? Confetti is fun, but does Neil posing shirtless with confetti make him feminine? What does that make Ellen Page? Many find it odd that women are covered up because it refutes society's sexualization of women. Thus, society may classify them as masculine or the "men" in the relationship because there is no visible cleavage.

Why is it that if a woman dresses conservatively she is considered to be a masculine lesbian? Portia De Rossi's spouse is Ellen DeGeneres; she is often seen as the man of their relationship. Ellen dresses extremely conservative while Portia displays cleavage. On the Rolling Stone cover Portia is sexualized, barely wearing any clothes. The average person, viewing her half naked, sees this as normal; but if Ellen were without clothes it would be strange. Whereas Neil Patrick Harris, completely naked with a bow tie and a top hat, covering his privates, is a surprise. His sexualization on the Rolling Stone's cover could be considered feminine.

Everyone has their personal opinion to be sexualized or conservative on magazine covers. Would Sam Smith be considered masculine, doubting that he is gay because of his extremely conservative Rolling Stone's cover? Homosexuals are not all stereotypically flamboyant. Vanity Fair's controversial cover with Caitlyn Jenner sexualized her femininity. The caption was "Call me Caitlyn." She was overly sexualized to enforce her newly feminine self, largely separating herself from Bruce. If Bruce were on Vanity Fair, he would not have been sexualized. Caitlyn's wearing a corset, use of tons of makeup, and sitting like a lady make her more feminine. If Caitlyn wore a dress and posed standing, would she still be viewed as Bruce, as masculine?

Laverne Cox has never been sexualized on magazine covers, unlike Caitlyn Jenner. She is graceful and ladylike. Laverne Cox and Queen Latifah are true definitions of how women can present themselves and still be considered feminine.

A woman is naturally and technically feminine. A man is naturally and technically masculine. Media depicts and enforces the stereotypes and ideals that are associated with these two words. Some individuals and television shows, however, attempt to fight these stereotypes by creating a more gender fluid understanding of masculinity and femininity. It is a difficult battle because these ideas have been engrained within consumers for years, accepting these values as the norm. Generation by generation, further acceptance and the understanding of individuals and the true definitions of masculinity and femininity will assist the media to achieve a level of realistic representations of men, women, and the LGBTQ community.

Written by Susannah E Foos, Julia Barton, Andrea Smith, Tiana Benjamin
Bibliography
"Definition of Femininity." Merriam Webster. 2015 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femininity>.

Femiano, Sam, and Mark Nickerson. "How Do Media Images of Men Affect Our Lives?" How Do Media Images of Men Affect Our Lives? Center For Media Literacy. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/how-do-media-images-men-affect-our-lives>.

"Full Definition of Masculine." Merriam Webster. 2015 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masculine>.

"Gender | The Critical Media Project." Gender | The Critical Media Project. USC Annenberg. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/cml/topicbackground/gender/>.

Hannell, Briony. "She a Lesbian: Butch and Femme Representation in Season 1 of Orange Is the New Black. Briony Hannell - Academia.edu." Academia.edu. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. <http://www.academia.edu/14797729/_She_a_Lesbian_Butch_and_Femme_Representation_in_Season_1_of_Orange_is_the_New_Black>

Keegan, Cael. "Op-ed: How Transparent Tried and Failed to Represent Trans Men." Advocate. 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. < http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/10/22/op-ed-how-transparent-tried-and-failed-represent-trans-men>

Kornhaber, Spencer. "The Brilliant Challenge of Transparent." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 14 Dec. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/transparent-season-two-review/419943/>

Scheuer, Nick. "LGBT Stereotypes Present in 'Glee'" The State Hornet. 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. <http://www.statehornet.com/entertainment/lgbt-stereotypes-present-in-glee/article_595c0794-2866-11e2-b917-001a4bcf6878.html>

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There is no longer a clear cut understanding of "masculinity" and "femininity" in western society due to manipulation in the media, affecting the views of individuals on these two terms. Concepts and ideas formed by the media have created inferable connotations that stray from the formal definition of these words.

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 Significant obstacle in women on maintaining Beauty Standard

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 Significant obstacle in women on maintaining Beauty Standard

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Girls need to start viewing themselves as more than their bodies. Beauty is more than outer appearance, and it's about time women banded together to knoc...

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Beauty | Documentary on Societal Beauty Standards

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Advertisements sell more than products. They sell values, sell images; they sell concepts of sexuality, of success

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The ideal beauty of unreal women put forth by the media make the men believe and force them to find a girl with good features as presented in the media this is why the media is annoying for women with less body features.