http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMwhhAmRvJI
This video touched on a very good point, “to be beautiful is to be powerful.” But they never explain in what way. I am faced and condemned with this quote all the time. It’s funny when I relate this comment to myself because I get such different people who actually voice this to me…let me explain:
I hear this comment from a variety of different people. The most being males. When I talk about what I want to do career wise I always hear, “you’re gonna do just fine.” Really, why do you think? I immediately respond with. “Well, because, you know,” they stamper. “No, I don’t, explain,” I say with a stern face, they usually have a concerned face at this point wondering if they should explain further. “You know, you seem independent and are pretty so you’ll go places.”
Just as I thought, I don’t need another person telling me that I’m gonna make it in this world just based on looks. I don’t want to be a person that just relies on that, not to mention that is the worst explanation to give on the only reason why I will be successful. That means nothing to me, but to them they see it as a gate key or something; as if I have the upper hand over everyone. It makes me furious because there is so much more to me than what you see, but that is only what people see. Every day it’s as if I have to prove myself to everyone. I get stereotyped every day as being white, stupid, a snob, and incapable of having any goals and dreams; all because of my outer appearance.
Getting back to the subject, men always see prettiness as the ultimate positive and power and I wonder if this is only because they see themselves giving a pretty girl anything they want so they know other men would too. But also, I don’t think they realize how being pretty can affect you in the corporate world. My biggest fear is being faced with a male that asks for sexual favors to get ahead. I would NEVER EVER even consider it and am ultimately disgusted that women do this today. It makes it so much harder for honest, self-respecting individuals to ever get ahead fairly in this world.
Surprisingly, I have also received the “to be beautiful is to be powerful” comment from a woman. Less surprising is she was from an era where it was near impossible for a woman to have a high-ranking job and especially hard for a pretty women to make it in the world. I felt offended when she too mentioned that I would do just fine in the corporate world because, and I quote, “you look the way you do.” But I had to remind myself where she was coming from and realize that sadly this type of thinking is still saturated in the corporate world. It makes me wonder what differences I will face as compared to that woman in her day. I realize that I am fortunate to not be what media considers hideous, as I have seen TV specials showing how prettier people do get ahead more than those who are not. But it still makes me sad that the world is like this, especially a professional world. And it makes me sad to know that some people are mean to be because they know this fact, as if I had anything to do with it. Will this position of power behind beauty change? Not likely, not likely at all.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dove Onslaught
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an advertisement advertise something that was actually for the consumer. This was even beyond. Yes, I can see how in supporting/creating this advertisement it sways people’s stance with the brand to like them more because they actually support something that is good. But Dove is doing a very unique thing in which they are making a stance against one, their own branch (Axe), and two, against media.
This campaign is indeed the best yet because there is so much pressure today on woman to be a certain way; especially with media telling you what is beautiful and what is not.
Recently I have been seeing scandalous dress, like shorter skirts, being worn on younger and younger children. In discussions with my friends we are flabbergasted by it! Why is this happening and why aren’t parents stepping in?! I wonder if it is because the parents who are having these children are children themselves; as today you see more and more people having children at such a young age.
I also wonder if it is because parents have a different outlook on discipline than their parents did. In a research study I did this past year, I found that millennial parents had a much different relationship with their children than they had with their parents. They had a more open relationship, almost equal, as they were more likely to sit down with their kids and talk with them about issues whereas their parents were more authoritative with the attitude of “do this because I tell you to and don’t ask questions.”
Either way I absolutely adore this commercial and wish I would see it on the air more often as I feel parents do not realize how strong media can affect their children. The only downfall to this video is that we have to make a video like this for people to be aware…what is our world coming to?
This campaign is indeed the best yet because there is so much pressure today on woman to be a certain way; especially with media telling you what is beautiful and what is not.
Recently I have been seeing scandalous dress, like shorter skirts, being worn on younger and younger children. In discussions with my friends we are flabbergasted by it! Why is this happening and why aren’t parents stepping in?! I wonder if it is because the parents who are having these children are children themselves; as today you see more and more people having children at such a young age.
I also wonder if it is because parents have a different outlook on discipline than their parents did. In a research study I did this past year, I found that millennial parents had a much different relationship with their children than they had with their parents. They had a more open relationship, almost equal, as they were more likely to sit down with their kids and talk with them about issues whereas their parents were more authoritative with the attitude of “do this because I tell you to and don’t ask questions.”
Either way I absolutely adore this commercial and wish I would see it on the air more often as I feel parents do not realize how strong media can affect their children. The only downfall to this video is that we have to make a video like this for people to be aware…what is our world coming to?
Friday, September 7, 2007
News Habits
How do you get news?
My main source of news is by word of mouth. I would have to say that would account for 75% of where I get my news. The other 25% comes from quick stories from a bar TV, reading a couple passages from Quick newspaper, reading the North Texas Daily, or reading a random magazine like newsweek, ect. I even read things from my hotmail newsfeed as well.
How often?
My news source that is by word of mouth I get daily. The rest I do not seek out often, just when I might be sitting in a doctors office or bored in class or waiting for class to start.
What do you read and view both online and offline?
The articles I read online come from the hotmail newsfeed. I read any article that catches my eye, for example, health news, celeberity news, stock and investments or any other articles that relate to information that interests me.
For news offline, I read the articles pertaining to what interests me. The North Texas Daily, for example, keeps me informed on news going on within campus. Quick newspaper allows me to keep up with world events and even celeberty news, and newsweek or magazines like Forbes allow me to keep up with life news, such as investments and business news.
About how many hours a day or a week do you intentionally seek out news coverage?
I don't seek out news daily; however, I would have to say 3 hours in a week would be a good estimate of how much time I intentionally seek out news coverage.
And one last question: when you think about news media and their coverage of race or gender or sexualities or disabilities, what are your own assumptions?
I think news media and their coverage is as false as Paris Hiltons revelation while in jail. News media runs on the whim of someones mouth; for example, say a "very important person" wants something to be covered that sways a vote in one direction more than another. Well there you go, you have CNN and its opposing rival Fox. Another example? How about when a uproar amongst a certain ethnicity breaks out? Say, African Americans are making a scene that they are not being equally represented in the media. Well the next month and there after you see a multitude of coverage for African Americans because of the uproar and possibly threat of lawsuits. But what about the other races, do they have to make an uproar just to be represented equally as well?
Point being, is that news media only shows whatever the "boss man" wants you to see and believe or, depending on what stance you take, feeds you whatever you want to hear (as compared to an opposing station that shoots down all your beliefs, so of course you don't want to watch that station). Unless you are a person that does not feed off of whatever people throw you, but rather take in information from both sides, think about it, and take YOUR own perception and form YOUR own opinions about whatever topic, then news media is worthless.
News media just creates a divide amongst coverage of race or gender or sexualities or disabilities; it prolongs the ever-revolving war of negativity and takes advantage of ignorant people who cant think for themselves.
So what do I think of news media? Well all of the above and, if I haven't made my underlining point clear, that I hate it. If I ever want to be reminded that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket or if I want to be told what to think and how to act towards other people, that will be the day that my morning and nights become submerged in the lies of today's news media.
The end.
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