Thought Paper on Gender Roles in Media

Like I mentioned before, gender roles for an example exist only because society chooses to accept them for what they are. Viewers must be aware of what the media is trying to push on them, especially females. For example, most women when appearing with their male actors on screen constantly are portrayed in roles that are supportive and dependent on their partner especially financially. It’s as if our society only knows of two gender roles, “masculine” and “feminine. Women in the media, in my opinion are the ones who are portrayed in a ay that influences young women and teens more negatively.

In advertisements females are most commonly shown as sex objects. In television shows females usually play roles of the “housewife. ” Showing men and women that the “perfect women” is one who: doesn’t work, stays home and takes care of the household, has dinner ready when their man gets home, is always done up from head to toe, has the “perfect body,” doesn’t think for herself and is supportive and submissive.

What message does that send teen girls who don’t think that’s how it should be? Or who don’t fully fit that description? The media is just corrupting the minds of young teen girls and turning them into something that maybe they don’t want to be, but feel they have to because it’s what is “socially acceptable. ” As far as the work place in television shows and reality, there is definitely a lot wrong there too.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified

Proficient in: Entertainment

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Why don’t women get as much respect and recognition from men when getting a promotion to a managerial or C. E. O type position?

How Media Supports Rigid Gender Roles

Because the media shows you that only men are fit for that position so to men, women “can’t do the job right. Mean C’mon, there’s probably tons of young girls out there who have dreams to be the next president and even the drive to try and make it happen, but won’t even try because the media says it’s wrong to want something other than just a family. There is roles out there that actually do portray the woman lead as an independent strong woman with a great job and a family, but they also show her as a “pitch” who’s constantly away from her family and is only about work.

Never an independent strong woman with a great job and a family who can balance both, even though it is possible in ell life. No wonder most young women don’t strive to be the best they can be, they’ve been taught that if you do nothing positive comes out of it family wise. Now for men in advertising thieve portrayed negatively too, in my eyes at least. They’re portrayed as masculine and dominant sometimes as sex objects too depending on what the ad is for.

As for television shows men usually play the role of a dominant man, who should be the only “bread winner’ in the home and that his woman needs him for everything and should do everything for him as in take care of the household and the hillier because that’s the role that is portrayed by women in television shows. Therefore most males believe that’s how it should be in real life as well. Thankfully, not all men believe in that way of living. Some men believe in being equal with their spouse, not minding if they wanted a job or to think for themselves and also not minding helping out around the house or with the children.

Unfortunately, most men like that are rare because most of the one who actually do agree with it won’t show it in fear of getting teased for their lack of masculinity. ” It’s not wrong to accept these said gender roles. You could be just following what you’ve been personally taught, it could have nothing to do with the media. You could’ve been raised that way because it was how your parents were brought up. It was the life you could’ve seen when you were growing up. For example, some women actually do want to b. Stay-at-home moms. And it is possible that it is and was a personal choice, that it wasn’t forced on them.

But the problem with gender roles is that they an reach a certain point and become unfair. Let’s say a young woman wants to become C. E. O of a huge company, is it society responsibility to judge them and look down at them for it? No, if a C. E. O can complete all the duties and responsibilities correctly, what does the person’s gender matter? If the job is getting done the right way it shouldn’t matter their gender. That’s the thing with gender roles, they are just that, ROLES. It is completely up to you etc decide whether or not you are going to follow through them.

All in all the mint I am trying to get across in this paper is to make sure when it comes down to it that you are living the life of a role you want to be living, regardless: of whether or not it is socially acceptable. Others opinions on what you personally choose to do with your life is and always should be irrelevant. If you’re a young women and you want to run for office, you should do so. If you’re a young man and you want to be a stay at home dad, you should do so. Regardless of what the media or anyone else has to say about it. It affects them in no way.