Major Problems with Stereotypes
Women:
•Very unrealistic goals for ideal body shapes, which lead to high rates of anorexia nervosa and bulimia
•Make women believe they are valued based on their body, therefore their self-esteem is also based on how their body looks compared to others
•Show that it is ok to treat women as objects, instead of humans
•Show women as more passive and not in control of themselves
•Give messages to women that changing their appearance, they will have a better life:
The
text reads: "Hey, you look amazing. New job? New romance? Well something's
new. You really look fabulous." Her life changed by just using this cream!
Texts next to each other in women's magazines:
"Get the Body You Really Want" |
"How to Get Your Husband to Really Listen" |
| "Tighten Your Butt" | "Habits of Confident Women" |
| "Drop 8 Pounds this Month" | "25 Ways to Make Your Marriage Hot Again" |
| "Get a Really Firm Body in 30 Days" | "5 Ways to Keep Your Husband Faithful" |
| "Lose 10 Pounds" | "Ways to Make Your Life Easier, Happier, and Better" |
| "Stay Skinny" | "What Men Want Most" |
By changing the way she looks, a woman can fix everything from her marriage, to her self-esteem, to ways of living the life she has always wanted
Men:
•Show ideal for body type, also which can be unrealistic
•Show men as aggressive and in control of things, including women
•Women's problems are "fixable", you either fit the part of the masculine ideal or you do not