F*** the media

F*** the media

(I used the stars to upkeep some sort of professionalism on this topic. )

Anyway, what you are about to read is just a tiny excerpt from an essay I'm currently writing which ultimately culminates to about 7 pages. Among many other things, It's largely about how society is affected by the media. I felt the need to address this because I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of the perfect body image, which in turn can't help but makes me struggle too. The media is partly at fault.

"The idea of a representation of a perfect image was recently reinforced through the scrutiny against photos surfacing of Jessica Simpson in a high-waisted number and a tank top, looking curvier than before. Gossip bloggers and magazines were the first to recognize this noticeable weight gain, which happen to look no more than 5 lbs. To measure how much an average person is affected by the images of the media, I then showed my room mate this picture and her initial reaction was “oh my god.” Nearly a week after the presidential inauguration, with high hopes in the air for our country, it is embarrassing to identify this as newsworthy on the headline of the news. The media fails to recognize that women come in different shapes and sizes and that a celebrity should be constricted to an ideal figure. Only a day later after this image surfaced, the New York Post published a comic of Jessica Simpson, in her same high-waisted denim, but her bodily features were suddenly very outlandish. In this cartoon, her chin nearly tripled and she magically gains about 800lbs. A quote bubble extends from her head with the words “Sorry Tony, but I met someone else.” Behind cartoon Jessica, viewers can easily recognize Ronald McDonald sitting closely behind. The New York Post was insinuating that Jessica Simpson had found a new beau and that she had maybe eaten too much McDonald’s. (See: The power of the mythical Big Mac) This idea hits especially hard to the young female demographic when women are advocated to love and respect their bodies when even highly professional publications are scrutinizing a size 3 figure. For as long as the ideas of body image remains “news”, the issue is susceptible to prolonging."

Even though you've been washed out, I commend you J. Simpson!