After the first daily writing assignment, in which you write a professional email of introduction to me, we will use the first part of each subsequent class to write about a magazine article that you read and bring to class. Here are the details about what you should come to class prepared with:
- Purchase or photocopy articles from print magazines that are relevant to your field of study or career.
- The articles should be at least a full page or longer. Of course, longer articles are better in terms of you learning more and having more material to work with on these assignments.
- After reading the article and making a note of its publication information (date, volume, number, title of publication), bring it to class for a short writing assignment at the beginning of class.
- You will need a new article for each of our subsequent classes. These can come from the same or different magazine issues.
Barnes and Noble on Court Street (pictured above) has a huge selection of magazines for purchase. The City Tech Library has some magazines as do all of the NYPL and Brooklyn Public Library branches, which you can read and copy (with your phone or another device) for free or photocopy for a small fee.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Alpha Barry
Date: 9/3/19
Subject: Recommended Article Magazine on Media, Women’s perfection, and Objectification
The reality in entertainment media today is the objectification of women in society. Mostly in television advertisement, music videos, and movies, there is a strong focus on women as sexual objects rather than intelligent women. This is detrimental to society because the media is creating social stereotypes for both men and women that can result in unhealthy social and physical habits. The issue is especially prevalent because the more the media uses sexual content regarding women, the more viewers seem to buy into them.
Thus, the media is able to shape the culture’s sense of dating, romance, sex, and what is ideal within society. The sexual attitudes of society are shaped and that has effects that can affect all demographics among society. This media action is allowed to proceed because sex sells, and this objectification of women is what society has proven that they want to see in entertainment media. Adolescents diagnosed with serious eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia often report that their symptoms can be linked to the bullying, they often receive from their age peers as well as the unrealistic media images presented as an ideal for them to follow. Movies, commercials, magazines, and websites portray beautiful people as ideal.
Prichard, I., & Tiggemann, M. (2012). The Effect of Simultaneous Exercise and Exposure to Thin-Ideal Music Videos on Women’s State Self-Objectification, Mood and Body Satisfaction. Sex Roles, 67(3–4), 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-012-0167-x