Media Monster

      A true feminist’s goal is to bring about equality between the sexes. Most feminists, however, aim to bring males down as a means to equalize the playing field. Many women believe that it is men that are restricting their advances to have equal status; however I believe that the media is the true monster behind the way that both women and men are mistreated, misrepresented and therefore misjudged. The media portrays both a stereotypical woman and man. Both sexes, although in different ways and to different degrees, have been limited by the media’s standards of feminine and masculine qualities. Men and women can’t physically look like each other, however the media has also emphasized that some traits such as nurturing, caring, loving are feminine traits and any male who portrays those characteristics is less manly. It is neither males nor females who are solely to blame for the misrepresentation of the opposite sex, because both males and females are being mistreated. These limitations have severe consequences. Women are still being portrayed as objects; submissive, silent and sexualized and men are being portrayed as violent, powerful and strong. The media is still representing women and men in these ways despite the progress and awareness being made about the misrepresentation of both males and females in the media. Will there come a time when a man can be caring, sentimental or emotional without being called “feminine”? Will the media ever portray women in powerful, self-confident roles? And if the media does change, will our society accept the new representation of both men and women?