Eating Disorders - Body Image in the Media Essay -- Argumentative Pers

Body Image in the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Plato once said, "We behold beauty in the eye of the mind...." What some people consider beauty others may not. From the actresses that are shown on television, movies, models that are in magazines, and the pop stars that create hip and modern music videos, one could be under the impression that to be beautiful you must thin. Actresses such as Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gheller, Clarista Flockheart, Courtney Cox and Debra Messing all have staring roles in their own television shows and are all extremely thin. The audiences of these shows being mostly women and adolescent girls, what kind of message about body image are they sending out?    The stars of Hollywood are considered to be the most beautiful and elegant in the world. A vast majority of the population wants to have their bodies resemble those of the stars. These women and girls will go to extreme lengths have this happen. What these women don't understand is, these actresses have professionals to help them look "beautiful." They have professional hair and makeup artists, fashion experts to help them dress, and lighting experts to make the women glow on the screen. These actresses and models will go through painful plastic surgeries to enhance their "beauty" because they feel as though they are not beautiful enough. "Fashion magazines are filled with air brushed photos of emaciated models with breast implants" (Schneider, Shelly 2). Not even famous actresses feel as though they are beautiful enough. "I have never worked with a beautiful young woman who thought she was A) beautiful or B) thin enough." (Schumacher 1) This director, Joel Schumacher, has worked wit h actresses like Demi Moore, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock. ... ...the women who aren't on television really do have it easier. Women who are not in the spotlight don't have to worry about thousands to millions of people looking and analyzing them. Women who are not in the spotlight do not having people telling them they are over weight or not pretty enough to be televised. All females should appreciate each other for the special features that each of us possesses. If we could focus on the positive instead of the negative maybe we could go help the problem of people having low self-esteem and body issues.    Work Cited "Children, Adolescents, and Television." Pediatrics. 107. (2001): 423-427 Erokan, Laney. "Negative Body Image Influences Eating Disorders." Lycos Network. 30 Aug. 2000. <http://www.studentadvantage.lycos.com> Schenider, Karen S. Shelley Levitt. "Mission Impossible." People. 3 June 1996. : 64-73