(Image from Google search)
Media has popularized pornographic content and what their view of "sexy", or "appropriate" women have been for decades, whether they choose the television, Internet, magazines, or even fashion to advertise it within, it is an obvious, false moral code, and unfortunately, used by many.
At first, the media portrayed the foolish, housewife role of Lucielle "Lucy" Ball in the hit sitcom I Love Lucy, which was a turning point for its generation, morphing into teenage shows such as Degrassi, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager within the modern generation, creating the image of young girls unable to say "no" to sex, drugs, and the like. So, when does the portrayal of the "right" woman go too far?
While I am a huge supporter of soap operas such as Private Practice... what a junk show it is for the portrayal of the "appropriate woman"! The character of Charlotte King (the chief of staff at "St. Ambrose Hospital", which collaborates with the private practice: "Oceanside Wellness Center" throughout the show) was appalling to watch within the first to the second season. King is the "appealing icon" and the "sex symbol" for the show, and sadly had to be brutally attacked and raped before any of the fellow characters (besides boyfriend Cooper) felt deep sympathy, due to her seemingly cold and "bitchy" mannerisms, not to mention the use of sex as a feel-good power over men. Talk about Addison Montgomery (main character, a neonatal surgeon), a woman who is admired in the workplace and in her private life, as well portrayed as "the perfect woman", yet she slept around and brought infidelity into her previous marriage. While nobody is perfect, these women's characters are far from it!
I love hospital soap operas for their jaw-dropping suspense, but I draw the line when a T.V. show has to have some sort of degrading, unfair sex appeal as a marketing technique (as most do). Can we not return to the I Love Lucy days? Lucielle and husband Desi Arnaz were able to gain a fortune, never once creating Lucy into a pin-up, promiscuous, distasteful icon. BUT, I have a bone to pick with the creators of that show as well. Did you ever notice nearly all of the humor expressed in I Love Lucy was centered around Lucy's mishaps and stumbles, or were you too busy laughing? Whether she gets herself in a "sticky" situation at a chocolate processing factory, or seemingly cannot understand how to recite a small, simple-sentenced script for a vitamin drink, with husband "Ricky" (Desi Arnaz) persuading her not to show up to his band's gigs in fear of her embarrassing herself or him, her character was always somehow pushed down. The show did not portray women as promiscuous, but more so unintelligent or just. Flat. Out. STUPID!
I was watching the PBS documentary Life's Greatest Miracle, which uses popular scientific belief to back up the fact that heterosexual males find breasts, bottoms, and everything in between extremely "sexy" and "hot"--it all centers around the desire to procreate. While most would assume this as obvious, I think it is fascinating! Boys: are you aware that staring at our boobs is because you want to make babies with us? Whining, crying, puking babies. Isn't so sexy anymore, is it?
Babies aren't the only conflict that this evidence proves, low self esteem in the hearts of many young females is also shaken. Every day, young girls around the world experience eating disorders, low self confidence, and coat their natural faces full of unhealthy, drugstore products, just to impress the male population. They need to know that this is not O.K.! They deserve to feel beautiful in their own shape, size, and form, whether they are LGBTQ, straight, overweight, slender, African-American, Hispanic, or Caucasian. Nothing should subtract from their sexiness.
Along with self image conflicts, I want to add a small concept to this blog post which you may want to keep your eyes scanning for within the next few days. During a Sociology course I took part in, fellow classmates and I dissected images within fashion, the media, and pop culture, in order to determine the degraded, and often literally, "looked down upon" icons that females play within photography--whether it be photoshoots for local chain corporations such as Target, Gucci, among other famous fashion brands, or even personal wedding and couple's portraits. The male figure is often dominant within photographs taken by professionals (looking down upon the woman, striking a confident, higher pose than the woman, or the woman doing such poses as the infamous "bashful kneebend", and portrayed as merely defenseless or weak), either trying to market to certain audiences, or attract certain individuals. The gender-identity documentary I took this knowledge from was Erving Goffman's own The Codes of Gender.
I challenge you all to take something from this snippet I could provide, which I had contemplated for many months after a personal debate I experienced within this broad topic. I suggest you write a journal entry or create something to jot down your thoughts in response to this topic. These are important ideas to contemplate and be well informed upon in order to raise beautiful daughters, and nurture the young women who are already in your life: learning from you, admiring you, and looking to you for guidance. And no, it does not mean a young girl was raised "incorrectly" or "too freely" if she knows right from wrong within her sexuality, self image, and confidence!
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