"The Myth of the Ideal Woman."

Essay by ktran1College, UndergraduateA, October 2005

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What makes today's women believe that they, in their natural state, are inherently not good enough? Many females, from teenagers to middle aged women, read magazines such as Seventeen, Allure, Vogue, Jane, and Glamour, which are filled with dozens of models with couture bodies and flawless faces. This is one of many reasons why women are so preoccupied with their appearance. After reading these magazines, one must take a look at her self and notice that she looks absolutely nothing like these beautiful models. But who says women who don't have thin figures aren't beautiful? Today's media is who. Commercials, magazines, ads, movies, and bulletins all portray beauty at a very high standard that, let's face it, a majority of women do not meet. Not only have these movie stars and models created a false image for actual women in society, but they are also role models for young girls.

What kind of message does that send out? These industries act as a fetter in society by skewing the image of beauty. In effect, it causes several, although sometimes trivial, problems for women living in today's society.

Specifically, women are highly conscious of their weight. Glamour magazine surveyed women on what they would want to accomplish if they could achieve any goal possible. An overwhelming majority replied that they would want to lose weight. Another survey, published in the New York Times, found that women who had previously lost weight would deliberately choose to be deaf, blind, or have a limb amputated rather than regain the lost weight. Young women are being targeted as well. Almost half of girls aged 12-17 have experimented with dieting and more and more teenagers are showing signs of eating disorders. Insecurity is starting at younger and younger ages and the pressure to be thin...