Self-Esteem & Media In The 90's - A Reflective Essay

Essay by Anonymous UserHigh School, 12th gradeF, September 1996

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Believe it or not; the media has impacted upon your life in one way or another. The commercials, magazine ads, radio advertisements, they all have done or said something to catch your attention for if nothing else, and extra three seconds. The television commercial is the powerhouse of influential propaganda of today, and the days to come. The music videos on TV often portray women as being inferior. They are not capable to withstand the pressures of society; therefor, they turn to the focal point of the situation (the man), to keep themselves (the women) on the right path. The two movies I viewed in class prior to this essay, Pretty Woman & Norma Rae. Are the exact opposites of the media's portrayal of women. These movies were both released prior to the nineties, but both revolve around one woman with the self confidence to stand up for their rights, and what they believe.

The media has only really impacted my life when I was a young child. The perplexing commercials of GI JOE and the unforgettable Transformers were just mind boggling. Anytime a new commercial aired. I would always ask for the newest one. This was of course, before I comprehended the value of the Canadian dollar bill. As the nineties have change the appearance of our currency, my outlook on first impressions of the advertisements has changed as well.

Subsequent to the view of both Norma Rae and Pretty Woman, I felt the characters played by Sally Field and Julia Roberts were down to earth and portrayed realistically for their time frames. At first, they both turned to men for comfort and it led them into a world of trouble. After all their wrong doings and misjudgments in their lives, they both had a chance to reconcile their...