Activism

Reflection Grace Week
Activism

Description

For my last and final OOCLO I had to partake in a activism activity, I decided to look online at change.org. While searching around the website, many different topics stood out to me, such as transgendered Ms. Universe or allowing a gay straight alliance at a Catholic school. I am majoring in Sociology and perhaps that is why these jumped out at me, they are showing change within society and people’s views on marginalized others. The petition that I signed and took part in was Teens get magazines to stop photo shopping models. I think this is a great idea, a girl named Julia won the petition over the popular magazine seventeen. The petition that I signed was to have this same impact on vogue magazine, I think this is so important because females compare themselves to the models in magazines, and when they are photo shopped the models don’t even look like that. "I Don't Look Like that & don’t Desire to Look Like That" is a famous quote by Kate Winslet on GQ photo shopping 1/3 of her weight off for the cover. Signing the petition I felt empowered, that I am actually contributing to a positive change. I know that I can do more to help the issue, but this is one step in improving giving girls a positive body image, and showing them realistic body types to achieve. When I purchase a magazine, it is all decided on whose on the cover, magazines are for looking through pictures, especially for younger females and therefore I would be impressed if I looked through pictures and noticed regular girls that look like me. These stereotypical beautiful women are often photo shopped, air-brushed, and edited to look thinner, and appear to have perfect skin, with barely any pores. A girl you see in a magazine probably looks a lot different in real life. These are the messaged that I took away from the change.org website while surfing the petitions. Julia is part of the SPARK Movement, a girl-fueled, national activist movement, she has been fighting to stop magazines, toy companies, and other big businesses from creating products, photo spreads and ads that hurt women. I think SPARK is an awesome movement, and I hope that more people join the motion.

Examination

Alisa Miller in the “The News about the News” describes how Americans have a distorted view of the world because of the news coverage they receive. News that involve celebrities are covered more because issues on Britney Spears or Michael Jackson dying is cheaper than relevant than issues that are actually relevant to the world. Soon enough Americans think that this gossip and tabloids are the news and become accustom to it. Through the usage of television, newspapers, radio and internet which I believe is becoming the most popular source for world news. Stories on celebrities are less money to process and therefore other more important news gets pushed aside. Celebrities such as Britney Spears or Michael Jackson dying is cheaper than covering worldwide news. Soon enough Americans think that this gossip and tabloids ARE the news and become accustom to it. The cost effectiveness of gossiping about famous people rather than global issues is the reasoning behind Americans having a distorted view. This is terrible to think, and who decides what is more relevant and important than other things? Some Americans believe these stories about celebs are the news when really things should change and more global coverage should be addressed. This relates to the petition on photo shopping in magazines, because teenage girls and women start to truly believe that the models look like the images in the magazines, which distorts their own body image and self-esteem. What is shown in magazines becomes what people think is normal, exactly the same as the news. Magazines show “perfect” and “beautiful” women, which leaves out the normal women, sex sells and therefore this is what is presented.


Articulation of Learning

I have learned that girls want to be accepted, appreciated, and liked and magazines should represent a healthy body image not unrealistic photo shopped ideals.

I have learned this when researching and searching on the topic of photo shopped models, how some celebrities don’t even appreciate being touched up and air brushed. For girls to be able to relate and maintain a healthy body image, they must be presented with this through media.

This learning matters because when the girls don’t fit the criteria, they try to fix themselves. This can lead to eating disorders, dieting, depression, and low self-esteem.

In light of this learning I plan on seeing what other petitions are taking place, if I can easily read up on the issue and help them out by signing I think it is a great way to make changes.

Reference

Miller, Alisa, dir. The News about the News. 2011. Film.