Blog #4

Option 1:How do the media images & stereotypes of men & women impact how we view each other professionally (at school, at work, in politics, etc.)?

The media images and stereotypes, I believe, affect all men and women in a negative way. There are so many stereotypes for every different type of person that people believe as truth and base their ideas off them. I think overall that stereotypes and media images prohibit respect for other people depending on the stereotypes and images we have seen. For example, with the dumb blonde stereotype, some people in school are shocked when they hear that a blonde may be smart, especially if she dresses preppy and may be popular. It has been shoved into our heads through TV shows and books that girls that are blonde, care about their appearance, and are popular, can not be smart. This causes people to under estimate what these people can do, therefore they under estimate themselves and never reach their full potential. I think that media images affect how we view women more in politics. If a women is attractive and can be seen on a magazine cover, they feel that they are just an object and can't do anything productive in their life. There could be a lot of women who are qualified out there to become president, but will never get the chance, because people can't get over the stereotype that a man is supposed to be our president. Overall, the images and stereotypes the media portrays affects everyone in their daily lives. If we don't live up to what the media puts out for us, many people feel inadequate or not confident within themselves. We need to stop letting media influence such a large part of our lives. If we take people for who they really are instead of what they looked like or what we preconceive them to be, what would the world really be like?