Stereotypes in the Media Today

Stereotypes absolutely exist in the media today. As much as our society stresses political correctness (a modern euphamism for censorship) stereotypes have endured and likely will endure, both blatantly and subtly.

One of the most prevalent stereotypes is of body image, for both men and women. Nearly every women's magazine offers some secret formula for a girl to improve her appearance, and many men's magazines do as well. In movies, the heroes are usually lean, slim, musclular men of medium height and remarkable good looks. (Think: The Rock, Batman, Spiderman, Speedracer, Pirates of the Carribean.)The truth is, most men are average looking, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and aren't ripped.

This depiction of men in the media leads some to turn to steroids and pills for greater self esteem. In the end, they just end up looking like this guy:

Gross, huh?

Body image stereotypes are even worse for women of all ages. Girls are constantly bombarded with the message that looks are all that men care about, and that their bodies aren't good enough until they are stick-thin and perfectly porportioned. This is the message in movies (John Tucker Must Die, Pirates of the Carribean, Mean Girls, and nearly every adventure or romance film.)

It is present in magazines, where women are given tips to lose weight and get "the body you've always wanted." Really, the message the advertisers are intending is "this is the magazine you've always wanted." The stereotype is seen in television shows (Desperate Housewives, Lost) and even in the news broadcasters who are women. All this media pressure is leading many girls to anorexia and bulimia in an effort to find self-respect and beauty.

Many of these media also portray women as promiscuous and sensual. Desperate Housewives is a classic example, but not the only one. A recent study showed that the most common role for a woman in video games is the role of prostitute. (see http://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources/body_image.php) This is obviously a distortion of true womanhood, because the real world simply isn't that way.

Other stereotypes involve minorities. Granted, there are far fewer racial stereotypes in the media today than in the days of John Wayne. We now see more and more protagnists of minority races (Hancock, Rush Hour, Hitch, College Road Trip, etc.) But some stereotypes to persist. Have you ever noticed how when you see an asian in a film, you automatically assume they know karate or some form of martial arts? This fallacy could be partially accreditted to Jackie Chan's cinema work thru the decades. It is a stereotype nevertheless.

Stereotypes of the elderly are also prevalent. The following picture advertises: "For the prompt control of senile agitation: Thorazine." This is an old ad, but it shows that senior stereotypes are nothing new. Not all old people are angry and unreasonable, not all need canes, and certainly none deserve to be treated like animals, in need of "prompt control." On the contrary, many are free-spirited and able-bodied men and women capable of almost anything, like this guy here:

One obvious and well-known (and in some cases, beloved) stereotype of the elderly is Maxine. This old lady lives with her dog, looks grumpy, and always has something sardonic to say.

Some old people are like maxine; I know a few personally and love them for it. But to assume the Maxine is a typical elderly woman is absurd! People are more diverse than that.

Another interesting stereotype of the elderly is that they are usually white. The vast majority of senior citizens portrayed in the media are not of minority races.

These are just a few of the many stereotypes that persist today in our media. I do not believe stereotypes are usually intention nor malicious. Neither do I believe that we can eradicate stereotypes from our media, because the media by design portrays the world as the script-writers, advertisers, and reporters see it, and they all have our own classifications and stereotypes of people. We as media consumers must simply see these stereotypes for what they are.