Mass media Essay Example for Free

Mass media Essay Since television has been one of the most influential tools of mass media, there is an increase in concern over children’s changing image of ideal body of women as experienced through mass media. The kind of women and the body that they should take is increasingly becoming unrealistic. Since children today spend a large chunk of their time watching television, the mass media images may alter the perception of children in terms of the realities of female body. This is especially important in the light of the fact that 86 percent of advertisements occurring between television shows use women as image model. The exposure of children to models as advertisers really affects their perception in terms of attractiveness, desirability, personal worth and success. This could make children link thinness as directly related to these positive characteristics (Burggraf and Fouts, 1999, p. 27). Another important issue in terms of the way the female body is emerging in mass media is the increased commodification of women. The plethora of economic developments and the rise of consumerism have made women devalued once more through making women as effective tools for advertising (Atwood, 1992, p. 23). Studies on the role of women in advertising have shown that many commodities in the period of increased commercialization have directly linked women to many commodities. The rise in commercial culture produced newer codes of consumer practices and has pushed the integration of sex into advertisement. â€Å"This means that even as the tea-drinking woman became an exemplar of restrained, properly domesticized femininity, the sugared tea she drank from fragile, luxurious, china cups retained a disturbing connection to a more transgressive version of her sexed body† (Sussman, 1998, p. 6). One of the major points expressed in various literatures involve feminist discourse that the female body is increasingly becoming exploited. Many of the products today are being advertised not in relation to their function but as a seductive come-on to entice consumers to buy the product because of the element of sex. The female body, thus, in the process becomes mere commodity. The main attraction for many advertisers is not to connect the value with the function of the product. The emphasis is increasingly connected with the female body and the air of sex that it emits. The female quest for thinness rest upon both Western ideals of individual control of the body and the economic abundance that provides most people with enough to eat. Cultures in fear of starvation have historically favored larger body mass. However one looks at it though, the women’s body continues to be a fascination of man which is utilized by media to promote its own ends. Over the long haul, that translates to a deterioration of values and women’s true role in society and thus deserves deeper thought and rightful action. As a solution to this, there is a need to consider that the female body not as primarily directed towards male. Despite the changes in the society today, which increased the accessibility of work that was previously occupied by men, females have increased their dependency on men (Trahair, 1989, p. 23). The production of material wealth is necessarily a masculine interest and the women in corporate world is a clear sign that women performing corporate jobs are just basically slave of the interests of men to produce more wealth and good for the society. This inclusion of women comes with a high price. The price is coming from the fact that while they are encouraged to pursue success in their careers and in their jobs, they are still unable to achieve the kind of success that men enjoy in society (Trahair, 1989, p. 23). In this regard, women feel that once again the kind of work that they are doing is undervalued. In the process, they become even more dependent on men in terms of boosting their self-esteem. This only creates a cycle of psychological struggle and suffering. Secondly, there is also a need to emphasize the fact that men still control the economic activity in both the private and public sphere. Indeed, the image of the female body in mass media has been increasingly distorted. On the one hand, the mass media’s ideal of the female body is increasingly becoming unattainable and distorted. This could create problems about women’s self-esteem, and the change in the real meaning of success and attractiveness. On the other hand, the mass media is creating a consumer culture and uses the female body to achieve the goals of sales. Either way it is quite unfortunate that in both ways, it is the female body, which would suffer. There is a need to shift the perspective away from the changing ideal of the female body. This will definitely be a difficult task for the society as the plethora of magazines and other forms of mass media is becoming more and more complex. It is important that the feminist groups start to get up from their long hibernation. A complex awareness program that would educate women about the value of the body and self-esteem will definitely be a good starting point. WORKS CITED 2006. Eating disorders. Retrieved March 26, 2007 at: https://www.anred.com/elder.html

Nature in the Rastafarian Consciousness Essay -- essays papers

Nature in the Rastafarian Consciousness Living in harmony with the environment and the laws of Nature is one of the central ideas of Rastafarianism. To live in accordance with the Earth is to live in accordance with Jah; it is incorporated into the morality that is Rastafarian consciousness. The Rasta's reverence for nature is influenced by the traditional African religions which are still practiced in Jamaica and which have also influenced Christianity on the island tremendously. Hinduism, too, has influenced many Rastafarian beliefs and practices. Through the Rastafarian's calculated rejection of Western cultural norms they have come to realize capitalism and the environmental destruction it has caused as Babylon, a place of destruction and greed. In order to escape this"Babylon system"a lifestyle has been employed that is focused on a correlation between man and nature. This lifestyle is an environmentally sound ideal that others around the World are only now beginning to strive for. The African Tradition In order to understand the Rastafarian idealism relating to the environment we must first consider the traditions from which it came. In Jamaica, the survival of the African religious tradition can be felt throughout the island. Most clearly this religious tradition is demonstrated by Kumina groups. Kumina is generally accepted as being West African in origin; brought here by the Ashanti. These people above all others were taken for the slave trade because the British regarded them as an especially sturdy and good for labor (Barrett 16,1997.) The Ashanti came to dominate slave, and later, peasant society, especially within the realm of religion. The practice eventually spread throughout the slave World (Barrett 17,19... ...go Press 1986) 5) Jacobs, Virginia Lee Roots of Rastafari (San Diego, Slawson Communications, Inc 1985) 6) Johnson-Hill, Jack A. I-Sight, The World of Rastafari: An Interpretive Sociological Account of Rastafarian Ethics (Metuchen N.J., The American Theological Library Ass. And Scarecrow Press, Ink. 1995) 7) Morrish, Ivan Jamaica and its Religions (Cambridge, James Clarke and Co. 1982) 8) Reddington, Norman Rastafari History, http://lamar.colostate.edu/~`laingg/rasta.html May 1995 9) Turner, Terisa Arise Ye Mighty People: Gender, Class, and Race in Popular Struggles,"The New Society"(Trenton, Africa World Press, 1994) 10) Witvliet, Theo A Place in the Sun: An Introductio to Liberation Theology in the Third World (SCM Press Ltd. 1985) 11) Youd, Ital Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari... the First Itation (Miami, Judah Anbesa Ihntahnahshinch 1987)

Poland Spring’s Advertisement Campaign Failure Essay

Poland Spring’s recent advertisement puts its viewers in a serene natural environment; a nice sunny day overlooking a crystal clear spring on a green field. In the center of this field is a giant plastic bottle, one that is â€Å"environmentally friendly.† The bottle is praised and pointed out for using â€Å"less plastic,† â€Å"less paper,† and the very important â€Å"dye-free cap.† The bottle is called the â€Å"Eco-Shaped bottle† and is designed to have less impact on the earth. The entire scene is under the giant caption that tells of how Poland Spring is doing â€Å"less† to the environment. The company is selling water in a disposable plastic bottle yet the advertisement seems to be trying to convince people that by consuming their disposable product they are some how helping the environment; that because they drink Poland Spring water they are doing â€Å"less to the environment. This advertising strategy however is not uncommon. According to Julia B. Corbett â€Å" ‘green advertising’ has focused on ads that promote environmental sensitivity toward†¦ a corporate image of environmental sensitivity† (Corbett 148). The recent ad campaign may seen to be about Poland Spring’s new â€Å"Eco-Shaped† bottle, but it is really about diverting attention from the pollution the bottle generates to instead creating a pro-environmental view of the company and its product. The Eco-Shaped bottle by Poland Spring is marketed with a few selling points the company points out directly in their advertisement. The bottle uses â€Å"30% less plastic†, â€Å"less paper† and a â€Å"dye-free cap†. These improvements are  better for the environment then the original bottle used by Poland Spring. However the problem lies in the fact that the product is still harmful to the environment. Last time I checked less of a bad thing is still a bad thing. According a recent article by Hope Molinaro, the California Department of Conservation (CDOC) stated, â€Å"in California, more than a billion plastic water bottles wind up in the trash each year† and that total is only the amount of bottles in the state of California (Molinaro, 64). The total amount equates to 3 million empty water bottles per day disposed of in just one state (Molinaro, 64). That large amount of plastic has many detrimental effects to the environment. The materials used to make the bottles consist of a tremendous amount of resources and are difficult to dispose of if not recycled. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to make the claim that a good portion of the plastic bottle waste generated in the United States is produced by the Poland Spring Company. Not only is the plastic filling our landfills, but there is evidence that the water bottle company is polluting its own town. According to a 2008 study of pollution demographics of Androscoggin County in Maine, where Poland Spring’s headquarters is located, the particulate matter is 62% higher there than the United States average (Unknown). It’s also 61% higher then the state of Maine’s average particulate matter found (Unknown). Particulate matter is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. Poland Spring’s advertisement does not show any of this particulate matter when depicting how green and lush the springs it gets its water from are. One aspect of the Poland Spring’s advertisement that I find different and contradictory to traditional green thinking is that in the ad the plastic Poland Spring water bottle, is shown in nature. Normally when a plastic water bottle is found laying in a field or any natural setting for that matter, it is viewed upon as pollution. In this ad the bottle is sitting in nature and is supposed to be appealing to the human eye. The bottle is shown in a way that it blends into the natural setting and tries to convince people that it almost belongs there, in the midst of nature; that the  unnatural belongs with the natural. It is easy to relate the bottle as being positive to the environment however as it blends in with the incredible sunrise in the background on a beautiful day with a clear sky. The bottle is featured sitting in a field where the growth of the field is doing outstanding and there is not one dead or even one imperfectly grown plant. The land is doing so well it is almost portrayed as being happy and at peace with a giant, unnatural, plastic water bottle sticking out of it. This scene does not just occur in the ad however as pollution is a huge issue when there is a â€Å"disposable† factor to the product. A second contradiction in the ad is that Poland Spring is a water bottle company whose ad features more lush, green field then the body of water in which their product comes from. The ad is trying to make the product fall into the American consumers mind as a green product hence the green field is more affective then a view of the lake or spring containing the water Poland Spring is selling. Poland Spring is really trying to hammer in the point that it’s product is green and eco-friendly, and the more green in the picture the more green the consumer sees. Contradiction number three this ad uses is the slogan that titles it. In the current green revolution sweeping across America the constant theme is doing more for the environment. Under Poland Springs fancy, flower-laden font reads the words â€Å"doing less†. This is a clear indication that Poland Spring is not being beneficial to the environment by saying they are â€Å"doing less† harm to the planet we live on. Over the serene sunset, over laying the clear blue sky, and lush green field, lies an admission of pollution and guilt by the company. Poland Spring’s methods however are not so uncommon in today’s advertising market. Many advertising campaigns are seen now featuring nature in one way or another and one of the more common ways to do this is through and advertisements backdrop. According to Julia B. Corbett, â€Å"Using nature merely as a backdrop whether in the form of wild animals, mountain vistas or sparkling rivers-is the most common use of the natural world in advertisements.† (Corbett 150) So when Poland Spring sets it’s water bottle in the green field, with little purple flowers swaying in the wind, the peaceful sunset over looking the bluest clear sky the world has to offer,  followed by beautiful green hills rolling off to the distance there is a purpose to it. The purpose according to Julia could be that the company is trying to promote a â€Å"corporate image of environmental responsibility.†(Corbett 148) This is very well one if not the main initiative of the advertisement and it is even so less of an advertisement as it is a rebuttal. Recently, as our country starts to become more â€Å"green† and environmentally aware, there has been some recent campaigns against the consumption of bottled water. One major campaign against bottled water has been â€Å"Think outside the bottle†. Even the mayor of Miami, Manny Diaz along with a dozen or so mayors, is calling on municipal governments to phase out bottled-water purchases in a resolution to be presented at the U.S. Mayors Conference (Barnes). Poland Spring is trying to distract the average consumer from believing the hype that the bottle are bad for the environment and tries to prove that they are doing something about it. Poland Spring’s advertisement is focusing on green aspects of its product and is trying to make the company appear to have a green initiative, however the Poland Spring’s target audience is not the hardcore environmentalist. Any person who puts some research into what they buy and cares about the environment is going to know that consumption of disposable plastic water bottles is not going to help the environment. The ad however does target the average consumer who does sort of care about the environment but does not research into what they consume. A consumer might see the recent anti-water bottle campaigns and generate a negative view of the disposable, plastic water bottles that Poland Spring sells. That is why Poland Spring’s ad was created in the first place, to turn the average consumer’s view of the water bottle and the Poland Spring Company from a negative one to a positive one. In times of environmental awareness that the United States is currently facing, many unenvironmentally friendly companies are finding it harder and harder to promote sales for their products. Poland Spring is no different in that respect but tries a different approach that is gaining in popularity, green advertising. Poland Spring uses nature to show a pristine and beautiful backdrop for their hazardous product. The ad is focusing on deterring the public’s view of Poland Spring from environmentally damaging  to environmentally caring. As shady and undermining the ad is to not only the people but the earth its self, the ad creates a pro-environmental image of a company that does not practice what is preaches. Works Cited Barnes, Tayler. â€Å"Anti Bottled Water Campaign Enlists Mayors to Cause.† Corporate Accountability International. Miami Herald. Web. 07 Nov. 2011. . Corbett, Julia B. †Faint†Green: Advertising and the Natural World.† Communicating Nature: How We Create and Understand Environmental Messages. Island, 2005. Web. Molinaro, Hope. â€Å"Plastic Water Bottles Go to Waste, Says Calif. Conservation Agency.† Plastics Engineering 59.7 (2003): 64-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. Unknown. Poland Spring Pollution Indexes. Raw data. Androscoggin County. CLRSreach.com

Essay about Consumption and Everyday Life - 1369 Words

Consumption and Everyday Life This interdisciplinary volume portrays the variety and complexity of consuming practices that are embedded in the context of everyday life. The contributors cover a broad range of cultural consuming patterns drawing on material as well as symbolic resources with case studies from different parts of the world. Studied practices include shopping, personal narratives, music and performance, the imagination of identities and places, media and audiences as well as domestic communication technologies. These cases counter both traditional images of a passive, powerless consumer and the postmodern glorification of consumers as creative artists, but rather illustrate the varying balance between constraint†¦show more content†¦He questions theories of modernization that assign consumption a central place in the fall from community life by demonizing it as a fetishist obsession with material goods. With examples from shoppers in London he tries to move the debate from moral evaluations to a perspective that does not divorce the embeddedness of objects in social relations, and transcends the opposition between commodity societies and gift societies. Ruth Finnegan contributed two chapters, the first of which is concentrated on personal narratives and cultural identity. She outlines how personal narratives create multiple cultural identity. Countering the notion that cultures produce only one coherent type of identity, she votes for a complex plurality. By consuming conventional scripts that are only available in a limited range within each culture, people act as their own unofficial biographers, trying to create meaningful stories covering the past, present, and future. Her second chapter focuses on music and performance as collective cultural activities, based on the informal everyday networks of people. She points out how music resembles other cultural activities that are meant to tie communities and create collective identities. This chapter was least clear to me in the sense how it is related to issues of consumption. It rather focuses on everyday activities rather than on consumption, and even did not mention consumption ver y often. However, this shows howShow MoreRelatedModernization of Sugar Essay examples1236 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Modernization from Consumption of Sugar According to Wikipedia, â€Å"modernity† is defined as a post-traditional period that is marked by the move from feudalism towards capitalism and industrialism. From the sixteenth century through the nineteenth century, many countries and economies progressed towards a more modern environment. Many factors contributed to the push for modernity; however, the sugar industry exhibited major influence throughout the world. 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