World Savvy Monitor

A recent UNESCO report describes the litany of common images of women in the media: “the glamorous sex kitten, the sainted mother, the devious witch, the hardfaced corporate and political climber.”  The report, released in 2009, states that, at the current rate of progress on stereotyping women, it will take another 75 years to achieve gender equality in the media. 

Popular magazines aimed at male and female audiences are a prominent culprit, tending to feature women with bodies that are unattainable for the average woman, and to focus on stories related to either catching or pleasing a man as a route to success and happiness.

• The Canadian Health Network found that the average female model is not only much taller than the average woman, but weighs nearly 25% less.  

• The Media Awareness Network, a Canadian research and advocacy organization, found that women’s magazines are ten times more likely to contain articles and advertisements related to dieting than are men’s magazines, and that three-fourths of women’s magazine covers feature articles about overhauling one’s physical appearance. 

• When the Australian magazine New Woman departed from usual procedure and ran pictures of overweight or even normal weight women, they received letters overwhelmingly in support of this realism from readers.  However, advertisers reacted negatively, and the program was discontinued.  

Television is also a culprit, despite gains in recent years.  

• Most heroes and protagonists, particularly in prime time programming, tend to be male.  

• Studies indicate that nearly three-quarters of all female characters in sitcoms are underweight, and those that are overweight are often the subject of comments or jokes about their bodies made by male characters.  One study found that 80% of these comments were followed by canned laughter.

• The problem is not only the images that are portrayed, but also those that are not.  For example, women’s sports receive far less air time than men’s sports on network and cable programming.

Video games are another subject of concern.

• ChildrenNow found that the majority of female characters in video games were scantily clad and highly sexualized.

• Some popular video games even portray, and some say glorify, violence against women.  The Grand Theft Auto series featuring prostitutes is a commonly cited example.

The film industry is seen as not only pandering to stereotypes, but also discriminating against older women in leading roles.  

• The number of roles for leading women is far below that of men.

• The use of body doubles for actresses who have less than idealized body proportions is thought to contribute to unrealistic expectations both men and women have about women’s bodies.

A recent UNESCO report describes the litany of common images of women in the media: “the glamorous sex kitten, the sainted mother, the devious witch, the hardfaced corporate and political climber.”  The report, released in 2009, states that, at the current rate of progress on stereotyping women, it will take another 75 years to achieve gender equality in the media. 

Popular magazines aimed at male and female audiences are a prominent culprit, tending to feature women with bodies that are unattainable for the average woman, and to focus on stories related to either catching or pleasing a man as a route to success and happiness.

• The Canadian Health Network found that the average female model is not only much taller than the average woman, but weighs nearly 25% less.  

• The Media Awareness Network, a Canadian research and advocacy organization, found that women’s magazines are ten times more likely to contain articles and advertisements related to dieting than are men’s magazines, and that three-fourths of women’s magazine covers feature articles about overhauling one’s physical appearance. 

• When the Australian magazine New Woman departed from usual procedure and ran pictures of overweight or even normal weight women, they received letters overwhelmingly in support of this realism from readers.  However, advertisers reacted negatively, and the program was discontinued.  

Television is also a culprit, despite gains in recent years.  

• Most heroes and protagonists, particularly in prime time programming, tend to be male.  

• Studies indicate that nearly three-quarters of all female characters in sitcoms are underweight, and those that are overweight are often the subject of comments or jokes about their bodies made by male characters.  One study found that 80% of these comments were followed by canned laughter.

• The problem is not only the images that are portrayed, but also those that are not.  For example, women’s sports receive far less air time than men’s sports on network and cable programming.

Video games are another subject of concern.

• ChildrenNow found that the majority of female characters in video games were scantily clad and highly sexualized.

• Some popular video games even portray, and some say glorify, violence against women.  The Grand Theft Auto series featuring prostitutes is a commonly cited example.

The film industry is seen as not only pandering to stereotypes, but also discriminating against older women in leading roles.  

• The number of roles for leading women is far below that of men.

• The use of body doubles for actresses who have less than idealized body proportions is thought to contribute to unrealistic expectations both men and women have about women’s bodies.

Next:  Women and Media:  Effects of Gender Stereotyping in the Media