To be sick, sick, sick of the way women are portrayed in the media

[Janos]

A comment on a thread I posted recently got me thinking about this.

Just looking at women's mags for example, who are some of the worst offenders. A woman's appearance is never ever 'good enough' and is constantly picked at. She's either too fat or too thin or her knees are too knobbly or fingernails are too pointy or some such shite.

The endless pushing of stupid bloody DIETS.

On TV, women who are bolshy or aggressive or not 'nice' and feminine'(for which read passive doormat) are always punished. OK, not always but my god it happens a lot.

Oh yeah, and films. Why don't we have a female version of Indiana Jones? Why is the man always the one who gets to have fantastic adventures?

And in newspapers. I'm thinking of the coverage of those two awful cases last year, Levi Bellfield and Mark Dixie - media full of reports commenting on how their behaviour could be traced back to their mothers. Yet again, women are to blame. Err, what about their fathers - aren't they equally responsible? And then reports on John Hogan...how his wife MUST have had some responsibility for what happened.

Men's magazines aren't much better. Women are sneered at and belittled if they aren't 'hot' (god that word bloody well pisses me off). If they ARE 'hot' they are patronised and objectified and treated like they don't have a brain.

Why must our behaviour and appearance be endlessly critcised and picked apart?

OK, rant over. I feel a bit better now

[Janos]

I should clarify that the word 'hot' only pisses me off when used in that specific context, for example in reference to a womans appearance.

It doesn't generally whip me into a frothing rage!

[plantsitter]

No, YANBU. It makes me afraid for our daughters. (I mean society's daughters not mine - I haven't got any)

[almostblue]

Time of the month, is it?

[almostblue]

(seriously - YANBU. Of course you're not!)

[lavenderbongo]

What about Tomb Raider - shes a lot like Indie and he just as much of a sex symbol.

Other than that agree with you entirely - I worry about what my dds will be influenced by>

[cocolepew]

almostblue!

[cocolepew]

Oh.

[Janos]

Hmm, yes Tomb Raider, ok you have a point there!

You had me going for a moment almostblue.

[Janos]

I was about to say, how did you know

I'm afraid I feel like this all the time though so it can't be just that!

[beansprout]

I totally agree. It's one of the many reasons I'm secretly relieved I have 2 boys. I think girls have a really hard time these days.

[janeite]

Tombraider / Indiana Jones - spot the difference? Oh yes, it's something to do with how few clothes the woman is expected to wear in order to look sexy (because she can't be a heroine without being a sexy heroine) whilst Harrison Ford can just wear his battered old safari suit and a hat.

[Mercy]

There has been a definite back sliding in the last 10-15 years imo.

And particularly in the name of humour. Even HIGNFY makes me cringe sometimes.

WHo was that awful Mark person in Never Mind the Bollocks - I can't believe he was allowed to get away with some of his 'jokes'

[GivePeasAChance]

I would love for a strike/boycott against all media - for say a week - no papers, magazines or tv for a week!

They all do more harm than good and ultimately are just there to make money or pursue a certain point of view.

[Bumperlicious]

I was about to say Tomb Raider

But you are right and I have given up buying trashy magazines (much as I love them) for this reason. Plus I don't want my DD getting into them when she is older.

We must really try to protect our DDs from these attitudes, but how to do it if you feel victim to them yourself?

[TheCrackFox]

YANBU - I too am relieved I have boys. According to the media women are never good enough no matter what they do.

Just do as I do - I do not buy any magazines or newspapers. I am a much happier person for it.

Not that I was a fan of the Sex and the City movie but it made something like £300 million globally. I would imagine that it might make Hollywood wake up to the fact that women have huge spending power and should be catered for.

[jette]

Its depressing how much worse things have got since I was a teenager.. one thing that stood out for me was the description of the Ipswich victims as 'prostitutes' rather than simply 'women' - perhaps I'm being naive but I definitely expected better of the BBC..

[totalmisfit]

Agree GivePeasAChance - i think a MN led week-long boycott of all newspapers/magazines/makeover shows would be a fantastic way to send a message to the meeja overlords who dictate how we feel about ourselves.

and it's not just the low-brow stuff. The guardian and the indie are guilty of this innate negativity towards women too. I am sick of fucking stick thin models stuck all over my weekend papers in order to tempt me into buying awful clothes and 'miracle' face products.

I want to shout from the rooftops 'I AM FINE AS I AM!!!'

[GivePeasAChance]

It's funny tho' misfit - if we actually could organise a boycott - would it be reported ? Oh so complicated! They have too much power !

[Thisismynewname]

I agree that it's got worse over recent decades.

Thinking back to the 80s - although women were obv still sex symbols then, the "criteria" was much looser. There wasn't this obsession with being skinny - having a bit of a figure and nice-ish face was enough for someone to be attractive. Now people are picked apart for being over a size 8, or as the OP says, having knobbly knees - wtf?

[Janos]

Beansprout, me too. So glad I have a son simply because of all the crap associated with being a woman.

Do you know, I am much happier in myself (honestly) since I stopped buying women's magazines, mainly because they are just so damned NASTY.

You have to have the 'perfect' figure AND a great job AND be a 'perfect' mother.

Who the hell can fill those criteria?

NO-ONE.

[Janos]

"There has been a definite back sliding in the last 10-15 years imo."

Oh, definitely. I remember when the ideal was a 'slim' size 12, this from when I was a teeanger. I'm still a size twelve aged 33 but apparently that is fat now?

[May2December]

I think daughters will be influenced more by a sensible mother and positive female role models in their own lives than the 'media'to be honest.

[Desiderata]

I'm afraid it all passes me by. I think if you're confident in yourself as a person, your gender is irrelevant.

And in most TV adverts, men get treated like gormless, incompetent idiots.

[GivePeasAChance]

Des - is it you who is journo?

[squeaver]

Yes - and who is it making most of these comments? Female journalists.