Mass Media and Ideology

Like other people in the class, this article was hard for me to get through and confused me several times. So with the help of google I found the definition of Ideology and was able to connect it to the media and what their ideology is. Mass medias ideology is pretty much how a woman should act, how a man should act, how parents, grandparents, students, pretty much how everyone should live their day to day life. Victoria Secret super models came to mind and how they portray themselves making other woman want to look and act the same way as them. Media sells the public so many different types of things that make us think that if we buy the product, our features and lifestyle will change dramatically. Out of the daily commercials that come on TV, I can only think of one that says to be comfortable in your own skin and that is the Dove commercial. 

Like other blogs I have read, I also thought of the article “Cinderella ate my Daughter”. The media portrays lifestyles such as princesses to be perfect and that is how every child should live. It gives little girls the belief or ideology that their life will really end up as a princess. In Croteaus article, he states “Media sells both products and ideas, both personalities and worldviews; the notion that mass media products and cultural views are fundamentally intertwined has gained broad public acceptance”. If it weren’t for television, people wouldn’t know what was acceptable or what would even be considered “normal”. “Being normal” was probably defined by television and god forbid if someone isn’t “normal” they are considered an outcast. 

The media defines “normal” women as: Skinny, big busted, perfect skin, perfect hair, wealthy, has a boyfriend (notice how girlfriend isn’t considered “normal”), perfect family and traditions and values. THIS is a Barbie figure. Even better, this is a princess.  I have seen Crest commercials daily basically saying that if your teeth are perfect and white, you will end up with the man of your dreams. The Dove commercial regarding being comfortable in your own skin barely gets any air play compared to the commercials telling an individual how to look, act and feel.

All in all, I wish people were to pay more attention to the ideology mass media is trying to portray. It’s everywhere we look whether we want to see it or not.