challenge day 23
Tumblr 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge, day 23: Did the media play a role in your wanting to lose weight?
OOOOH what a fun question! I'm going to have go a little sociologist on it.
I've been studying media influence for several years now, including mass media theory, mass culture theory, and theories of mass media influence. A common theme I've noticed throughout a lot of my reading is that on its own, the media do not have power. It is the fact that individuals accept the hegemonic values broadcasted via news, print, and web that perpetuates and legitimizes those values. The mass belief that skinny=beautiful and skinny=health did not evolve overnight because Twiggy got herself on Vogue. The idolization of a thin female body developed as more and more individuals bought into it and spread their influence to their friends and families. These people are called "opinion leaders". For example, I have a friend who knows WAY more about fashion trends than I do. If she tells me that I look fashionable, I'll believe her, because I know she is more of an expert source than I am.
The same is true for media. We are susceptible to media influences because they come to us from "experts", people with the authority that comes with titles and education.
So in short: no, the media do not play a direct role in my wanting to lose weight. Society's internalization of media-broadcasted values, and the subsequent reactions of other people to my weight, has played a direct role in my wanting to lose weight.
And now that I have revealed myself to be an EPIC EPIC NERD, I will leave this here:
Because since you now know I'm a total theory queen, I can proudly say that RYAN GOSLING AND FEMINISM IS POSSIBLY THE BEST COMBINATION EVER. Were I unwed I would do terrible terrible things to that man's body. And by terrible terrible, I mean wonderful wonderful.