Edge of the Sword by Emily Hale

Media in its’ very definition is mass communication through several portals including, but not limited to: television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, etc. Media in all its forms is a giant beast that can never be tamed, because it’s ever changing and always-in demand. Today, everything we know about the world is delivered in a neat and convenient package, known as communication through the media. With this incredible machine come benefits of grandeur. As a nation, family, or as individuals we gain so much information about the world through these media portals. People are currently communicating across oceans or accessing pictures and videos from all over the world.  People are being entertained as they watch movies and television or as they get lost within the pages of books and magazines. While the media is such a gift in so many ways it is also a double-edged sword. On the one side there is awareness, education, and knowledge, and on the other side lies exposure, degradation, and negativity.

For every positive, wonderful, and marvelous thing provided by the media, there is an equal amount of idealistic and unrealistic perceptions about relationships, body image, and self-worth. Tabloids, movies, magazines, and newspapers convey a completely improbable portrait of what a woman should look like, act like, smell like, eat like, dress like, and so on, and so forth. Women portrayed in the media make up the minority of the population. The media and all of its by parts showcase perfection by their own definition. When comparing the definition of a perfect woman from the 1950’s to the perfect woman today. Some may say we’ve come a long way from the vacuuming-in-pearls and Ovaltine woman, but now we’ve reached complete female sexual exploitation. Little to no progress has been made, simply because women are still viewed and considered objects.

Sure, women today have better jobs and job opportunities. Yes, single-mothers are now revered instead of ridiculed. And of course, women can now say and express themselves more freely, but the reality of the current media debacle involves women and the growth of negative body perception. Why are the standards of beauty being imposed on women today? The answer in itself is… the media. There’s no escape from the portrait of beauty that’s forced on every female in today’s culture. Because of the current media’s standard of beauty, women are developing eating disorders, emptying their bank accounts, undergoing painful operations, and killing themselves over an ideal reflection of beauty that doesn’t exist and cannot be attained.

Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? It’s impossible to be the perfect ideal woman, because the standard for beauty is endlessly changing. The bar for beauty is always being raised. One can never please every person with their appearance, but one can learn to love them self, and celebrate what it is that makes them different, unique, and truly beautiful. It’s so important to discover what makes each woman feel beautiful. Choosing to be your own person and feeling empowered is an irresistible quality. It’s important to spread beauty by being lovely, kind, and warm to others and sharing beauty by sharing love. Finding comfort and solace in one’s own skin is what radiates beauty throughout the world. Beauty is not what the media tells us it is; it’s what we decide it is.