Advertising schemes usually promote women as beautiful and slender thereby emphasizing such physical traits in order to sell a particular product. The images of female models in mass-media depict women with perfect application of make-up, flawless skin, perfect bodies and teeth.  

However, portraying women in this manner may cause more harm than good.  For instance, sexualized images of women posted in mass-media can have both a positive and negative impact.  For example, Victoria’s Secret, among many, heavily advertises their line of lingerie. The angel theme has gone rampant for girls and women alike.  Recently, I witnessed a teenage girl shopping for the latest trends that Victoria Secret has to offer and she appeared to be no more than 13 years of age.

Hence, Victoria’s Secret focuses their products on a more artificial look as real consumers, just like you and me readily test their products upon availability. Nevertheless, the question arises on whether or not women consumers are trying to resemble these images of perfection or are they making such purchases in order to stay abreast of the latest fashions.  In either case, an underlying fact remains that women cannot meet such expectations portrayed in the media because most of these women do not really look like this. 

If so, these representations of women mislead the consumer causing anxiety to those who do not perceive themselves as attractive, sexy or slim. Moreover, most of these ads reinforce sexism cross-culturally and these ongoing stereotypical marketing strategies should produce more concern and awareness in our popular culture.

Furthermore, a comparative study regarding women’s positive and negative body images with respect to the media should be further explored.  In order to bring about change, we must unite to address these issues where it matters. 

In order to take a stance, we should voice our concerns by using our purchasing power to invest in organizations with higher advertising standards, sanction or lobby proper government entities and ban purchasing through companies that continue to disrupt our society with the ongoing gender bias in the advertising industry.

Women of influence such as Hollywood actress, Geena Davis founded a non-profit organization called seejane.org in 2004. Their website states,  “the Institute is the only research-based organization working collaboratively within the entertainment industry to create gender balance, foster inclusion and reduce negative stereotyping in family entertainment media.” As a society, we do have the responsibility to protect and set standards for how females of different ages are portrayed in all forms of media. Davis saw a need in this arena and took action.

For the most part, women must unite to form a partnership to bring about change on how women are portrayed in mass media.