Media Musings

First of all, Manufacturing Consent is one of my favorite films of all time. I admire the way Noam Chomsky says what needs to be said, in spite of evidence that others don’t want to hear his words. The North American public’s attitude towards the deceptive, corporate-run media sickens me. About a billion aspects of this subject pop into my head, and in editing this entry, I’ve decided to try discussing on one subject of personal relevance. (This isn’t easy, as I’m having some difficulty focusing my argument.)

At one point Dr. Chomsky states that "…the average man follows faith instead of reason." Yet just how many of us are average? While not a member of Mr. Chomsky’s upper 20% of the population (meaning I’m not a wealthy, corporately-affiliated citizen), I am educated. I reject the idea that I am the member of his lower 80% of the populace. I am also convinced that not everyone in the public sphere is as naïve as those who own the popular media care to think. I pray that very soon media professionals will come to acknowledge this fact. It is also the wisdom of average citizens that leads me to believe that those controlling the popular media ought to acknowledge the necessity of change. Specifically, the success of various corporations in the future will depend on their willingness to alter their tactics in order to appeal to the masses.

As an educated individual, I’m tired of seeing my intelligence insulted on many fronts. For instance, something I often contemplate is the state of women’s magazines. There’s one that I’ve been reading sporadically for approximately one year, called Jane. I admire this publication primarily because it does attempt to reflect the perspective of the average young woman. The editorial content, while not always to my liking, remains very down to earth. However, one crucial aspect of Jane has unnerved me. Its fashion pages feature only thin models. Nearly all of the women featured are Caucasian. Mind you, I would have no problem with this if in the real world, we females were all pale and thin. However, we’re not. We come in different sizes and colors.

At the magazine’s web site, readers can express their thoughts about its editorial content on one of the available message boards. I’ve been following a thread that seems set on exhausting the issue of Jane’s waif-like models. However, several notes were written which insulted thin women. What disturbed me is that I kept reading about smaller ladies being "unrealistic" and "fake-looking". (Who determines how a "real" woman ought to look?) Fortunately, a wise individual eventually wrote a note suggesting that what upset Jane’s readers wasn’t the thinness of the models, but rather that there wasn’t any variety among the models’ sizes. I believe this was the crux of the issue

Why does the media seem to fear the idea of the public’s insistence that beauty comes in all sizes? Naturally, if such a thing was to occur, people would (and do) expect this diversity to be reflected in magazines and newspapers. For a second, I put myself in Big Brother’s shoes and consider the ensuing difficulties. In the upper echelons of haute couture, it might become commonplace for a lady under 5’9" and over 108 pounds to be considered attractive. And then, before you know it, PEOPLE LIKE ME could be models. I think this frightens the media because they will have to relinquish their title as Master Controller of the Masses and recognize that their success is where it has always been—in the hands of the common man.

Also, thinking of the media’s power reminded me of comments I read on a celebrity-oriented newsgroup. One thread was devoted to discussing famous persons who had "become fat". Interestingly, all of the individuals being discussed were women. Meanwhile in real life, the ones considered "fat" aren’t necessarily so. Ladies such as Kate Winslet look to me as though they’re of an average weight for their height. (Who would’ve thought that to be 5’6 and 130 pounds was too heavy?) Yet I was perplexed by various suggestions that essentially conveyed the idea that people of Kate’s girth ought to go to a clinic. Eventually, the reason for ridicule of these persons occurred to me. It isn’t that these ladies are actually obese. Rather, these women weigh more than ladies whom the public is accustomed to viewing in the media.

At the other end of the spectrum was another thread devoted to those ladies who were "too skinny". People were bantering back and forth about whether they could tell which female celebrity was purging after every meal. I was perplexed by the fact that this was all going on in the same newsgroup.

Why is it so difficult for people to grasp the idea that real human beings come in different sizes? And why does seeing women who are only size-two upset me? Perhaps it is because in the media, certain individuals expect to find the truth. Instead, we find an unrealistic fantasy that some expect media moguls to adhere to. Others, like me, remain disgusted, and would appreciate more realism.

Who knows. Maybe it’s human nature to be narcissistic. Perhaps subliminally we look to the media for a reflection of the "types" of individuals who are approved in our society. Therefore, the idea remains that what is seen in the media is accepted, and what isn’t deserves to be rejected. Unfortunately, not only do those who own the modes of media have certain preferences, but their position of high influence allows them to possess the ability to determine for society’s sheep who is acceptable, based on superficial factors, such as height and weight. As a result, we have a culture mired in not only sexism and racism, but also my newly-coined forms of bigotry: sizeism, and looksism. Those in authority have the power to control both who appears in the media, as well as how they are portrayed.

What irks me about this is the attitude among those controlling the media towards public complaints. When viewers and consumers complain, they are met with excuses like "The designers only send us outfits that are a size four, so…" or "What are you so upset about? We’re only pretending. It’s only make believe." They cannot comprehend why thinking people like me get upset.

It’s because of my awareness of the media’s power. The media’s pacifying influence. I often find myself angry at the ignorant attitude of those controlling our popular movies, TV and magazines. Because whether they choose to admit it or not, they’re breeding a culture of zombies. A distinct faction of society exists who will accept, believe and follow what the media portrays as correct, and despise what is hidden or portrayed negatively. Not to mention the fact that when I look into the media, I’d like to see someone that looks (somewhat) like me looking back. [sic]