How the media failed women in 2013

[MysticSang'ha]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc&desktop_uri=/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc

Thought I'd share this video here, instead of the Feminist Only forum since I'd like to open up the debate with members who don't identify as feminists as well.

Do you agree with the argument this video offers? That the media has failed to fairly represent women and women's issues?

 

[Skwim]

It's failed to always represent them fairly---although, to be fair, not all the incidents in the video were the media's doing.

Both women and the media have come along way, but it's clear there's still a ways to go.

Nice post.

 

[Amechania]

When a woman displays her sexuality the media calls her a whore. When she reaches a certain age she is portrayed as menopausal. If she's tough she's a ball-buster. If she's emotional she's hysterical. When a woman accomplishes anything its usually written off to the liberal agenda or to a proficiency at fellatio. No, the mainstream media does not fairly portray women and women's issues are usually either dumbed down or treated as some sort of macabre spectacle.

 

[Me Myself]

Media is a reflection of its society.

The displays of female sexuality I wouldnt count as failures at all.

There were some really sexist comments on the vid though. A lot less than one would expect a decade ago probably, which is awesome.

I d expect society to keep changing for the better. Each generation is way less prone to buy the sexist crap from the generation before it because there is just too much evidence of how ilogicall it is and e sexism that stays, stays because it haseen part of humaty for too long, so it will take its time in dying almost completely (and staying a at least a tad, as does hate for any kind of group)

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Interesting vid.
From my point of view, the generally negative stereotyping of women is basically a given (which is not a defence of it). One of the things I like about this vid is that it did a good job of sandwiching a positive message at the start, and a re-affirmation of that at the end.

The interesting thing for me is always trying to determine the best way forwards. How do we best remove negative stereotyping of women from mainstream media, in particular. It's complicated, which is one reason I find it interesting, and I think sometimes poorly evaluated.

For what it's worth I'll check out the body that was responsible for the vid, since it resonated with me to some degree.

 

[Me Myself]

From my point of view, the generally negative stereotyping of women is basically a given (which is not a defence of it).

That sounds kinda radical. I wouldnt say most depiction of women are more negative than those of others demographics.

 

[savagewind]

The tying up of woman in the back of the car is criminal imo.

I don't think the stupid things some media personalities say should be reflective of all media.

Naked bodies? I think they're pretty. Boobs and butts are art aren't they?

 

[bobhikes]

The video is a pick and choose. It is not a fair representation of the year or what the media did or didn't do for women.

It is an opinion.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I have no idea why anyone would think that it's the "media's" job to fairly represent women and women's issues - or men's, children's, or anybody else's for that matter.

As a man, if I let the media define who I was, I would be an incompetent dolt who leers at teenage girls and talks about nothing but sports. People place way too much importance on advertising and entertainment in terms of its "responsibility."

 

[lewisnotmiller]

That sounds kinda radical. I wouldnt say most depiction of women are more negative than those of others demographics.

Really?
I can understand Kilgore's point of view, that it's not the media's job to control negative stereotypes. Indeed to some level I agree. But I think there are more negative Stereotypes of women shown in general terms as opposed to my demographic (ie. almost middle-aged, white, borderline genius, incredibly handsome, athletic males)

 

[nilsz]

I suspect Kilgore was his sarcastic self as usual, perhaps suggesting that common personalities are greatly influenced by media exposure.

Emphasis on sexuality is frequently misplaced and with little concern for non-male-hetero appetites.

 

[Skwim]

The video is a pick and choose. It is not a fair representation of the year or what the media did or didn't do for women.

It is an opinion.

It wasn't meant to be unbiased. When reporting the gaffs, blunders, and wrongs an organization has committed, we never find it necessary to balance these with the decency we commonly expect of it---it's why bad deeds make the news far more often then the good deeds. Because we expect our media to be fair, the newsworthy issue of interest is when it's not. And the unfairness as depicted in the video exceeds mere opinion. It exceeds common decency.

 

[BSM1]

Wonder which one of those scantily-clad (Bless 'em) women in the video were forced to dress that way?

 

[Badran]

I of course agree with the video; the media all over the world has pretty much always failed to properly represent women, and that's because societies still fail to properly view and treat women (and the media continues the loop). The video was good, with only one aspect which is kind of unclear regarding the displays of sexuality. I wouldn't consider that necessarily negative, but what they're likely going for is pointing out the ratio in which such displays are found in comparison to male displays, which would be hard to show in images (and with which i would agree).

I couldn't say whether 2013 in particular was negative in comparison to the last year for example, but on the general scale i'm sure it's still failing women. There's a gradual improvement, but that improvement doesn't necessarily happen on all fronts (and definitely not in all societies), equally so, or without even some set backs on some fronts. Generally things are moving forward. Videos like that help point out where things are still in need of serious work.

 

[idav]

For the showing of sexuality, isnt the women representing themselves? So it ends up being women not liking how other women make them look. I have the same problem, bad men making us good guys look retarded.

 

[idav]

Wonder which one of those scantily-clad (Bless 'em) women in the video were forced to dress that way?

Their men told them do it or else!!!

 

[nilsz]

For the showing of sexuality, isnt the women representing themselves? So it ends up being women not liking how other women make them look. I have the same problem, bad men making us good guys look retarded.

Individual actresses likely instructed by male directors do not represent all women, and they are not the first I would fault for the demand for degrading displays of sexuality.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Wonder which one of those scantily-clad (Bless 'em) women in the video were forced to dress that way?

Honestly, that's not the point. Nowhere was a claim made that they were.

 

[Revoltingest]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNswJ4kO9uHc

Thought I'd share this video here, instead of the Feminist Only forum since I'd like to open up the debate with members who don't identify as feminists as well.

Do you agree with the argument this video offers? That the media has failed to fairly represent women and women's issues?

Interesting......many of the clips which made women look bad also did the same for men.
No gender wins.

At least one of the items was several years old. Not enuf victimhood fodder in 2013?

 

[bobhikes]

It wasn't meant to be unbiased. When reporting the gaffs, blunders, and wrongs an organization has committed, we never find it necessary to balance these with the decency we commonly expect of it---it's why bad deeds make the news far more often then the good deeds. Because we expect our media to be fair, the newsworthy issue of interest is when it's not. And the unfairness as depicted in the video exceeds mere opinion. It exceeds common decency.

The video is 3 minutes at best it hardly exceeds in proving anything. As if anything that happened in the world last year can truly be summed up in 3 minutes.

The problem with the world is that people actually believe that an internet post that took less than 30min to make and wasn't verified is worth debating or worse exceeds mere opinion.

I could write a big thick book and not even complete accurately all the media did and didn't do for women this year. The media is quite large on its own. But a 3 minute video posted on the internet must be super accurate.