Women in Comedy

Today there are more and more women taking over the world of comedy. For example, Kristen Wiig, Ellen DeGeneres, Wanda Sykes and Sara Silverman. Back in the day it was almost unheard of to see women as comedians, but today a high percentage of comedians are women. I think that the gender of comedians does not necessarily determine whether or not they are funny, it depends mostly on their personality and material. Some of my favorite comedians are women and I find them just as funny as their male competitors. It is nice to see women taking over the primarily male dominated comedy world.

Women in Sports Broadcasting

Right now is a very big time in sports. There is of course college football, NFL, and the return of the NBA on Christmas day. I have noticed that although there are a few there are not that many female sports reporters. People have a misconception that women are not as in tune to sports as men are, which in some cases are true, but in others not. I am a big sports fan and like to see female reporters because one day I would love to do that. The fact that some people think women are not as effective as men when it comes to reporting on sports is completely untrue, anyone who has a love for sports and broadcasting is capable of being a sports broadcaster. 

Toddlers and Tiaras

I don’t think I have ever heard of a show causing more controversy than the TLC show “Toddlers and Tiaras”. The show follows the lives of multiple young girls who compete in beauty pageants around the United States. The reason this show causes so much controversy is because of the way these young girls dress and act in these beauty pageants. Most of the girls are spoiled brats and get their parents to give them almost anything they want. Parents spend countless dollars on the dresses, shoes, hair pieces and spa treatments. The girls that compete in the pageants wear so much makeup that they do not even look like really children, but more like dolls. I think this show is a bad influence on young girls that could be watching the show because it shows off this very unrealistic lifestyle that these girls take part in.

Transgender Individuals in the Media

On the television show “Hung” on HBO, the actress Jamie Clayton plays a transgender female on the show. But in reality she is actually a transgender. Some people are un sure about transgender individuals in the media, but I think it is a great thing. I am happy that transgender individuals are becoming comfortable enough with themselves to come out in to the public and be who they want to be without being criticized for everything they do. Another example is Chaz Bono, Cher’s son and a contestant on this seasons “Dancing with the Stars”. Chaz was getting a ton of criticism for performing on the show as a transgender. I am very glad that more and more people are coming out with who they are and not being afraid to show it.

Kim Kardashian Divorce

Throughout the past couple days the top news story has been the divorce of  celebrity socialite Kim Kardashian and basketball player Kris Humphries. Kim Kardashian filed for divorce on Monday morning stating irreconcilable differences. This divorce is happening after only a short 72 days after the extravagant 20 million dollar wedding between Kim and Kris. There has been talk that this wedding was nothing but a publicity stunt. The New York Posts front page stated, “Big A$$ Sham” with a picture of Kim and Kris at their wedding. It is sad that marriage is now used as way to get attention and not based on a love that two people share. This divorce may be teaching young people that what Kim Kardashian did is acceptable because of how much attention she is receiving.

 

Women in Advertisements

When a woman is flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine she encounters many advertisements for clothing, accessories and beauty supplies.  A majority or these ads include a scene involving an attractive female promoting the product being advertised.  The advertisements usually use expensive clothing, jewelry and attractive males as well to entice the viewer to go out and purchase the product being promoted.  There have been controversies about many advertisements because many ads are photoshopped to make the women in the ad look skinner, younger and in some cases almost a different person. Many people worry that advertisements may have a negative affect on the way women see themselves, but in many cases the woman in the ad is so photoshopped that she looks completely different than the way she looks in person.

Bridesmaids…the Hangover for Women?

It has been said that the movie, Bridesmaids has been seen as the new Hangover for a primarily female audience. The reason for this is because the main characters are women, there is a love story woven into the main plot and other topics that females mainly enjoy. But there are also elements that would be amusing to males as well. There is “toilet humor” and other parts of the movie that are not particularly “girly”. This is one of my favorite movies right now. It is hilarious, but also tells a good story about the main character Annie, trying to get her life back into one piece. I think this movie is perfect for both sexes as it has elements that both genders can relate to.

Music Videos…Entertaining or Bad Influences?

It is almost impossible to watch a music video today without seeing women barely clothed and men displaying dominance, wealth and how much sex they have. These patterns are commonly found in hip-hop and rock music videos, but almost every genre has its provocative music videos. Most videos have practically naked women dancing around and falling all over the men. While the men are observing the women and sometimes even engaging in sexual activity with the women. The reason music videos have been receiving so much negative criticism is because of the negative images they send to the young people that are usually the largest population of viewers. I think that sometimes music videos are a bit too provocative and do sometimes display negative images of women and men, but they do sell the artists music so someone is obviously doing something right.

Men in the Media

When you hear the phrase “Be a Man” it usually means toughen up or don’t be so sensitive. This has become quite the controversial phrase. Throughout time men have been pressured to strong, tough, be the primary supporter in a family and most common that they don’t express how they really feel. In the media these stereotypes are portrayed constantly. Many shows make men think they have to tough and insensitive to be a “real man”.  They portray men as the only supporter in the family and as the person who always has the final say. The only show I can think of where the man is not the primary supporter is in the show Parenthood. The fact that men are portrayed as only tough and masculine puts pressure on everyday individuals. For example, in Two Half Men, Charlie Sheen played a “typical dude”. He went to bars and slept with tons of women. This character probably influenced many men to think that he was the way a man should be.

Women Through Disney’s Eyes

When I was a little girl all I wanted was to be like the princesses I watched in Disney movies;  Belle, Ariel, Aurora and my favorite Cinderella. Like me many other young girls have the dream of being like Disney princesses. Beautiful, wearing extravagent dresses, living in amazing castles and having the most handsome men chasing after them. Most Disney princess movies are mainly about the princess finding her prince. Many people criticize Disney about the emphasize on being beautiful, skinny and being dependent on a man. I think that young girls are very influenced by the media and of course would want to be like a princess such as Cinderella, but I think it should be the parents responsibility to teach their children that the life of a princess is not always reality.