Feminists, Stereotypes and Stereotyping in the Media Essay -- Feminism

Feminists and Media Stereotypes The media portrays feminists in unflattering ways. Largely because of the media portrayal, the word feminist usually evokes images of crass, butch, men-hating, very masculine women. Many women believe in the feminist doctrine, but they would never mean themselves as a feminist because they cannot relate to the images of crass, butch, men-hating, masculine women. In fact, it has only been within the past year that Ive been able to accept the fact that I am a feminist and that my preconceived images of feminists ar merely media stereotypes. Im now able to admit I care more about my own rights than whether or not someone will assume I fit the media stereotype of a feminsit. Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic contactity of the sexes. One doesnt have to hatred men, refuse to wear dresses, or be homosexual to be a feminist. Feminism isnt about male bashing, but rather about equality. Now I can (and do) admit freely that Im a feminist. People may hark back that means Im lesbian. They may think that means I hate men. They may think I have some sort of secret agenda. They can be as misinformed or stereotypical as they chose, I just want equal rights. Yet now I have to wonder why those stereotypes exist and where they stemmed from. Were early feminists butch man haters? No. Early accounts from women and men of the m prove otherwise. * ... the 1848 Seneca Falls convention for a female Bill of Rights provoked editorials about unsexed women...which insinuated that they had become activists because they were too repulsive to find a husband....These women are entirely devoid of personal attractions....When a supporter, Senato... ...lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/illusions2.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing facial gesture of Beauty Models http//www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/models.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing Face of Beauty Views. Sela Ward http//www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/views5b.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Changing Face of Beauty Views. Maricia Gillespie http//www.lifetimetv.com/shows/specials/changingface/views.html Life Time Entertainment Services. 2000 Douglas, Susan J. Where the Girls Are Growing Up young-bearing(prenominal) with the Mass Media. New York Random House Publishing, 1994, 278. Starr, Bernard. IT AINT JUST PAINTAGING AND THE MEDIA http//www.longevityworld.com/justpaint.html. 1997 Wolff, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. New York Doubleday Publishing, 1991