The Disney Princess Effects:
Distorted View of what Love is:
- In the Disney Princess movies, young girls are led to believe that in order to be in love they have to be in love with a Prince. This has caused young girls to have a misrepresentation of what to look for in a man. They begin to believe that a man will come into the picture and save them from any problems they may have in life. This has been the common theme in Princess movies throughout the time they have been around. If young girls grow up with this unrealistic expectation of men they will not know what a real man is like nor will they know how to act around a man. Disney has taught young girls that it is okay to change who you are and what you believe in for a man. It is also taught young girls that in order to find the man of their dreams they must look like a princess. Looking like the Disney Princesses is not a realistic goal and in order for young girls and parents to understand that, they must gain an understanding of the media and learn how it plays a role in shaping the ideals of young girls.
Body Image:
- Since Disney Princesses have been around they have all had the same basic body shape, thin. And for the longest time they were all dominantly white, as were their princes. What this teaches young girls is that in order to find prince charming, they need to be white, pretty and thin. This kind of ideal is what causes eating disorders and the over-sexualization of young girls. Young girls are programed with an unrealistic view of body image at a young age that they can carry with them throughout their childhood. This causes them to engage in bad diet habits, and begin wearing makeup and an extremely young age. If we look at the example above of Kim Kardashian dressed up as Jasmine we can see that there is hardly anything to her costume. What kind of image is this for her young fans? This costume promotes that it is okay to walk around with minimal clothing on to get attention. That is not a message that needs to be sent to young girls. Jasmine's outfit in the movie is not near as revealing as what is being seen in the photo of Kim Kardashian above, which is disturbing because a lot of girls look up to the Kardashians and strive to be like them. With this image out there we need to educate young girls that while this sort of thing may be in the media, it is not reality nor is it something that should be a reality to them.
- In the Disney Princess movies, young girls are led to believe that in order to be in love they have to be in love with a Prince. This has caused young girls to have a misrepresentation of what to look for in a man. They begin to believe that a man will come into the picture and save them from any problems they may have in life. This has been the common theme in Princess movies throughout the time they have been around. If young girls grow up with this unrealistic expectation of men they will not know what a real man is like nor will they know how to act around a man. Disney has taught young girls that it is okay to change who you are and what you believe in for a man. It is also taught young girls that in order to find the man of their dreams they must look like a princess. Looking like the Disney Princesses is not a realistic goal and in order for young girls and parents to understand that, they must gain an understanding of the media and learn how it plays a role in shaping the ideals of young girls.
Body Image:
- Since Disney Princesses have been around they have all had the same basic body shape, thin. And for the longest time they were all dominantly white, as were their princes. What this teaches young girls is that in order to find prince charming, they need to be white, pretty and thin. This kind of ideal is what causes eating disorders and the over-sexualization of young girls. Young girls are programed with an unrealistic view of body image at a young age that they can carry with them throughout their childhood. This causes them to engage in bad diet habits, and begin wearing makeup and an extremely young age. If we look at the example above of Kim Kardashian dressed up as Jasmine we can see that there is hardly anything to her costume. What kind of image is this for her young fans? This costume promotes that it is okay to walk around with minimal clothing on to get attention. That is not a message that needs to be sent to young girls. Jasmine's outfit in the movie is not near as revealing as what is being seen in the photo of Kim Kardashian above, which is disturbing because a lot of girls look up to the Kardashians and strive to be like them. With this image out there we need to educate young girls that while this sort of thing may be in the media, it is not reality nor is it something that should be a reality to them.
The Barbie Effects:
Do You Want to Look Like Barbie?
Heidi Montag (left), from the MTV hit show "The Hills", is a perfect example of a young girl who grew up always wanting to look like Barbie and the extreme measures she took in order pull it off. Heidi became a role model to young girls quickly because of her fame and success. Looking at her now, it is easy to see why young girls feel as though they need to achieve this "Barbie" look. If someone as popular, loved and famous as Heidi needs to undergo surgery in order to reach "perfection", then why shouldn't they? Tabloids don't expose the regrets and the negative side effects that come with plastic surgery, all the media tends to show is women who go to extreme measures to achieve "beauty". When female stars try their hardest to pull off the Barbie look, it has serious side effects on young girls who look up to them.
Heidi Montag (left), from the MTV hit show "The Hills", is a perfect example of a young girl who grew up always wanting to look like Barbie and the extreme measures she took in order pull it off. Heidi became a role model to young girls quickly because of her fame and success. Looking at her now, it is easy to see why young girls feel as though they need to achieve this "Barbie" look. If someone as popular, loved and famous as Heidi needs to undergo surgery in order to reach "perfection", then why shouldn't they? Tabloids don't expose the regrets and the negative side effects that come with plastic surgery, all the media tends to show is women who go to extreme measures to achieve "beauty". When female stars try their hardest to pull off the Barbie look, it has serious side effects on young girls who look up to them.
Too Fat to be Barbie: What the Media Doesn't Tell Us
Young girls are feeling more pressure than ever before to achieve the Barbie weight due to the images seen in our daily media of celebrities who strive to look thin and "beautiful". Little do girls know that Barbie is an unrealistic and dangerous size. If Barbie's measurements were to be adjusted to life size, She would be 6 feet tall, 101 lbs. with a 39" bust, 18" waist and 33" hips.
According to South Carolina Department of Mental Heath:
- Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.
- 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.
- 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight.
- 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight.
- Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
- A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover.
- The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old
According to ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders):
- Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
- In a survey of 185 female students on a college campus, 58% felt pressure to be a certain weight, and of the 83% that dieted for weight loss, 44% were of normal weight.
"It's fantastic, being plastic!"
Plastic surgery is becoming more and more popular, especially among younger women. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 209,000 teenagers underwent plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures in 2009. It is even becoming common for teenage girls to ask for breast implants for their high school graduation gift.
Studies have shown that young girls who play with barbies are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies as early as age 5. With images of Barbie and Barbie "wannabes" being portrayed on multiple media outlets such as computer games, movies, and even music, it's becoming harder for young girls to escape this desire to look "perfect". Due to this need to be "perfect" much like Barbie is in every situation, young girls are willing to go to extremes, even if they are risking their health and undergoing surgery to do so. Because the discussion of teenage plastic surgery and the negative side affects aren't addressed by our media, teenagers and parents can be easily mislead. Being plastic isn't as healthy as Barbie makes it out to be, but with our current media, young girls are blind to this side of reality.
Studies have shown that young girls who play with barbies are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies as early as age 5. With images of Barbie and Barbie "wannabes" being portrayed on multiple media outlets such as computer games, movies, and even music, it's becoming harder for young girls to escape this desire to look "perfect". Due to this need to be "perfect" much like Barbie is in every situation, young girls are willing to go to extremes, even if they are risking their health and undergoing surgery to do so. Because the discussion of teenage plastic surgery and the negative side affects aren't addressed by our media, teenagers and parents can be easily mislead. Being plastic isn't as healthy as Barbie makes it out to be, but with our current media, young girls are blind to this side of reality.