Lesson Plans - Body Image

Body Image & the Media: What’s the connection?

• Media Trends
• Reality Check
• You Can Do Something!

Consider these media trends...

The Era	The Look of the Day for Women
1800’s	A large body is a sign of health and fertility. Corsets narrow the waist and enhance the bust.
1890’s	Actress Lillian Russell at 200 lbs. or 91 kg. is the most celebrated beauty of the time.
1910’s	Paris designer creates slim sheath dresses, declares that breasts are “out”.
1920’s	Era of the flat-chested, slim-hipped flapper. First dieting craze of the 20th Century begins.
1950’s & 1960’s	Voluptuous full figured shapes of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield are popular.
1967	British model Twiggy (5’6 or 168 cm. and 91 lbs. or 41 kg.) arrives on the scene – and the diet industry explodes.
1970’s & 1980’s	Models gradually become taller, thinner and begin to show toned muscle definition. Breasts make a fashion come-back.
Early 1990’s	Waif-like figure of Kate Moss presents a wasted “heroin chic” look and a pre-teen body.
Late 1990’s	Tall, very thin models with no visible body fat and muscles highly toned by hours of working out. Large breasts remain in style – but are rare in this body type without the help of breast implants.
The average North American woman is 5’4 or 163 cm and 140 lbs. or 64 kg. Models in the 1970’s weighed 8% less than the average woman. By the 1990’s models weighted 23% less.
2000 and beyond	Real bodies come in all shapes and sizes. …Set your own trend!!!

For More Information:

• Graydon, Shari. In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You. 2004. Toronto: Annick Press.
• Maine, Margo. Body Wars: Making Peace with Women’s Bodies. 2000. Carlsbad, CA: Gurze Books

Today’s advertisers go to huge lengths to sell products and to convince women that their bodies are never good enough. Female models are typically tall, thin, young, white and appear “perfect”. More and more, male models are lean, very muscular and equally “perfect” in their appearance.

Reality Check

• Body features in the media are enhanced with props, lighting angles, and computer techniques.
• Shapes and sizes are altered.
• Blemishes, freckles, lines, wrinkles, skin folds and any other unwanted features are edited out.
• Body features from photos of different people are combined to create the "perfect" image.
• "Body doubles" are common in films when body parts of lead actors don’t measure up to the "perfect" image.
• Photo images can be completely computer generated to fit the look of the day.

The physical images presented in the media are flawless in every way. Nobody looks that "perfect" naturally - not even the models themselves. The media message is that if you try hard enough, spend enough, suffer enough, you can have the look you want… that shaping your body will somehow bring you success and happiness.

You Can Do Something!

Most everyone wants to feel fit and look good. For lots of people, new clothes and changing hairstyles are fun ways to express themselves. Magazines, websites, TV, movies, are a big part of our leisure time, and are fun as long as you don’t shape your whole life around what you see.

Be aware of the "flawless" images, the stereotypes based more on looks than on talent, and the put-downs of people who don’t fit the narrow definition of ideal. Be aware of ads that turn people into objects, sexualize young children and depict violence.

You can do something!! Advertisers do respond to public feedback.

Here’s where to let them know what you think:

• Advertising Standards Canada - Tel: 416-961-6311

Look for media that recognize women have more to think about than makeup and hair, recipes and losing weight.

A healthy body image means resisting the pressure to strive for the "ideal" body by finding more meaningful and lasting ways to feel good about yourself.