Gender Stereotypes In The Media

Introduction:
The media is constantly present within our lives. Whether it be watching TV, on our phones or even out with friends, media has grown to become a significant part of our daily routines. Although, as technological advancements have made extravagant expansions throughout history, so has the amount of platforms in which media can be exposed to us. This growth of exposure has contributed to the media gaining immense power over society, skewing perceptions and establishing expectations. In particular, perceptions and expectations relating to women have been distorted profoundly; not only influencing and narrowing the mindsets of men, but women additionally. These skewed perceptions are especially in relation to the over sexualisation …show more content…
Women who are in highly successful or professional roles are not taken seriously, whereas men in the same roles are. This is due to the infamous and inaccurate importance that the media takes upon valuing a woman’s appearance or feminine nature over her achievement and ability. Women in roles of authority are often perceived as ‘too emotional’, therefore they are considered unsuitable and too unpredictable to be in charge of an important area. Hilary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Candidate, was subject to extreme misrepresentation from the media in her campaign, the media placing more importance on her appearance and emotions, rather than her capabilities as a potential President. The Daily Wire, an American news website, published an article titled “Hilary Breaks out the Ugliest Outfit in Human History” (Figure 5), shaming her on an outfit she wore to a fundraising event. This article astonishingly had no mention of her political campaign or her Presidential capabilities, as “a woman’s beauty is deemed more important than intelligence and other achievements” . This lack of acknowledgement is tragically a common occurrence amongst women in professional roles, as they “tend to be underestimated and devalued even when they work just as hard as males to gain similar recognition for the same work.” . Not only did the media constantly prioritise Hilary’s outfit choices over her content, they devalued her professional capabilities due to her femininity. Women in professional roles are succumb to hypocritical backlash, as even though they may be called “"ruthless" and "too politically ambitious"” they may also be called too emotional. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, discussed the evident sexism within the media after Clinton’s daughter Chelsea, announced her pregnancy to the public. This caused a social concern about Clinton, as the media questioned whether “it could affect her

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