Sunday, October 21, 2012

The Thin-Ideal

I really enjoyed our class discussion this past week on gender in the media, and specifically this idea of a "thin-ideal". Throughout the class period I kept thinking about this show I got started watching over the summer, Drop Dead Diva. It is all about Deb, an aspiring model that dies in a car accident and then has the chance to come back to earth, but ends up in the body of an over-weight, intelligent lawyer, Jane. I used to be a little embarrassed for watching such a girly show that on the surface seems very superficial. However, the more I watched it the more I was able to recognize the deeper messages and I was able to see the main character develop as she finds her inner-beauty and realizes that it is okay to have a different body type. This show goes against the norm in the media that beauty is defined by your weight. After our discussion and watching Miss Representation it makes sense to me why Lifetime, a network specifically for women, would air a show like this. They are trying to promote ideals that are not popular in the media. The idea that you do not have to be thin to be beautiful. It is the kind of person you are, the things you stand for, and the people you help that make you beautiful.

3 comments:

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  2. (Sorry, the last one was having problems!) I love that there is a show like this. Often times different messages (liked we talked about in class) are sometimes not as interesting, and fewer viewers watch. This sounds like a entertaining and uplifting show!

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  3. Sounds like a great show! I used to watch Ugly Betty, which has a similar message. Can't get enough of role models like this!

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