Media have a substantial impact on modern people; in particular, they create specific perceptions about genders. Often in ads, movies, and social networks, gender is portrayed vividly and exaggeratedly. These details are fixed in the minds of people, and as a result, any deviations from these “norms” are considered incorrect and are condemned by a significant part of society. However, undoubtedly, this process is fatal because it forces people to abandon their individual characteristics and follow the majority opinion.
For example, this is manifested in the development of the beauty industry, which is constantly changing but continues to flourish. Women all over the world spend money and time to match the ideal ideas of society. They use makeup, make hairstyles, wear high heels, and even if it causes them inconvenience, they continue to do so. Thus, they sacrifice their identities to meet beauty standards.
There are many examples of advertisements in which gender is stereotyped. One of them is the advertisement of Old Spice, whose protagonist is overly masculine (Old Spice, 2010). Undoubtedly, the public likes these videos because they are quite fun and dynamic. However, in this case, the problem is that because of such advertisements, men tend to achieve the shown kind of appearance and way of thinking.
Currently, the list of gender characteristics is changing with society. Many women like to wear pants and baggy clothes and cut their hair short. Men, on the contrary, calmly wear bright-colored clothes and make unusual hairstyles. Therefore, despite the abundance of stereotypes, people struggle with them and pay more attention to who they want to be. This is beneficial because it makes people feel more confident and comfortable.
In general, I cannot say that I possess any particular traits that usually belong to the “list” of the other sex. However, sometimes, depending on my mood, I want to dress unusually, which can be considered a manifestation of these features. In such situations, fortunately, I do not feel constrained by social stereotypes. My environment is calm about people’s appearance, so everyone always feels comfortable and safe.
Some of my friends, however, pay great attention to specifically challenging this list. One of them, for example, is actively advocating for women’s rights. She cuts her hair short, does not use makeup and dresses unusually, because she likes this style. In addition, she writes about gender issues in social networks, drawing public attention to them. Although not everyone is ready to accept her as she is, she can be herself without being ashamed of it.
Similar examples can often be found in the media. For example, the Always ad campaign Like a Girl is interesting in this regard. It depicts women and girls not as weak and charming creatures. Many of them have great internal strength and can independently go through life and solve their problems (Always, 2014). Understanding this is important for society, which makes this ad quite popular.
In my opinion, gender is indeed socially constructed in many ways. This is manifested even in infancy, when parents use specific colors in the interior and clothes of the child, depending on gender. Even later, people’s attitudes differ according to gender: at school, at university, and also at work. Despite this, people have the right to be free and to feel comfortable in any condition and with any appearance.
References
Old Spice. (2010). Old Spice: The man your man could smell like [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Always. (2014). Always #LikeAGirl [Video]. YouTube. Web.