Week 2 : A Stereotypical Image That Has Caused Harm

Week 2 Journal Entry

Stereotypical Image That Has Caused Harm

 “While advertising is only one of many factors that contribute to unequal gender outcomes, tougher advertising standards can play an important role in tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for individuals, the economy and society as a whole." -Chief Executive of the ASA, Guy Parker

For decades, media has contorted to a certain way of depicting men and women in the 21^st century. Although media might not be the biggest contributor to gender stereotypes, they play a big role on controlling what we think is right or wrong.

According to the Depictions, Predictions and Harms report from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), gender stereotyping has been known to cause harm for its audience. Although new standards have been implemented to prevent this, not all forms of gender stereotyping are banned. But certain examples like; an advert depicting men are the ones that sit around at home while the wife slaves away in the kitchen, tend to be questionable. There are many unfair portrayals of outdated views on gender roles that bring about bad outcomes for many people.

 “I knew I was different. I thought that I might be gay or something because I couldn't identify with any of the guys at all. None of them liked art or music. They just wanted to fight and get laid. It was many years ago but it gave me this real hatred for the average American macho male.” 

― Kurt Cobain

I have come to understand that this tends to be the problem with young males. Growing up, they are expected to do ‘manly’ things like play soccer, or rough house with their friends. Boys who were not interested in such things however were considered ‘un-manly’. If they liked art or music, they would automatically be shunned by the others for being interested in ‘girly’ things, just because stereotypes have deemed docile or active activities by gender. I find a lot of cases involved with bullying has that one kid who didn’t quite fit in just because he did not enjoy being as ‘tough’ as the bully’s, who’s environment taught them that this is what being a man is. Boys were also taught to suppress more emotion than girls because this is the ‘strong’ thing to do. And a majority of boys weren’t encouraged to cry or express their emotions either. Media often shows this too and the saying “Big boys don’t cry,” must be familiar to a lot of men. This is extremely unhealthy for them and could lead to physiological problems as they age into adulthood. Being unable to express their emotions would cause them to have outbursts or violent outrages that usually lead to disaster.

“When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at all times, drawn by society and often religion and family and particularly other women, who somehow feel invested in how you behave, as if your actions reflect directly on all womanhood.” 

― M.E. Thomas, Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight

As for stereotypes being a woman, none could understand better than one whose feet fit the shoes. As a girl growing up in a Malaysian urban environment, there are certain behaviours expected from you that became your responsibility to perform. Women are demanded to keep up certain behaviours inside and outside the house. Whilst it is OK for the boys in the house to laze, we are expected to keep the house in good condition, cook and clean. My father defends this opinion with the fact that men in the house work and get money (although, a lot could be said to argue this opinion). He also thinks it’s extremely important that a woman maintains their appearance and be pretty and ladylike despite their discomfort. My father often told me to lose weight as well, because a woman with a heavier body is ‘disliked’. Woman must be skinny and pretty 24-hours of the day. This might be because of media and how they depict women as skinny and white-skinned. When it comes to total strangers at my school shunning me because of how I behaved however, it was extremely insulting. Not only did they not know us personally, but their behaviour towards girls was unfair and unjust. For example, just because I did not speak Malay as fluently as they do or behaved like they do, I was out casted by my primary school classmates. There were other issues as well that arises with gender stereotypes. If a girl were to be more outspoken and active than others, they are called ‘gedik’, which is a Malay term that stands for slutty/cute. It is an extremely harsh judgement to the female population that practically forces us to keep our mouths shut, else we’d be known as a slut.

“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” 

― Charlotte Whitton

There is definitely an influence between media and its consumers. And how a person behaves is widely influenced by what they see around them. If a person is not exposed to proper standards and behaviours within a community, they are forever trapped in their own small world. Without understanding of human morals and ethics between genders, peace would not be achieved.