The Female Body Image

Looking at the celebrity gossip pages this week, i saw a story regarding singer/actress Jessica Simpson. Gossip columnists posted pictures of Simpson saying that she has gotten "fat". Here's a pic of her portraying Daisy Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard movie.





And here's a current photo





Many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum (also known for showing off their body) state that people should leave Jessica alone and stop ridiculing someone for their weight gain.


Here's my question. There is no doubt that a key reason behind Simpson's success (as well as Kardashian and Klum's) happens to be their body image. All of these women use their sexuality to sell items. In essence, part of their "product" or "brand" is their body. Are we as consumers, entitled to speak negatively of someone when that "brand" is not up to the same standard it has been in the past. In other words, because these women make money off their body, can we ridicule them when we think they have "let themselves go." Or, is that a sexist notion. If we commented on the appearance of a woman who was not a sex symbol, would we be considered sexist? The argument goes both ways. Marlon Brando was viewed as a sex symbol but many made fun of his weight gain towards the end of his life. Should anyone be concerned about Simpson's weight?


Also, i've been having trouble associating your post id's to an actual name. Please write your name at the bottom of your posts so i can ensure you get your points.

While i was sick

I told you that i had the flu last week. I was in bed for about two days straight and had a chance to watch a lot of TV. I noticed something (especially since i was nauseous). There are a lot of food advertisements on television. There are a lot for fast food but also a lot for food in general. Being that we have a national obesity problem (with mississippi being one of the fatest states in the nation), do you think that food advertising should be regulated so that there are certain rules about how much food advertising can occur within a program? Or do you think this is an area that government should not be concerned with? If we regulate advertising on unhealthy activities such as drinking and smoking, should we regulate advertising on food? Two paragraphs please.

Freebie Post this week

Sorry for not posting this week. I'm afraid i got the flu over the weekend and am just now getting back to normal. Since it is so late in the week, i won't post anything this week but will give everybody the points for this week.

Social Media

Welcome to the new semester! One of the things that i noticed last semester was how much time i was spending with Facebook. If you don't know about Facebook, then you need to look it up. Google it. Using this social connector, i have been able to re-establish contact with friends from long ago. Over the holidays i had dinner with an old college buddy that i found by using facebook.

So here's my question to you. How has social media like facebook, myspace, youtube, changed your life? Do you use any of these programs? Some people even have their cellphone connected to facebook. I'm amazed at how much information people will share on these sites. People constantly post pictures of themselves in compromising situations. I even know some employers who check candidates' facebook pages to see what kind of person they are in private. Do you think the Internet, with the help of these programs, is helping us reveal too much about ourself. Is modesty fading because of new media? Or does the possibility of re-connecting with old friends and establishing relationships with similar likes and dislikes outweigh the negative implications of this media. Remember, two paragraphs. Again, welcome to class.

Holliday Media

With the holidays approaching, i'd like you to share with the group any media related traditions you have. Does your family all get together to watch something on TV. Is there any particular show you love to watch every Christmas/Thanksgiving? Why is that show/s so important to you. I know i have some favorites dating back to when i was a kid but i wonder if there are any new shows that have come on recently that will one day be a favorite for my children?

Thanks for all your responses this semester.

Video Games and Violence

So last week the topic was sex and tv. This week it's video games and violence. This is my particular research area. In addition to teaching, i conduct experiments at the university looking at what elements in a game contribute to hostile feelings. I will leave my personal feelings and findings out of this post because i don't want to persuade the group. I noticed CNN posted this article last week. So what do you think about violent video games. Are they becoming too prevalent in society? Do they contribute to violence? Can we blame them for school shootings (as the media has done several times, especially at Columbine)? If they are a negative force for children, how do we combat that? Your thoughts please.

TV and SEX

CNN published a piece today on a RAND study linking teen pregnancy to watching sex on television. First, read the piece here. After reading i want you to address a few questions.
1. Do you think the results are correct? Does watching more sex on tv lead to teen pregnancy?
2. What other factors are also leading to teen pregnancy? In the piece one person says that too many things other than parenting are always blamed for teen pregnancy. Do you agree? Could good parenting counter the effects of watching too much sex on TV.
3. Could there be a third variable going on here? Teen pregnancy is on the rise. Sex on TV is on the rise. The number of hours of TV watched is on the rise? What's going on?
4. The term Media Literacy is used. This means teaching children about the lies and manipulations that can be made in the media. (Basically you're taking a class in media literacy right now). Is there a place for this in the classroom? And how can we teach media literacy in the classroom when we are barely getting basic skills like reading and writing taught in the classroom?