By studying these shows the researcher found that the participants on these shows valued flat stomachs, big(ger) breasts, tight buns, and full hips. One cast member on The Swan valued having bigger breasts. Her husband later stated that she would talk to him about her breast size more then tell him she loved him! By emphasizing body image in these shows the researcher claims that it reinforces and refines the norms of body image. So what does this mean for relationships? Well, according to the research by catering to the "idea" body image men will find women more desirable. The research found this to be half true. First off, most men on these shows stood neutral to their partners decisions. They stated that they thought their partners were beautiful inside and out. However, when the surgery was complete their attitudes changed and they were happy and excited about the transformation. So what does this all mean for us? According to the research these shows pose a problem for women and relationships. It reinforces a body image that is only attainable through elective surgery, giving women and men a skewed idea of beauty. In turn this can lead women to not feel beautiful in their current relationships and leave men wanting a fantasy that is next to impossible to attain.
So how does television effect children? Researchers wanted to find out how adolescents view relationships after watching television that is aimed at their demographic (dramatic youth drama).
They had over 400 girls ages 14-16 fill our self reports with questions pertaining to body image, boy's attractiveness expectations, and relationship expectations after watching youth dramas. The researchers found that there was a direct relationship between watching youth drama and body satisfaction. Girls that watched these shows reported a lower level of body satisfaction stating that their bodies did not match that of the girls on the show. Another relationship that was found was that when girls watched teen dramas they had a high impact on concerns that boys will judge their attractiveness. Just like with reality shows on plastic surgery we can see how women of all ages perceive that men want a woman that embodies the "idea" body image. References:
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Eggermont, S., Beullens, K., & van den Bulck, J. (2005).
Television viewing and adolescent females’ body dissatisfaction: The mediating
role of opposite sex expectations. Communications: The European Journal Of
Communication Research, 30, 343-357.
Lee, S. (2009). The power of beauty in reality plastic
surgery shows: Romance, career, and happiness. Communication, Culture &
Critique, 2, 503-519.
Interesting blog post. Unlike you, I’m not a fan of reality TV and I’m often wondering what the appeal of these shows could be, although I watch a lot of other TV I’m sure others could consider unappealing too so I guess it’s partly just taste in TV programming. It would be interesting to see if there are certain people who are more interested in these types of shows. For example, are overweight people more likely to be interested in The Biggest Loser? This could continue to shed light on the topic of body image as it’s portrayed in reality TV.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it’s interesting to look at the bigger picture, as you do with the research on teen girls. Reality TV and fictional TV programing probably play a role for adults too and I would guess there are other factors as well. For example, how does the idealization of celebrities with “perfect” bodies play a role? Does watching programming such as Entertainment Tonight where female celebrities are ridiculed if they seem to gain weight and praised for looking beautiful play a role in how women think they should look and how men think women should look? I would guess so.
Tabbi,
DeleteI agree with you about your comment on how celebrities are portrayed and how that might have an effect on our own body image and there are loads of articles that also cover this topic. It would be interesting to do a research project based on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight or Fashion Police and see how adults and adolescents alike might perceive body image after celebrities bodies or either praised or criticized be beauty "experts."
I also agree with you and how it would be interesting to see if overweight people liked shows like The Biggest Loser, or if dance moms liked the show Dance Moms. The popularity of reality TV is something that has interested me for a while. I always am fascinated be the "reality" that is created from these shows. What I mean by that is when shows such as The Jersey Shore come out then society stereotypes that area as full of "guidos and Snookies." Or when shows like The Biggest Loser come out I feel that many overweight people are under the impression that they too can make a huge transformation. Not that they can't but what isn't shown is the 24/7 work that goes into this transformation, there is no time for actual "real life" while participants are on this show. What really interested me was the "hyperreality" that is portrayed on reality TV and how that can misinform or misrepresent our ideas about interpersonal relationships, and romantic relationships.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I laughed out loud a little bit at the beginning of your blog. It is completely true that you either love reality T.V. or you hate it. While I haven’t watched these types of television shows in some time, I remember watching Real World on MTV for hours in high school. Reading your blog made me think about why I might have been so interested in the Real World and what consequences could have been involved. You mentioned women yearned for an “ideal” body style and certain reality t.v. shows played to that desire. As a high school guy, I think there was probably an element of the Real World that I found desirable as well. The utter freedom the show represented as life outside of parental, job, or school constraints seemed wonderful at the time. It’s interesting.
One question that I had as I read your blog was about other types of television shows and their effects on “ideal” body image. You discuss a broad range of women throughout your blog, but what about the range in types of television show. Would you assume soap operas, dramas, or even sporting events could have similar effects on the notion of an ideal body image and attractiveness? I am sure there is research on this, but I am curious about your initial thoughts.
Jared,
DeleteI used to watch The Real World all the time when I was younger and I have to say even naming a show "The Real World" makes you have an impression that what is portrayed on that show is indeed what life is like. Especially when you are a younger person watching "reality." What I find interesting about the media is that it is a realm of discourse that produces this fallacy for it's viewers, and for me, I think it has become a norm and a taken for granted thing in our society. If you look at Sports Illustrated, they have an entire issue devoted not to sports, but women in bathing suits. Why? If you look at car magazines they have highly sexualized women "modeling" the cars. This not only has effects on women and body image, but also on what men expect and what women think men expect. This is where I relationships come in. This is seen in almost every aspect in the media, news anchors are attractive, children wear make-up, boys play into certain gender roles such as "tough." And when you see people speaking out about this such as celebrities having eating disorders due to the "pressure" of being thin, they are still conforming to this norm that the media has created.
Hey there. I so wanted a conclusion to your blog. So, reality TV changes the way women (and possibly) men view their bodies, and youth drama affects girls body satisfaction. Now, as the author of this blog, I want you to step in and give us an "and therefore..." conclusion!
ReplyDeleteDr. Reeder,
DeleteGood point. I was having trouble doing that because I felt that the articles spoke for themselves and sometimes when the material seems not as deep it is hard for me to write blogs on it and easier for me to write more academic summaries. I will make my next blog better! Thank you for the feedback.
Nice Job Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think these shows are feeding people with the wrong ideas. We understand that it is just "a show" but I think that at some level people change their values to be in tune to the values portrayed in these shows without even knowing it!
To make things worse, women usually get the short end of the stick from all of the negative values that are being transmitted via all this media 'entertainment'. Like you said, it puts women under undue pressure to meet certain expectations that are created by this media.
Personally I think that if you like a person, their appearance should not be a factor in how much you like them.