Women as a stereotype in Media

Women have been appearing on media since media was born but their portrayed image and role was entirely different from what it is today. If we look back in the 1940s and 1950s women were working as actresses in Hollywood movies and TV. Later in the 60s and 70s TV advertisement became massively popular and thanks to women who made masses buy products that one would have not bought in their lifetimes if it was not for those glamorous ads. Media has always worked on highlighting the role of women in society and they have been given the chance to prove themselves in their participation in politics, work and other aspects within their community.
Feminists have always recognized the power of the media to control women's lives. So the question is how are women represented on media? Simple answer is that men are attracted to women and the way women are presented on media is directly proportional to the success of that program or you can say it increases viewership of a particular program. Fashion industry is one that played a vital role in promoting women. Today’s fashion programs make clever display of feminism that both men and women are attracted to. Models look extremely beautiful by wearing all that makeup, clothes and funky hairstyles but in real life it’s not often the case.
Typically women appeared in stereotypic roles like dumb blonde, sex object or a whimpering victim. When women were presented in a positive light it was always in the role of mother and homemaker. So these days we often see directors and producers paying heaps of cash to actresses and urging them to show some skin. Reason… so that the movie receives a higher viewership and they can that extra buck.
Apart from above women roles are changing over the time, in 1960s a woman was usually a housewife in movies or TV but now the majorities of adult female characters in new programs have jobs outside the home, usually in professional or high-powered positions. In reality, most women are concentrated in low-paying clerical and service jobs. Also every other news caster is a woman; let it sports, business or gadgets; because these topics are of interest to men and so are women! So women are often used as a magnet to attract male audience. Although a new image of woman is being projected by the media, we must consistently check that image against the realities of the majority of women's lives.