MEdia-Makeover

Self worth linked to Boob size & Dress size...

2010-07-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

How many young girls today have learned they are valued in society for their bra size and dress size? When you get down to it - girls are learning their value is based on their 'sexiness factor' above all else.

According to Dr. Karyn Gordon, for every 1 negative message a girl sees/hears it requires 7 positive messages to override the negative one. That is a lot of positives required, especially since the average girl sees approx 400 images of what is considered beautiful and desirable in the media A DAY - WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO to correct the messages.

How many times does a girl receive negative input about her body and appearance at school from her peers?
How many times does a daughter hear her mother complain about her own body?
How many times does a father comment on a woman's body in front of his daughter? What message is that sending to her?

What are you doing to counter act this to help her self-esteem, sense of self worth and true value?

www.covergirlculture.com My documentary on this topic and solutions is now available on DVD.

Beware the Band-Aid trick

2010-01-28T23:20:00.000-08:00

I bought some joke band-aids that look like a strip of bacon and my husband uses them. The joke is on me because they look gross and he wears them to make my skin crawl.

Band-aids = to cover boo-boos. Advertisers, fashion designers, image makers all use 'band-aids' in subtle ways so most consumers think they are being sweet, but really it's a temporary move to appease us - and somehow we believe they've had a change of heart.

I call it the BAND-AID trick. ie) fashion mags put out their REAL BODIES issue once a year . Somehow they have tricked us into believing ONE issue with a handful of 'normal' sized young women counteracts 11 issues filled with ultra thin, ultra airbrushed models. Now that you know - write a letter or stop buying the mags - be part of the solution! It's easy to do...liberating!

Another similar tactic used is called the BAND WAGON - grab onto the latest hot fad and spin your celebrity, product, story, cause to include the fad and ride the wave until the next one comes. Even if the next fad is completely the opposite and contradicts the first. If being green is hot - go with it. Showing real bodies - go with it ie) celebs managers will have to spin a new image for them if they wind up in the clink, caught with drugs, missing their panties, video taping carnal acts and releasing it to the public... The managers either have their 'client' lay low for awhile and then release news stories about how they're now supporting the GREEN Movement -- (while driving an H2) or check them into a hospital for exhaustion or addiction to red bull or some nonsense.

Why does the fashion world insist that the Holocaust is sexy?

2010-01-28T22:39:00.001-08:00

Is the Holocaust sexy?

Fashion designers and editors seem to think so! Time and again they promote ashen gray bodies, sullen sunken in faces, withered muscles...these are supposed to portray health to our girls and women???

The vibe I got while interviewing editors in NYC for my documentary was that the whole 'real women/ real bodies' campaign from Dove and other groups was a passing fad....an annoying one, like a pesky mosquito in the still of the night.

Nothing will change unless WE speak up. How can one person make a difference you ask?

With every dollar you spend. It's an investment in the way women and girls are portrayed. Each time you buy a fashion magazine that promotes skinny models you are supporting the editors - you are basically saying "Here is my money, good job! I love how you prey on the self-esteem of young girls in our society." Instead of buying a fashion magazine you can save the $5 or $8 and feed a starving child in a third world country. Send the fashion industry a message - by not receiving their message. Ignore them - give them the silent treatment.

OR write them letters - email, snail mail, faxes, tweet, FB, text them - however you can let them know they need to evolve and get off their strict diet of anorexic models.

here is the article about the above photo:

Another irksome issue is that these models are based in the US. So they have agents who are WELL AWARE of the problems with anorexia and pressures to be ultra thin. Sadly, most agents are concerned with one thing - booking the girl on a job. So we can't look to them for help.

Clearly agents/designers DON'T care about their health or the message they are giving girls/women. - thank you Lisa Tan for the article heads up!

There are a few agencies who hire only 'healthy' weight girls and they start from a US size 8 and go up from there.

Let the bloggin begin!

2010-01-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome to MEdia-Makeover.

The place to visit for my musings on misbehaved media.

To kick things off I have to start with something positive. England.
What's positive about England?
They are DOING something about the media mayhem that has terrorized young girls and women for decades.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/models-look-like-real-women-shock-1877360.html

It seems the Brits are ahead of the curve....let's hope it catches like wildfire. (thank you Lisa Tan for the tip on this news story)

TO NAME A THING.
I really had a challenge choosing a BLOG name. So many good ones were already taken and floating unattended since 2002. My good friend Julie suggested Mangled Media - which was very tempting. Then she suggested Make Herstory! I snapped it up just moments ago.

HOW DID I GET STARTED ON THIS PATH?
I've been interested in media literacy or bringing to light certain media groups manipulative ways since taking a class in 10th grade. Maybe even before this, but I know for certain the concept took root during high school.

In tenth grade, I had a terrific teacher who taught a class called "Man in Society" (why it excludes Woman in Society is beyond me) and in his class he opened our eyes to the media's manipulation through advertisements. We did research and essays on the subject. I WAS FASCINATED. Later, in grade twelve I wrote a speech on false advertising - FORD was the company I chose since my father had years of complaints with their product, supplying me with plenty to investigate. During university I joined the ranks of jet set models with Elite and I was exposed to false advertising and took part in it! This is one of the reasons I walked away from a $2000 a day pay check. My conscience wouldn't allow me to continue it as a career.

Thus began my career as a writer and documentary film maker. My first doco is entitled 'Cover Girl Culture' and was made with great trepidation because I knew very well the level of 'sinister' that operated within the system and thought it would be pointless to pursue. But an unseen force guided the way, doors opened when others thought it impossible and I was teamed up with exactly who was required to make the film happen. Now the hurdle is getting the word out about the film and have the media help do it! ha ha