Gendered Media by Mastronardi Maria - Assignment Example

The media shape our understanding of gender and our gender on the other hand shapes our use of media. Men will spend most of their time watching sports and playing video games as well as watching violent actions. What they see will make them think that to be a real man you need to be violent and aggressive like the stars they watch in movies actions. Men should know that that is not true because to be successful you don’t have to be powerful and dominating women.

Women on the other hand spend most of their time building relationships in the media. They visit social sites in pursuit of relationships which times become more involving than face-to-face meetings. Such use of media by women should stop because it will make them think that part of their life is looking for men to depend on. Women should spend most of their time reading about their fields and ways to make money and run a family rather than building relationships in the media.

Media personalities in their programs especially commentators use some rather harsh words against women athletes. Like Don Imus referred to the women's basketball team as “nappy-headed hoe.” Commentators also focus on the physical attractiveness of female athletes like Maria Sharapova. On the other hand, they portray men as skillful and talented. Commentators’ should focus only on the skillful and how talented athletes and should not bring into athletics the sexual nature of the athletes.

Sports like the super sport only bring us an analysis of the depth of the European leagues and women have very little space. We also see only men's rugby on our sports channels and rarely do we see women's rugby. This will affirm our cultural belief that because men participate in more physical games like rugby then they are strong.

The gatekeepers in the media houses also the majority are men and this should be changed to have a 50/50 representation. The gatekeepers are responsible for what we regard as more important. The first news headlines or what is on the cover page of the newspapers are regarded as more important.

What was highlighted in the United Nations' fourth world conference on women was women “bickering” and not their stand on issues.  Women who also don’t participate in demonstrations to fight for women's rights are not the ones being interviewed in our TV rooms and stations.

Some men writers like Schwartz said that women would trade their opportunities and promotions for home keeping. His article was highlighted and hit the headlines. But when he later retracted he was not highlighted and this made people read only the first article and hold those views.

Women should also not be much sexualized especially during advertisements and in movies. Songs like hip-hop should also stop portraying women as strippers. In adverts the sexual nature of women will be highlighted and how their bodies will look beautiful and attract men if they use particular oilmen. Therefore media can always be challenged and changed, the representation with regard to the gatekeepers should also be changed, and to me, all these changes are long overdue.