Media inadequacy
What kind of world do we live in when material things, blown out of proportion by the media, determine ones' social status in an uncaring society? The kind of world that's sometimes hard for many young people to find acceptable. Today's "ideal image" for teenagers is unnecessary and almost impossible to follow. You have to look a certain way, wear a certain brand of clothes and have your hair in style. Television, fashion shows, and teen magazines are only some examples of the media circus which seem to idealize the thin and beautiful. Hardly ever do you see a picture of an overweight or chunky model in any magazine. Why is this? What happened to "all sizes are beautiful?" Why is it that being chunky or overweight makes you less appealing to look at and be with? Why does the majority of the media choose to worship the thin and beautiful rather than look at someone's personality and everything else inside. It goes to show that being gullible is a major weakness among today's audience. I myself, being a teenager, see and feel this pressure to be the "ideal image." I try not to pay attention, but it's difficult not to get sucked in. I have seen what the obsession to be thin can do to an extremely normal and intelligent person. Refusing to eat, strenuous exercise, and too many diet pills is not healthy. I'm not saying that everyone who reads magazines or watches TV goes overboard to lose weight but some are deeply affected. Eating disorders are abundant among teenagers, and society sometimes confuses us by telling us that unless we submit, we'll never be good enough. Einstein wasn't a knockout. People should open their eyes and realize that lacking in looks could mean excelling in other important things. Not everyone looks like an anorexic Barbie doll! That is why I applaud such shows as Roseanne, Drew Carey and Rosie O'Donnell. Here are three very funny human beings with wonderful, popular shows. None of them are perfect specimens of the Baywatch look, yet they are making a good living from being on TV. This gives hope to those who would love the opportunity to be in show business yet aren't "physically acceptable." Personally, I feel this whole obsession with this image is a sickness. The best "remedy" is to have self-confidence and truly believe in and look the term "inner beauty."
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