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Essay / Perfect Body Image Essay - 1089
For the ad to specifically mention girls instead of women just makes it seem like women aren't mature enough. Over the years, women have gained more privileges than men, but at the same time they are still considered minorities. Calling them girls instead of women is like saying they are not capable of making their own decisions. Today's society and social media make it very difficult for women to achieve the ideal image of a woman. It's hard for women to be told they're not mature enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or skinny enough because it's just too painful and humiliating to hear. Advertisements expose an unattainable body image for women and, at the same time, they make it more difficult for women to be considered beautiful in the eyes of men. It's bad enough that they're having a hard time because of their insecurities, but seeing them in an ad makes them feel worse about themselves, not better. The article “Sex, Lies, and Advertising” by Gloria Steinem states: “After all, advertising was (and is) as powerful a source of information in this country as the news, television, or movies. This is where we get not only much of our information, but also the images that shape our dreams” (202). What if ads hurt women instead of encouraging them to follow their dreams? If