A look at how the media manipulates everything you see

By Shari Levine

The Media is talking to YOU. You are the target of television, radio, magazines, MTV, movies, and much more. The media aims to please you, inform you and hypnotize you.

Think about it -- what are the first two letters in the word media? ME. Me and you and all of the other consumers of the media are bombarded with messages about how to act, what to look like and who to be. A girls behavior is molded by many different people in her life including parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, friends, and religious leaders. And always in the background, the media is continually inserting its messages in a subtle but skillful way.  Teenage girls watch over twenty hours of television and internet shows a week - plus watch hours of music videos, read fashion magazines and play video games.  You see hundreds of advertisements each week. 

A girl's behavior is molded

Did you ever think about cartoon characters being girls or boys? Who are the main Sesame Street Characters? Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Ernie and Bert. They are all boys! Barney, Bugs Bunny, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Winnie the Pooh -- BOYS! And, what usually happens in animated movies? The beautiful and sweet girl character is in some sort of trouble, and eventually gets rescued by the strong and brave boy character. Think Alladin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast.  (We are happy for Dora and Mulan - who else are we missing?)

What is the value message here? In the most simple terms, girls look beautiful, but are not very bright. They get themselves into trouble and cannot get out of it by themselves. Boys are smart and brave and need to rescue girls from trouble.

Hey girls, do you want to sit back and let the media tell you how to dress, how to act, and how to think? NO!!!!

To avoid becoming manipulated by these sly messages, girls need to learn to be smart consumers of the media. Media literacy teaches us to read, analyze, and become more critical of the media messages we are exposed to every day. Read the Girl's Guide to Media Literacy and take control over how you view the media.

A GIRL'S GUIDE TO MEDIA LITERACY

Principle #1. The media constructs reality.

Everything we see in the mainstream media is created or manipulated in some way. Movies, television shows and compact discs are all created in studios and on sound stages. This is not real, but constructed with a set, lighting, costumes and computer imaging.

Once, when I was on vacation in a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I was walking through the casino when I noticed a lot of people gathering around a glassed in room. To my great surprise and excitement, I had stumbled upon the filming of a movie starring Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) and Edward Norton (Larry Flint) called Rounders.

Read on to find out about the "real" Matt Damon...

In this room, there were no less than 30 people gathered around a poker table. Seated around the table were the actors. They all looked like normal people, not the larger than life images we see on the movie screen. Standing around them were about 10 people holding lights and microphones. The director was seated behind the camera with several other people standing around him (assistant directors, I guessed). There were people standing around in the background carrying makeup, hairspray and other cosmetics. Production assistants were running around making sure that everything was going smoothly. The cinematographer and director of photography were buzzing about the set yelling directions to their worker bees. There were six extras playing cards at a table next to the actors.

After 15 tries, the scene was shot and the director was happy. Matt Damon walked out of the casino right by where I was standing. I got a good look at him, and I must say, he is quite handsome. However, he is not flawless; he had acne and frizzy hair (for some sick reason, this made me feel better.)

My point in telling this story is that to create just one movie scene in a casino took about 30 people's expertise and several hours of work, and lots of money.

Try this exercise:

The next time you see a movie, notice how the actors look. Think about what must go into making each and every one of those actors look so good (like the set, lighting, costumes, make-up and hair, etc.)

So how do they make models and actors look SO good?

Principle #2.The media uses identifiable techniques.

To create the images we see on television, in movies and magazines, media makers use special camera angles, music, and special effects to grab our attention. Learning about these techniques helps us become less susceptible to the media manipulation.

I once heard someone from Seventeen Magazine speak about how the magazine cover is created. It's a lot like the making of a movie. The model arrives on the set. After two or more hours of having her makeup, hair and whatever else "done," she is dressed by the costume designer and is ready to be photographed. On the set, she is put into "position" by the art director and photographer.

There are special lights and camera lenses used to get the right image. The photographer takes between 100-300 shots of the model at different angles.

When these photos are developed, the art director, photographer, and editor view the photos under special lights and select 3-4 of the best ones. Next, the photos are put into a computer, and using highly technical software, the image is manipulated to look exactly like the art director wants it to. This could mean that skin blemishes are airbrushed out, eye color is enhanced, and inches are shaved off of arms and legs if the model is considered too heavy.

Last summer, lots of girls protest about Seventeen altering photos and they promised to stop doing that - we hope so!  That would be awesome.

Try these exercises:

• Read any fashion magazine with a critical eye. Select an advertisement with a model that looks unreal. Imagine what went into the preparation of this image. Try to pick out what looks real about the image and what looks like it was altered or enhanced by a computer.
• Watch your favorite television show, and notice how many times the camera changes from one person to another (this is a film edit), the number of times a laugh track is used or the feeling you get from the music they choose. How do these techniques affect your enjoyment of the show?

Principle #3.The media consists of businesses with commercial interests.

Although we often think of television and radio as free (just plug it in and you have entertainment) this is not really the case. We all pay for TV and radio in a way. Advertisers buy time on specific shows to sell their products. For example, the makers of Barbie Dolls buy time during Saturday morning cartoons, while NIKE will buy time during an evening basketball game. The companies who make these products increase their prices so that they can pay the expensive costs of advertising.

Try these exercises:

• Before you sit down to watch your favorite shows with your family or friends, try to predict the commercials that will be shown. Were you right or wrong? Why?
• Read a magazine and count how many of the different types of advertisements you see. Compare the differences and similarities between ads from fashion, music, exercise, computer, and any other magazines you read.

Principle #4. Media present ideologies and value messages

The media makers construct reality by giving us subtle messages about who and what is important. In the media, girls are often the victims of violence and sexual abuse (watch music videos to see more of this). Boys are often the heroes and powerful, successful professionals. Girls are encouraged to make shopping and looks their most important goals. Notice how even the toys made specifically for little girls focus on looks, fashion, makeup and relationships with boys.

Value messages

Girls learn how to act, dress, look, and speak from many sources. Your first and most important teachers are your parents. When you are very young, your parents are your role models for everything you do, from what toys you play with to what you want to eat.

As you grow up, you become more aware of other people in your life like your sisters and brothers, cousins and friends. Slowly but surely, girls are introduced to many other role models who have a strong influence on us. These include friends, teachers, coaches, religious leaders, television and cartoon characters, musicians and models.

Try this exercise:

Think about the characters in cartoons. Are they girls or boys? What do the girls look like? How do they act?

Most women both love and hate the media. We love to escape into the fantasy world of television and movies, and enjoy pampering ourselves in products sold in magazines. However, we hate to be molded by the media to look and act a certain way. We are all unique individuals with personal style. So, become media literate. Take what you want from the media and discard whatever does not fit for you.