Media+Theses

Esma: The shows and commercials that promote the Music Industry on MTV strongly enforce the stereotype that women must be "perfect" in order to be desirable or successful thereby hurting the self esteem of many young women today leading to many lethal bodily and mental illnesses. Raven- The shows and commercials on Animal Planet are geared towards a male audience supporting the idea that men are the only ones who withhold the capability to tame the animals they work with.Katie-Disney, with its new series of comedic shows, diverges from gender equality by featuring primarily female casts and male supporting roles.Its focus on singing and dancing also appeals mainly to the younger female audience. Camille - Although males tend to dominate, USA Network focuses on shows that portray both men and women as heroic characters. They allow for both genders to appear strong and are not afraid to portray even non-traditional characters, such as a lesbian, as a heroic character as well.

Kelli- Because Style Network promotes shows that focus on materialism and external beauty, the targeted female audience receives an artificial, superficial view of the “ideal” woman. Jamie- E Entertainment targets young women who are beginning new families because of the specific choice of commercial advertisements (such as baby products, weight loss programs, and clothing lines). Gendered moments within certain episodes exhibit outcomes of happiness for the characters in the show which entices viewers to act in similar ways in order to gain their own happiness in life.

Tara - On the VH 1 channel, commercials dealing with food convey the message that women shouldn’t eat as much as men and should eat healthier than men, which makes women think that they have to watch their weight and maintain the “perfect” figure in order to be accepted in society.

Reo- Commercials on the Food Network draw a line between the food that men and women eat. Commercials with women in it always advertise healthy prodocuts that promote weight loss. But the vast majority of commercials with men have unhealthy foods such as burgers and hot dogs. In short, they point out that men love food and are carefree about their weight, while women worry about thier diet and focus on weight loss.

Nikki- On //Lifetime,// mothers are assumed to want what is best for themselves and others causing them to represent the appearance and personality of an entire family.

Alexis- Fox portrays the image that women are thought of as a piece of meat or a "thing" just lying around waiting to be played with, targeting the male audience and the annoyance of the female audience.

Val- Women in the three main television show types: soap operas, crime, and reality, on ABC are portrayed differently: from sex symbols to gun toting cops.

Steph - Although the Disney Channel at first glance would seem to promote gender equality through its variety in comedy shows and movies, it is ultimately unsuccessful and tends to appeal and favor the female audience. Kendra – Through Spike's focus on solely male interactions, behaviors, and characteristics, the message of how crude and simple men actually are when women influences are minimized to the least is delivered across to the audience. Dani - Comedy Central pokes fun at the world's view of the sterotypical personalities and desires of men and women of the modern world. Men are viewed as irresponsible risktakers who aim to have power, while women are the voice of reason aiming to have order and peace.