Representation of Obesity in the Media - Research Paper Example

 Representation of Obesity in the Media It is difficult to overestimate the influence of the mass media in our everyday lives. This is a powerful social force which is capable of defining and reinforcing individual perceptions of many social issues, including obesity (Aoife De Brún et al, 2012). In other words, media reports may determine the way people understand a certain issue. The problem of obesity is paid quite a great deal of attention in the media, especially over the last decade. Talking about obesity, it is possible to mention quite a big number of discourses currently circulating in the media. Within the paper, attention is focused on three of them. First of all, overweight and obesity are positioned as results of self-neglect. Secondly, the war against obesity should be declared. Thirdly, the media should serve educational purposes. It is necessary to say that the media focuses especially much attention on the issue of obesity in those countries where it is an acute social problem, too. First of all, this is a matter of discussion in the media of the US. According to statistics of 2014, approximately two-thirds of adults in the US are overweight or obese, which makes obesity rates of this country among the highest in the world. The situation in Australia and New Zealand is quite similar. It is often compared to health crisis in the US. As a result, obesity became one of the most frequent health issues discussed in the media, at least in these countries. Even despite so high obesity rates in the US, people in this country are extremely prejudiced against those who are overweight or obese. This is obviously that the media is due in no small part to this fact. Very often, the image of people who are obese is quite negative in the media. Popular television shows, for instance, portray them either as comedic, lonely characters, or freaks (Whyte, 2010). The Drew Carey Show, a popular American sitcom, may illustrate this. Its main character, Drew Carey, often expresses disappointment about his own weight. One of his co-workers, Mimi, is portrayed as a large unattractive woman. Obese people are also shown as awkward, slovenly, obnoxious, and even stupid. In media, it is hardly ever possible to come across a successful lawyer, doctor, or businessman who is overweight or obese. At the same time, however, the situation is drastically different in real life. In fact, people whose weight is normal are at minority today. There are many successful people among those who are overweight and obese, though it is not shown in popular entertainment (Whyte, 2010). It is impossible not to mention The Biggest Looser, a truly successful reality television show in the US and Australia. Perhaps, one of the reasons why this show is so popular is the fact that it gives some of its viewers an opportunity to assert themselves. It is always easier to cope with personal problems when there are examples of people whose problems are even worse. The show participants try to lose the most weight and therefore, become the Biggest Loser. At the same time, the main idea of the show is based on an assumption that weight problems are caused by personal failure, rather than by external circumstances such as environment, genetics, and so on. In fact, this may be called one of the dominant obesity discourses. ‘Within obesity discourse, both overweight and obesity are represented as a failure to care for one’s self while the sin body is given recognition as reflecting control, virtue and goodness’, writes (Wright & Harwood, 2009). One may be curious why so many people in Western societies are overweight or obese. Ordinary people hardly ever start reading serious academic articles in order to find out the true causes. As a rule, they prefer to rely on evidences the media provides. Therefore, the media is the tool which shapes an individual’s opinion. Within the discourse mentioned above, overweight and obesity result from self-neglect, while external factors are hardly ever taken into consideration. As a result, overweight and obese people are treated as if they lack self-discipline and volition. Everybody knows the British film Bridget Jones's Diary. Bridget, its main character, is not actually overweight. In modern society, her weight may be safely called average. At the same time, she looks quite funny, clumsy and indeed overweight when compared with some of the well-shaped people around her. Bridget is often blamed for being unable to take control over herself. She tends to overindulge on food, smoking, and alcohol, which helps her cope with relationship difficulties. In psychology, this is one of mechanisms which help people manage emotional distress. Still, film audience insist that she must not give up healthy diet and gym, no matter what is happening in her private life. Nevertheless, Bridget may be referred to as an example of a positive representation of overweight in the media. This is a lovely girl with brilliant sense of humour, and this does not matter how much she weighs. This is also worthy to mention one more media discourse surrounding obesity, which describes this condition as an epidemic that should necessarily be fought. Its advocates tend to use war metaphors. It is easy to come across the phrase ‘war against obesity’ and its variations. At the same time, to declare the war on obesity sometimes means to declare the war on our loved ones (Herndon, 2005). This is a kind of a paradox because, as Dr. April M. Herndon writes, ‘advocates of the war against obesity imagine themselves engaged in a battle for our nation’s health’ (2005). It is appropriate to mention healthism, often referred to as the medicalization of everyday life. This may be called the most radical direction of this discourse. In healthism, health is elevated to an ultimate value. This is a part of the ethical self. In short, to be obese means to be immoral and bad. Dr. Herndon comments on attitudes which result from such an approach: ‘attention moves from behaviour to the physical body, with fatness becoming a medically sanctioned ‘badge of stigma’’ (2005). Very often, the idea that overweight and obesity result from lack of self-care is the subject of discussion of health TV programs which claim their content to be scientifically relevant. In fact, the media serves as a filter between scientific facts and the public’s engagement with science. It should not be forgotten that one of the purposes of the media is to provide entertainment to viewers. It is even possible to hear such terms as ‘edutainment’ or ‘medutainment’. This may be regarded one more discourse which is currently circulating in the media. In other words, the media is supposed to promote health, provide health education, and discourage prejudice. Still, not all the information provided by the media should be accepted as trustworthy. It is also necessary to remember that the perception of fat may significantly alter as long as the beauty standards change. Some other media discourses may be mentioned, too. In the media, overweight and obesity are traditionally shown as female problem. At the moment, however, discourses on male and childhood obesity are becoming more and more topical. It is important not to forget, however, that relationship between obesity and health are much more complex than the discourses represented in the media. Therefore, its message ‘eat right and exercise’ is not always applicable. Representation of Disability in the Media The influence of the media over society is difficult to overestimate, though it may be both positive and negative. The issue is especially problematic as far as representation of disability is concerned. Very often, moviemakers do their best so that their film does not look like a cliché. Within such films, the image of a disabled person is often positive. Nevertheless, such films still contribute to generating common stereotypes about disability. Thus, the media may be called a source of stereotypes against disabled people, even though there are many attempts to fight this tendency. A person with disabilities is often viewed through the prism of their impairment. The disabled community has many times called for recognition of disabled people as equals to people without disabilities. Still, the media seems to be quite slow in demonstrating appropriate reaction. It is quite often possible to come across a film in which disabled characters have no opportunity to be a part of a society, lead a normal life, and communicate with other characters. Physical and mental disability of these people is often shown as the main reason of this situation. Such films create an impression that disability itself always presupposes inability to interact in a normal daily life. The tendency to marginalize disabled people is truly overwhelming (Campbell, 2009). At the same time, there are many real-life examples which show that a disabled person may be accepted as a part of society unless other people's attitude is unbiased. This may be observed among children playing together, even though some of them may suffer from a disability or long-term health problem. It is necessary to mention Glee, an American musical comedy-drama television series. Artie, one of its major characters, is a wheelchair user who does not allow his disability get in the way of his dreams and ambitions. He is quite a successful student and what is more, he decides to join the football team. The most problematic thing about Artie's plotline is his dream to dance. At a certain moment he gets up out of his wheelchair and manages to perform, despite his disability. This particular episode seems to be the most ambiguous. On the one hand, the scene where he is dancing is a kind of a happy end – Artie's dream is finally fulfilled. On the other hand, this promotes the idea that people with disabilities may be happy only in case they are 'normalised'. Everything viewers feel at this moment is pity. This should not remain without attention, especially if to take into consideration the following words: 'These media images affect society as a whole, but they also have implications for the self-concept of people with disabilities themselves' (Beth, 2010). Unfortunately, there are quite many films which demonstrate really offensive and disrespectful attitude towards people with disabilities. Although such films are not supposed to be taken seriously, they may be called one of the main sources of stereotypes against disabled people which were generated by the media. Dumb and Dumber, a 1994 American comedy film, may show this. Lack of intelligence of two protagonists may be observed in their attitude towards minor characters with disabilities. Within the film, viewers are encouraged to laugh at a disabled character. Quite a lot of people were shocked when they saw this movie. What is remarkable about this film is its commercial success. It was appreciated by viewers around the whole world, even despite rather bad reviews from critics. A lot of similar films may be mentioned. One thing may be said about all of them – they exploit and demean those people who are already stigmatized and make them the object of jokes (Bauer, 2005). At the same time, there are many films in which viewers come across a positive image of a disabled person. Ron Kovic from an American war drama film Born on the Fourth of July may be a good example. Kovic is a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who is unable to find a good partner because of his disability. Still, the film itself is a great illustration of common sexual stereotypes. There is a bright scene with a prostitute mocking at Kovic's friend's lack of sexual function due to paralysis. In general, this film should be praised for being an attempt to capture public attention and create awareness of this issue. The majority of people know nothing about the nature of disability. Unawareness in its turn is one more source of stereotypes. Still, there are many films in which people with disabilities are represented as a burden. A well-known film What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a good illustration. The mother of Gilbert and his brother is severely obese. She cannot walk normally and requires constant care. Her death releases her two sons and makes them untied to their home. In fact, this is a relief for all the characters. The image of this woman is quite unpleasant. It seems that all she needs to do is to eat and watch TV. She starts acting like a careful mother only on the last day of her life. In this film, there is one more character suffering from some kind of mental disability. This is Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), Gilbert's younger brother. In some sense, Arnie may be called a burden too. He requires special attention and cannot take care about himself. On the other hand, viewers find him likable and funny. This character may be regarded an example of positive representation. Finally, it is necessary to mention The Intouchables, a 2011 French comedy-drama film. One of its main characters, Philippe, suffers from quadriplegia. Being a wealthy aristocrat, Philippe tries to find a personal care attendant, which turns into quite a difficult task in case all his demands are taken into consideration. Finally, he manages to find a guy, Driss, who meets all his requirements. Driss has no qualification and allows himself making jokes at Philippe. In spite of this, they become really good friends who know how to have fun together. Driss treats Philippe and his disability with humour, and this seems to be the key of success. There is an illustrative scene when one of Philippe's business partners says that street guys have no pity. Philippe replies that 'no pity' is exactly what he needs. In fact, Driss sees Philippe as a person who has the same desires, feelings, and emotions like anyone else. He treats Philippe as his equals. One could try to criticize the film saying that disable people with an average income cannot afford to have a mansion, sport cars, and people working on them. However, that is not the thing attention should be focused on. It is much more worthy to observe the way Philippe interacts with other characters. Luxurious setting is used just for effect. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the film is based on real-life events. In general, The Intouchables may be called an example of a film which considers the nature and realities of disability seriously. Thus, disability has always been a sore subject in the media. In fact, this problem is quite rarely represented in the popular media. It should not become a part of a plot of an entertaining comedy, like in Dumb and Dumber. This issue requires a serious and respectful approach. Disability-related movies should encourage viewers to reconsider their attitudes towards this issue. Otherwise, the film has all chances to become one more source of stereotypes. Representation of the 'Terrorist' in the Media In many aspects, terrorism may be regarded quite an attractive subject for the media. It is not deprived of drama, action, heroes, blood, and human tragedy (Terrorism and Media, 2008). In other words, terrorism-related plot is often seen as a recipe for success in the media. That is an opportunity for moviemakers to show viewers what many of them want to see. Besides, it should not be forgotten that violence is currently one of the central topics of television culture. Consequently, terrorism is a frequent subject of many films, sometimes really successful. At the same time, it is possible to trace one tendency which is typical of most of terrorism-related films. Terrorists themselves are often shown as ‘the others’. Said differently, terrorists in films hardly ever have anything in common with the society their actions are directed against. As a result, the audience does not identify themselves with terrorists. One more tendency should also been paid attention to. Acts of terrorism are always among the top news in all the types of news media. On the one hand, there is nothing strange about it, since the main function of the news media is to inform the public at large. On the other hand, information is often presented in such a way so that it could entertain the audience and keep it captivated. That is what the new term ‘infotainment’ means. Apparently, some news reports are sometimes far from being objective and unbiased. The reasons are quite predictable. Being generally profit-oriented, news programs need to boost their ratings. This tendency affects the image of terrorists in the media. They are shown as participants of shocking, sensational events, with their actions being impossible to predict. In media, to capture a terrorist always means to become a hero of an international scale. All the details which could sully reputation of such a ‘hero’ always remain unnoticed. This is also necessary to take into consideration the aims terrorists pursue. They need the media since it is a tool which may make their voices heard. As far as the movie industry is concerned, ‘the media has practically been given carte blanche by society to fabricate blockbuster stories’ (Jordan Wagge). One may be curious, therefore, whether or not Hollywood has any contribution to terrorist events (Jordan Wagge). Generally, moviemakers, notably those from Hollywood, exploit ethnicity and religious background when constructing the image of terrorists. As a rule, these are Islamic terror groups, especially after the events on September 11, 2001. It is necessary to say that terrorists and their actions in movies are much easier to analyse than those in real life. Moviemakers hardly ever bother to take a look at historical and cultural peculiarities of the group of people they represent as terrorists. As a result, terrorists are often shown as rather primitive, always cruel, and sometimes even idiotic. There is an impression that to become an Arab terrorist is enough to put on robe, keffiyeh, and take a gun. Bright ambitions to conquer the world are a must-have as well. Although terrorists are traditionally male, in Western movies it is sometimes possible to come across a female terrorist. In contrast to representation of male terrorists, women are usually portrayed as rational. At the same time, a woman’s decision to commit an act of terrorism is usually based on her subconscious desire to fulfil one of her social roles. Very often, this decision results from a woman’s personal trauma, such as death of her loved ones. Therefore, female terrorists still remain mothers, wives, daughters or sisters. One more thing which is always associated with female terrorist is sexuality, often referred to as ‘deviant’. Female terrorists are usually shown as those who reject their social attributes women are traditionally prescribed. In other words, female terrorists refuse to accept conventional gender roles. Instead, they tend to demonstrate traditional male qualities. They are often shown as cruel, smart, ruthless, and extremely dangerous. At the same time, female terrorists are usually portrayed as hyper-feminine and sexual. In movies, female terrorists use their own sexuality in order to achieve their terroristic goal. It is also worthy to mention that celluloid female terrorists are always different from other female characters in a film as far as their appearance is concerned. They always look more exotic and often more sexual. That is one more thing which makes terrorists look like ‘the other’. Thus, pervertedness of female terrorists lies in their hypersexuality and simultaneous ruthlessness. Traditional representation of terrorists may be traced in a 1994 American action film True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Within the film, terrorists threaten to use nuclear weapons in order to demonstrate their power to the US. It is necessary to add that nuclear weapon is a frequent element of terrorism-related films, too. It is also noteworthy that terrorists in True Lies happened to access the nuclear warheads by chance. The protagonist, however, manages to destroy their plans. Thus, terrorists in True Lies are portrayed negatively and irresponsibly. It is necessary to say that such films are actually quite offensive for Arab diasporas in all the world countries, especially for the one in the US. Undoubtedly, such films give rise to stereotypes and biased attitude towards minority groups. That is how Narmeen El-Farra, an American Muslim, comments on True Lies: ‘Not only were the Arabs in the film religious fanatics bent on destroying the world, they were also sexist, racist and idiotic’ (1996). This film may illustrate the opposition between the protagonist, who is represented as a shining example of courage, nobility, and honesty, and the villains, or terrorists. It is possible to observe two extremities. On the one side, this is a good guy, or a character viewers are supposed to sympathize and identify themselves with. That is the Schwarzenegger’s part, in this particular case. On the other side, there is a group of bad guys who embody evil (at the same time, nobody pays attention to the quantity of people Schwarzenegger’s character kills). The audience is supposed to refuse to follow their example. Thus, terrorists are never shown as a part of civilized society. Their behaviour and thoughts are represented as deviant. They do not belong to ordinary people who lead a normal life and constitute the actual audience of the film. They are excluded from the audience, they are something else, and therefore, they are ‘the others’. It is necessary to remember that films are always much more than just a means of entertainment. This is a powerful tool of shaping opinions and attitudes of population masses. In other words, the media remarkably affects the way people think. For this reason, all the things they think they know about terrorists are derived from terrorism-related films. As a result, a great deal of people see terrorists as marginalised and fanatic. The Australian media is not an exception. It is possible to assert, therefore, that the media is to some extent a source of prejudices against racial minorities within a society. References Aoife De Brún, Mary McCarthy, Kenneth McKenzie & Aileen McGloin (2012). Fat is your fault. Elsevier. Retrieved from www.hrbchdr.com/sites/default/files/Full%20article_4.pdf Bauer E. Patricia. (2005). What's So Funny About Disability? Well . . . The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/movies/whats-so-funny-about-disability-well.html Campbell, F.K. (2009). Contours of ableism: The production of disability and abledness. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. El-Farra, N. (1996). Arabs and the Media. Journal of Media Psychology, 1-8. Haller, B. (2010). 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