Television: Sending The Wrong Message Essay, Research Paper

Television: Sending the Wrong Message

Everyday, human beings make assumptions by what they can see physically. Even in the supermarkets, they distinguish good products from bad products based on how those products look. Being a human, I would say we are apt to choose good-looking products because they don’t have flaws, cracks, and bruises. Those “good” products are shaped nicely, colored and look great. Moreover, we assume those products to have good qualities and good tastes. However, we pick things because of their beauty. This is due to human nature. Part of the development of human nature is brought on through television. Since people judge human beings based on how they look, it is called discrimination.

Unfortunately, the society we live in benefits beautiful people more than physically unattractive people who could end up with better qualities. Therefore, advantages enjoyed by those beautiful people are countless. We like to expect to be treated equally, but we are not treated as the same in the real world. I believe judging people based on their appearance only disadvantages those people. Success must depend on effort, talent, and intelligence. As long as we can’t stop discriminating against people based on appearance, we can’t achieve positive opportunity and real success. There is the question of how to change the system of unfair treatment based on appearance.

Watching commercials on television, lots of people have had cosmetic surgery

on their skin. Some religious beliefs teach their people that altering their body is profane because bodies are gifts from god. However, cosmetic surgery introduces us to cutting edge technologies. People have surgery performed simply to improve their appearance.

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Some Americans believe gaining acceptance in society is by looking a certain way. The benefits for those people are success in their careers, marriage with rich men, and more chances to become popular amongst society. Being beautiful is helpful in regards to acceptance in society, especially for women. Men who like beautiful women around them often influence women. It’s a man’s world in today’s society. Women do too much to impress those men. Cosmetic surgery is a reflection of the society where beauty is stratified. I don’t think cosmetic surgery is a good resolution to achieve fair treatment from the society because it doesn’t overthrow fundamental problem.

Today, women have more jobs available. In some instances, women meet difficulties to get jobs or to succeed because they are not beautiful. Some women have

cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance. Others may struggle from unfairly treatments without the surgery. It is difficult to stop people from thinking of beauty. However, through time, one can learn that beauty is recognized within the inner soul.

Humans use the television commercials and shows to influence their values on

how they define beauty. The media sends us beautiful images, which leads to

stereotypical behavior. Beautiful images regarding the media are implanted in

our mind unconsciously. As much as I can see from TV commercials, I get lots

of sexual, unfair, and discriminated messages of being beautiful. Slim and

beautiful women are representing slim fast commercials. There are also the

muscular, handsome men showing how easy it is to exercise with certain

equipment. We have to eliminate these stereotypical messages of being

perfect with the way we look.

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People tend to struggle from unfair treatment based on their appearance due

to discrimination. In my opinion, being beautiful is a challenge that every human being attempts in his or her lifetime. I think the norm on how Americans define beauty, is affected entirely by the environment. The culture of the society may never be corrected with what is truly valued in life, spirit. As Americans, we can free ourselves by trying to eliminate those stereotypical messages of being beautiful and perfectly shaped taken from the television. Real success is through achieving goals, whether it is a certain career or a look. People must attempt to understand that those acting on television may be beautiful on the outside, but not on the inside.

Focusing on what exactly a person does while watching television is interesting. Once a person sits in front of the television set, he or she becomes quickly stimulated and amazed by the intense sound and picture. Suddenly forgetting about the real world, the person drifts off into another state of mind. Notice how some people become extremely annoyed when you talk to them or distract them when they are watching a program, or even a commercial. As the hours of watching go by, the person slips further into the fantasy world of television. Someone can be so engulfed that it becomes a regular part of his or her daily routine. As a result of a lot of watching TV, studies have shown that the heart rate, and blink rate have slowed down dramatically. Muscular function decreased down to a touch on the remote or the lift of a drink. Television is like an addiction, and like any addictive substance, a moral message lies behind it. That message being; the advertising and the programs are only there to keep the viewer coming back for more!