Mistreatment of Women in Media

Hello Friends,

I am currently taking a class called Women In Media, and I am loving the content of the class. I am learning new stuff everyday. I was inspired to write an article about women who were mistreated in the entertainment industry. These women have been shamed and misrepresented in the media because of different and various reasons. I think it is important to recognize the unheard women and the problems they face. Whether it has to do with their identity, mental health, or body image. The media represents women in a negative light as a sex symbol or unfortunately shamed for what they wear and how they behave. 

The first woman we are going to talk about is someone who has been compared to the famous sex symbol Marilyn Monroe: my Taurus queen Megan Fox.

Megan Fox is mostly known for her movies Jennifer’s Body, Transformers, and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Megan has been in the industry ever since she was 15 or 16 when she made an appearance in the movie Bad Boys 2. Michael Bay, the director of this film, told Megan Fox, who was underage at the time, to dance in a stars and stripes bikini with a red cowboy hat. In interviews with talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, she has opened up about this experience but unfortunately most of the talk show hosts didn’t take her seriously because of the roles she’s played as most of the roles she played were over-sexualized. I don’t think it’s fair to judge someone’s character based on what they play.

Britney Spears is one of the most well known female singers of the decade from her all-American charm to cute outfits. Unfortunately being a child star growing up, she had a lot of pressure to act her own age and wear what she was told to wear. She still had problems with the press and parental guardians were concerned that their kids would dress and act like Britney. In 2007, Britney Spears had a very public mental breakdown and was having issues with her mental health. The paparazzi and press coverage did not help her mental health at all. Also in 2007, her conservatorship was in place. Conservatorship is when someone covers the medical and physical, financial care of a person. The person who ordered her conservatorship was her father, Jamie Spears. This caused the #FreeBritney movement which started in 2008. Britney Spears is still influential because her music, movies, tv show appearances, and documentaries about her are still very well known. 

Janet Jackson is mostly known for being a singer with hit songs like Nasty, Rhythm Nation, and All For You. She was in a big controversy with her Super Bowl performance in 2004 when Justin Timberlake exposed her breast on national Television. People were talking about it and shaming her for being too sexual. The media over-sexualizes black women: objectifying them, treating them just as a pretty face and ignoring their talent. Sadly, they are not recognized in the media for being driven or a hard worker. The media needs to fix their way of treating women–especially black women like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Tina Turner. There are so many more black women unnoticed and unheard. Their voice needs to be heard now more than ever. Janet is so talented I think she is misrepresented from the media. It makes my heart hurt when people shame the choices she makes. She has worked hard. Imagine Michael Jackson and your whole family being in most of the industry that’s a lot of pressure. When people tell you and dictate your life it’s heartbreaking.

All these women are so strong for all that they have been through and they have persevered through it. I applaud their bravery and determination.

Until next time! 

Love you all strong women,

Carolyn Crimmins