As I was looking at youtube videos having to do with Oprah Winfrey and the affects of her talk show, I came across this youtube video that I couldn’t’ help but posting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U&feature=player_embedded
(Sorry it wouldn’t let me embed it!)
As I watched this video I was so taken aback by how woman are actually portrayed in the media and the steps taken to make someone look “beautiful”. Watching this video made me realize how much the media can alter your views and sickens me to think that woman think that they have to look like this girl on the build board while in reality she doesn’t remotely look similar. Oprahs talk show is dedicated to addressing problems within society and even issues such as what is seen as beautiful and dedicates shows to help spread awareness about controversial issues such as the dove campaign. I believe that the Oprah show is a way for woman at home to watch and learn about problems that are not always addressed. She touches on controversial issues and allows for woman to tell their story and hopefully inspire people to either make a change in their lives or to help others.
In some ways, this video can relate to Radways reading Woman Read The Romancce: The Interaction of Text and Context. In this reading woman were interviewed and studied about Romantic novels that they in some cases, play a second life through the woman in the romance novels. These women feel that reading these fantasies are an escape from their own lives. Like build boards portraying “perfect” girls, romance novels portray a “perfect” life, which are both are false advertisement and reality for woman and girls. Woman and young girls perception of beauty is distorted through the media and even romance novels. Woman may enjoy reading romance novels to step away from their own lives and maybe pretend that they are apart of the romance novel. Most people will jump into a romance novel but then step back into their own lives and reality. I believe that most people realize that the novels are just a story and can realize what is actually reality. Popular novels like, The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks is a love story which most people can take a step back and known that stories like this most likely wont happen. I can see how it is relaxing and joyful for stressful woman to step back from their reality and read a romance novel where everything is perfect.
Romance novels and build boards both can distort reality. Although, romance novels can be a good escape for some woman, false build board ads distort woman’s views of what is beautiful. Oprah Winfreys show is a place to address these problems to the public. I think it is important for people to hear and be addresses by these problems even if it is on a talk show.
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