I’m a ‘90s kid, born in ’95, and while I was growing up I honestly can’t remember too many prominent female figures. As I prepared to write this article, I took a moment trying to recall the female figures I had to look up to (other than my mom) while I was growing up. The only women who made a lasting impact, glorified throughout mainstream media, were Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and the Spice Girls, all of whom I recognize are extremely talented in their own right. The Spice Girls especially embodied every aspect of #GirlPower, raising women up. However, these women were also overly sexualized by the media.
Now, before it’s naturally assumed that I’m trying to say the sexualisation of women is a bad thing, hear me out. When it comes to empowerment, I’m all for it. I believe that every person is entitled to and should be encouraged to feel proud enough to express themselves in any way they choose. I also believe that certain female body parts have been over sexualized, for no apparent reason, #FreeTheNipple. But, when I reflect on the role models I had to choose from, there was not one single prominent female figure I can recall that was not famous for her body. Heck, even the toys I had to play with growing up were Barbies™ with unrealistic and scientifically impossible standards to achieve. My wish is not that famous icons such as Britney and Christina cease to exist, because I think these women are great. I simply wish that growing up these weren’t the only role models available, that there were some female role models who showcased variety, showing that there is more to women than just their bodies.
The lack of female diversity in media extends beyond race and sexual orientation to personality and behaviours, all of which affect the audience, particularly youth audiences. I can tell you from personal experience that the effect it has is not a positive one. Youth are an extremely impressionable group, and the things they hear and see shape their identity in the future. So, when the media only displays women as sexual objects, it impacts people’s perceptions of themselves.
I grew up watching Spice World on repeat, and the music video for “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears endlessly with my friends, and we loved every second of it. During recess in elementary school, we would head over to the field and try to imitate the dance moves, and maybe even create our own. We idolized these celebrities so much that we wanted to emulate them. This is toxic behavior, I am part of a generation where 50% of teenage girls have exhibited behaviours associated with eating disorders, and 91% of college-aged women have attempted to control their weight through unhealthy measures. Of course the media isn’t entirely to blame, but they are undoubtedly a huge part of the problem. As the media has made progress to showcase more diverse, prominent female figures, these statistics have been steadily decreasing in recent years. So, to dispute the correlation here would be irresponsible.
Someone like Emma Watson, who is a driven, intelligent, and feminist female celebrity is the type of role model we need to see more of. She is the perfect example for young women to look up to. She is a beautiful actress, but what I love about her is that if someone mentions her name today, this is not the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, she is highly regarded as a renowned humanitarian, advocating for the rights of women in the United Nations as an ambassador, and she is an Ivy League graduate from Brown University.
When I was growing up, I didn’t see anyone like her in the media, and I wish I had. With youth so impressionable, having someone like Emma Watson in the spotlight is fundamental. As I was growing up, I believe I can recall some instances where women were displayed in Hollywood as intelligent, but they were also showcased as undesirable. It was always promoted that the smart girl was a geek, had glasses, and was unattractive.
So, where Emma Watson is clearly a beautiful actress, she is challenging this stereotype and showing young girls that there doesn’t need to be a choice between brains and beauty and that this is in fact irrelevant.
A young child should be presented with options and should not be made to feel like certain behaviors, especially those associated with over sexualisation, are expected of them. Emma continues to break down gender barriers not only in Hollywood but around the globe, while promoting equality – something that all young girls need to see. They need to know they can grow up to pursue whatever career interests them. And they should be able to see diversity in their media. They need encouragement, and support. Emma embodies every part of this, and I truly believe she is paving the way for the media to step up their game and report about more accomplished women in realms other than dancing, singing, and playing the damsel-in-distress. So as I look back on the past, I wish I had someone like Emma to look up to, but the fact that she is presented in the media the way she is today is immensely promising. I am hopeful that future generations will have more variety in the types of figures they see in magazines, film, television and on social media.
I hope that the media continues to progress in the way it has, and if so, this is certainly a positive step towards shaping future generations in North America.