Visual Rhetoric

On any given day of the week, people are shown various images. Static images are seen on television, billboards, magazines, etc. Certain types of images have the ability to convey various messages and can carry different purposes. One of the first things done when analyzing images, such as the one above is to determine what kind of image it is. 

The drawing above provided by an artist's rendering illustrates the negative effects on the women's perception of body image. When looking at the picture from the viewer's perspective, one of the first things I noticed was the difference in body size between the women. The only items present in the drawing are the mirror and the women. Her lack of clothing draws the viewers to see difference in body size. The woman present in the image seems to have anorexia nervosa. It is an eating disorder characterized by immoderate food restriction and irrational fear of gaining weight along with a distorted self-perception. I was then drawn to the women's sad face presented in the mirror. She sees herself as being overweight, but from our perspective she as skinny as can be. Media has changed her mindset to see herself as being someone she is not.

The artist intends for his viewers to understand how a women alters the way she perceives herself based off of the media. He is trying to inform his viewers rather than just show them a picture. 

What are your thoughts on this drawing? What do you think the intended purpose of this drawing is?

Using Sources

I have chosen to research the topic of media having negative effects on the society's idea of self concept pertaining to body image. I found many great articles online relevant to the subject and one that stood out while I was reading was Combating the Negative Impact of Mass Media by Michael Levine. 

On first examination of the article, I looked for clues as to see if it was scholarly. There were no advertisements located on the page and the language used throughout the article seemed somewhat specialized. The author, Michael Levine, is a respected psychology professor who teaches courses in abnormal psychology, the psychology of personality, as well as eating disorders at Kenyon University. The audience he seems to be writing to are other scholars and researchers. Even though the article was found in a database, it was necessary to make sure the article was scholarly due to the fact that some databases index many types of publications. 

The article mainly focused on explaining ways in which people might combat the negative effects of mass media. It also contained explanations of how media might influence life in general and contained an argument of how mass media is a leading cause of eating disorders. At the end of the article, Levine says that media literacy is needed to fight these negative effects. The obsession of "fat" and "skinny" has gained a foothold in our culture and Levine does a great job of elaborating on this point.

Through the use of logos, Levine appeals to his readers' reason. He presents various claims that are backed by sufficient evidence and facts. With these argumentative claims, he is also able to draw his readers onto his side of the argument. 

 

Pop Culture's Influence

What exactly is pop culture? From a dictionary source online, it seems that popular culture is defined as a contemporary lifestyle generally accepted by a big group of people. When I think of pop culture all that comes to mind are things such as dance, sports, recreation, movies, music and other aspects of social life. 

Using media outlets like movies, music and television, young people have been influenced by popular culture since they were born. As with any group of people, the ideals and beliefs are passed down from generation to generation, but at times everything seen outside the home contradicts what seems to be true. Pop culture has the ability to effect people both positively and negatively I believe more so than any other outside influence. Whether it be a positive or negative influence, is something people have to decide for themselves.

No matter where you go, you are surrounded by pop culture. It is what is on our minds at any given time. Listening to the radio in the car, watching television, reading a magazine are all examples of exposures to pop culture.  It is so ingrained into our society that it is almost impossible to not be influenced by it. 

A learning child takes in and absorbs all the information around him/her on a daily basis thus helping them to form ideals, opinions and various outlooks on life. Many children then grow up to mimic or take on personality traits of people around them around early stages of development. If people are too exposed to pop culture media such as t.v or movies, I feel as though a part of their formed identities will be based on this medium.

What are your views on the influential ability of popular culture?