Gender Stereotypes in the Media

By Astrid Okelo

In the media today, there are many ways that males and females are presented in different types of media such as print-based media (magazines, newspapers and posters). They are normally portrayed on front covers as they are mainly appealing and attractive to the opposite sex which is males and at times also females.

For example, this magazine has a heading that reads ‘Asian Woman’. This suggests to the reader that overall the magazine is about Asian women and Asian women only. The sub-heading also adds to this and makes it clearer that the magazine is mainly targeting Asian women as the slogan reads ‘The World’s Biggest Asian Woman’s Magazine’. The way that the model appears could suggest to some of the magazine’s female readers that to be able to ‘get a bikini body, the easy way’, you have to get her body. 

This following magazine on the left also clearly shows that in the title it has a target audience for men as it is titled as ‘Men’s Health’. Additionally, it connotes to the male readers that in order to have a strong, masculine body you have to be fit and have abs and muscles as this would indicate to females that men are physically strong. Stereotypically, the media engages the fact that women are attracted to men that are physically fit and always workout which is why this magazine also previews on its front cover the following plug ‘what sexy women love’. 

 

On the other hand, the media also engages that for women, there is only one perfect body and that is a slim and toned body just like this model in the magazine.

In this edition of ‘Women’s Fitness’, the slogan reads ‘Slim Down’ in big and bold, white font which stands out above the blue background. Under this, it also says ‘in 3 days!’. This suggests to the magazine’s female target audience that there is a easy and quick way for women to get the ‘perfect’ body in order to appeal stereotypically to either women or men and also feel good about themselves.  

Overall, the media promote the fact that females should stereotypically have a slim, toned and fit body if they wish to feel good about themselves or attract men or women. On the other hand, for men, the media also engages that they should ideally have abs, muscles and stay fit in order to please women, be appealing to them and look attractive.

The media makes society feel that for each male and female there is only one perfect body which is the ones that is presented on the front of magazine covers such as Women’s Fitness and Men’s Health.