Media as a Mirror

Do men around the country aspire to be like Jack Bauer in 24 or like Don Draper in Mad Men or like Daniel Craig in the James Bond films? Do women aspire to be like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City or like Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider films?

Male leads are represented as the tough guy, while females are the lover - the sex symbol. We are shown gendered representations in the media, but do we really pay attention to them and see media as a mirror?

Someone in class mentioned that we all interact with media on a personal level. I might pay attention to different elements than the person sitting next to me. Through my upbringing, education and personal experiences, I have a unique perspective through which I see the world around me. I might see a portrayal of a housewife and form a negative association while someone else might form a positive association. We pick and choose which images to identify with, and hopefully, we have realistic expectations for ourselves.

However, that being said, I don't know whether I would've been able to recognize which images I identify with before taking the slew of media classes I have taken at Lehigh. I have become aware of representations and stereotypes in the media and I know to be critical of biased stories.

Through our brief time discussing these issues surrounding mass media, I have become a cognizant media consumer. I think everyone should take a media class like this. If everyone looked at the media with a critical eye, we would be less likely to fall prey to framing, agenda setting and false representations existing in mass media today.