TRIGGER WARNING
Suicide, assault, abuse, sexual assault
It’s hard to deny that media shapes our culture and our societal norms. Consequently the entertainment industry has a responsibility to uphold. But money motivates them, not morals, we know this.
Be that as it may, entertainment largely influences what we accept or reject in society. We’ve seen this simultaneously evolve and devolve (depending on your perspective) our culture over time.
Influence
When I watch old movies, I can’t help but notice one painfully obvious detail in those films that lacks in modern film and television. The treatment of women has always been patriarchal. However, over the decades the way in which control over women was exhibited has changed dramatically.
We look to film entertainment to know what’s trending, what’s popular, what’s acceptable. The industry has a strong history of normalizing things that previously were not embraced. This includes concepts, behaviors and actions.
A great example of this would be smoking. Marlboro funded multiple studios when they were launching that brand, all in an attempt to normalize smoking and integrate it into mainstream culture.
The film industry largely dictates out beauty standards. Anyone old enough to remember Friends when it was on the air can speak to the popularity of “The Rachel” haircut women all over America were getting.
The Next Step
To its credit, the studios have also been dominantly responsible for positive social changes. We are now more aware of the issues the blind and Deaf communities face. Not as aware as we could be, but it’s a step in the direction we want to go.
Don’t let the media fool you, you’re worth so much more than what you can offer physically and aesthetically.
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I’d love to know…
What is the strangest beauty trend you can name?
