What influences how we feel

about ourselves?

How Does Pop Culture Portray Women? Pop culture refers to current

media and music video images of women.

What are some of these characteristics?

What type of consequences could occur from pop cultures influences?

Some women experience eating disorders in order to look like a Super Model.

Some women choose to have risky and expensive procedures to change their physical appearance.

Images that objectify women, portraying them as sex objects, demean and devalue women as human beings.

Objectification of women contributes to the problems of sexual assault, unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Think of a Woman You Respect…What

characteristics do you value? What makes a

“True Woman” valuable?

How does she treat you and others?

Chasing the Wrong List~

Why are the lists so different?

How do myths affect women in our society?

How can you challenge these harmful messages in your own life and among your friends?

Compare the pop culture list to the “True Woman”

list

Lies and Exaggerations If Barbie were a real woman

She would stand 5’9” and weigh 110 lbs She would be less than 76% of her healthy weight

Chest 39”; Waist 18”; Hips 33” Marilyn Monroe: Chest 35”; Waist 27”;

Hips 35” At size 8 she would be a plus-size model

todayGI Joe would have a 55” chest and 27” biceps

About the size of a teenage boy’s waistFar larger than competitive body builders

25 years ago the average model was 8% lighter than the average American woman. Today the average model is 23% lighter than the average American woman.

What’s Real?

Many of us fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to false and unrealistic images in

the media. This destroys our

confidence and self-esteem.

What can we do to change this?

Confidence and Self-EsteemAccepting yourself and feeling good about yourself is good for your health and attractive to others.

Find someone who likes you just the way you are.

Ask yourself, “Do I feel good about myself when I am with this person?”

Avoid people who want you to look like, act like, or be like someone else.

Remember…The act of love is to say “I want you to be who you are.” The act of abuse is to say “I want you to be who I want you to be.” It is that simple.

James GillYou also need to remember to love yourself!