Media Exercise

Genevieve Greschler
Media Exercise
Woman’s Studies
My immediate reaction to the first image was sadness. It appears as if there was some kind of argument or fight and the woman has been hurt. The fist of the man indicates the power that he holds and the threatening way he holds himself. The woman is the position of less power because of her position on the floor holding herself. This photo saddens me because it indicates not only mental abuse, but physical abuse as well. The mental abuse is shown by the way the woman is holding her face, obviously upset. The physical abuse is shown by the way the fist is clenched and the woman is on the ground. The title of the photo also indicates abuse. “Please Don’t” seems like the thoughts that the woman is thinking. Overall, this is a very threatening photo.
The next photo exemplifies a stereotypical housewife. Good looking woman, good looking baby, both seem happy and picture-perfect. Not only that, but the photo is taken place in a kitchen where people often place woman. She’s next to a bunch of kitchen appliances that stick out and is on the phone as well. It looks as though in the background she is cooking and there are pots and pans on the stove. Next to the pots and pans is a mixer as well that appears to be in use. The most interesting aspect of the whole picture is that this woman appears to be completely multi-tasking. She is on the phone, holding a baby, cooking on the stove, making things in pans, using the mixer, and to top it all off, looking good enough to take a picture. This picture seems to exemplify the stereotypical roles of a woman.
The third image can relate to the movie we just watched for our first assignment. It was about how women are portrayed in the media, and how we see women. This photo directly relates to these ideals presented in the film. The title, “Smaller” says it all. We are obsessed with being skinny and smaller. We are also obsessed with sex and revealing naked women. This…