Trapped inside
Vicious lies I’ve believed
Consuming, controlling, possessing
Imprisoned in a bubble, believing dark lies
Depression sucking life out of me
Unworthy, ignoble
Media
Do you feel that the media has a strong effect on how people see themselves and others now-a-day? Do you think it forms world-views and ideas about what is right and what is wrong? I do.
This poem is in response to the Monday Photo Prompt (original photo found here) that Kirsten over at Kirsten Uninterrupted posted. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to write a poem. So many people have ideals that they try to live up to. Specifically girls, and the way they see their bodies and physical appearance. With such a strong push by the media to have the ‘perfect’ body, the perfect hair, the perfect clothes, the perfect guy – if not achieved, many are not content.
What do you think? Has the media played a large part in the way you see yourself? Has it influenced the way you think about others? Do you think the media always tells the truth?
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Published by stacilys
I’m just a simple girl that is passionate about being relevant and making a difference in this world.
World traveler, lover of bright sunny days, experiencing cultures, good friends and conversation. I love my God and love my family.
I don’t believe that I have the Truth, but that I have a relationship with Truth and want to be closer to Him.
Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, BC. YWAMer since 2000 and have traveled and lived all over the world –Hong Kong, China, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Turkey, Germany, Argentina, Australia and The USA.
I moved to Brazil in 2002, married an awesome “Baiano”, Daniel, and we have two adorable kiddies, Caue and Hannah.
I am certified in fitness and nutrition and conducted physical conditioning classes while working with an arts and evangelism team and schools. I am also certified in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners).
"A God Coloured Girl in a Grey World" is my blog where I write articles based on my faith, post fitness routines, recipes and other health and wellness stuff. You can also check out a bit of my music at www.myspace.com/stacilys
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I don’t watch the news .. it is a distraction I think from connecting with who we really are. .with the big picture…. looking a little deeper was helpful… I went into the stillness.. and now i am not affected by these things.. ♡
Hi Laurie. Yes, I don’t watch the news either. But the media is all around us. Impossible to not see it – on billboards, in store windows, flyers, internet, and a plethora of other avenues. Unfortunately, so many girls are lied to about what is considered beautiful. Airbrushing, manipulating photos, Hollywood and the like. So much anorexia, bulimia, other eating disorders… The quest for the perfect body is ingrained in western society. Really sad indeed. And the media’s power and influence is not just on body image, but also social status, what’s accepted and what’s not, it can shape our opinions of countries and nations. A lot of what we receive is sensationalism. It’s really a huge topic, but then again, I’m not great sociologist.
Looking deeper is definitely helpful. I am constantly aware of God with me. But I have to confess, I get affected by these things. Maybe because I was told I was fat when I was a kid… maybe because of where I grew up… who knows.
Yes, I struggled with an eating disorder for decades. It seems unbelievable now that I was so affected by what is so false for so long. I feel like our hope lies in awakening and remembering who and what we truly are. I feel sad at the way things are now.. but I also have much hope.. that we will remember the truth more and more..and stop believing the rest. It’s good that you are talking about this. 🙂
Ohhhh, thank you so much for sharing Laurie. It really is sad indeed. And I love this: “our hope lies in awakening and remembering who and what we truly are.” Absolutely beautiful.
It’s funny, this striving for eternal youth and so called ‘perfection’. I love what one blogger friend commented on another post of mine once. He said that if everyone were ‘perfect’, it would cease to be beautiful.
Thanks again Laurie. So glad you shared this.
🙂
❤
Beautiful…simply beautiful! I think the media has completely distorted the views of women’s looks and how they feel about themselves. You did a great job of expressing that in your poem!!
Thank you so much Kirsten. I totally agree. Thank you photoshop and Hollywood… um, NOT.
I am so pleased you liked this piece. I knew, as soon as I saw the photo, I had to write something. I’ve often thought of using ‘bubble’ in the past for a piece of poetry (in fact I used that word in a recent poem as well). You’re prompt inspired me on this.
🙂
Yes, I believe that the media can influence our lives, especially in a negative manner.. When people care more about what Oprah says versus what the Pope says, then there’s a problem. It has a role in the way that we view each other and it impacts our relationships by setting unreasonable expectations on couples and/or families. But, once you recognize the media shenanigans, then you look at the media with a cynical eye. It’s only a matter of that first recognition.
You know, that documentary that I told you about before, “How the shall we live”, by Francis Shaeffer”, he speaks about how the media can be so deceiving when sharing information too. He showed the same news story in two different ways, by two different sources. One showed images that totally supported the people. The other showed images that supported the police. Crazy. Oftentimes, the media shares stuff because they need to sell. Sensationalism. In Afghanistan for instance. A small bomb can go off in a small pizza place, as an isolated incident. But then the news reporters come in and tell it like this huge bomb went off and there’s anarchy all around. Terrorists, terrorists, terrorists. One of the reasons we went to Afghanistan was to produce a documentary that would give a voice to the Afghan people. Thanks to the media, when one thinks of Afghanistan, they thing of terrorism, war and the Taliban. Yes, these things exist, but the dignity of the Afghan people was not being highlighted. They are a hospitable, family-oriented people. There is good to be found. Now I’m just ranting.
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I wish that news services would report news, and not advance a political viewpoint. Francis Shaeffer was right. You can tell a story different ways and derive different meanings. You can go to CNN and FOX and have the same story, but with completely different meanings.
Soooooo true. Makes you wonder what really is true.
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I know one thing. How young girls dress certainly has changed! On any given Friday or Saturday night that we happen to be at the casino where there is also a live music and dance floor, the girls walking by would put a prostitute to shame. By no means am I a prude, but dear Lord, sock type dresses up to there and blouse of the same style down to there, we’re talking major advertising.
Yes, sad but true Ricard. It just goes to show what people are valuing.
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I am so pissed of these Hollywood and Bollywood celebs…they go u der knife for perfect figures which is so wrong…and than they come in front of camera flaunting their newly acquired figures with the help of their surgeons…now i stead of accepting tht they gone under knives…they say we are excersing and doing yoga amd all tht crap…they forget that they are sending wrong messages to the youngsters…I have seen many girls starving themselves to death, which is so hazardeous for health…they dont understand that whatever you eat in young age will help you in old age…
I never get impressed by these celebs…I know they havnt done anything to get thta fab body…if anyone have tht much amount of money, everyone would flaunt these fab bodies…
Unfortunately there is a high value set on the physical appearance of a person. Such a high value that people go in for major surgery in order to alter their natural body. I personally could never do that.
Thanks for sharing Aarya.
🙂
The media is one of the largest (if not the largest) most influential liars out there. Their impact has negative effects on people both mentally and physically. People starve themselves due to media, they commit mass murder in large part because of media’s ‘promotion’ of it, and they suffer from all types of depression due to media. People compete, hate and perform cruel acts toward others because of media. Why can’t they show the truth (including people’s unedited bodies), and good stories of love and kindness? Unfortunately, the truth and goodness doesn’t sell.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Truth and goodness doesn’t sell. Everything has to either be appealing, like the whole ‘sex sells’ issue or airbrushed photoshopped models. Or it has to be atrocious, like violent killings or devastation. Just a few examples. But yes, truth and goodness is boring to people. 😦
I just received this quote in my email and posted it on my blog. I thought of our conversation. ❤
Re-examine all that you have been told…
dismiss that which insults your soul.
– Walt Whitman
Awesome Laurie. Interesting how this quote points toward the action of personal decision. We are in control of our choices. We can choose to say no to the lies or sensationalism that the media preaches. Heading over to you blog now to read the post. Sounds great.
Thanks
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I think the media have a duty to portray a realistic image of both men and women but this is often not the case. In the last ten years or so there has been a dramatic increase in cases of men suffering from eating disorders and body dysmorphia due to the image of chiselled and toned men being portrayed via tv, film, music videos, magazines etc.
There seems to be a misguided notion that being thin automatically equates to success and this seems to be a message that the media are giving to teenagers and young adults. Yes, we should all try to be fit and healthy, but being unhealthily thin should not be glorified as ‘the way to be’
So true Heather.
I recently watched a video on youtube of a guy getting his picture taken. He wasn’t all chisled and buff and toned and all. Then they did a ton of work on photo shop and ‘Voila’ an unrealistic picture to be blown up and posted for all to see in advertisement. It’s totally deceiving people.
The media has such a strong hold on people. It’s really sad. We find our worth in what media tells us to. Not through healthy relationships and that which really counts.
Thanks Heather.
🙂
Wow! I love how you so neatly summed up exactly the way the media makes me feel. In its brevity, it could be the lines for a commercial…Wouldn’t that get the message out? Thank you for joining in this week at The Reverie.
Hey wow, thanks. I’m humbled by your comment. A commercial? Wouldn’t that be great. Then we could kick the media’s (and what it’s plowing into our heads) butt.
Thanks again Laura.
🙂
p.s. This is a great idea, btw, ‘The Reverie’. I’m looking forward to future prompts as well, and pushing myself in writing.
I would love to kick the media’s butt 😀
Thank you for your support. We’re new, so I hope many will join in with our prompts and submit for the magazine and such!
I’ll let my reader’s know.
🙂
yea, the media and their lies…..
Crazy, I’d say. I think it’s part of the media’s language – lying.
Thanks Serins.
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Very well done, eloquent and simple but speaks a truth. I pray for my daughter to not be influenced by the secular media telling her who she is. Thank you!
Thank you mark. I have a little daughter too, and I am very careful to never make any negative comments about my body around her. I’ve gone through that and, until today still suffer with the constant striving to obtain physical perfection. CRAZY. I pray that both your daughter and mine grow up with a healthy body image, and beautiful character.
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Amen!
I hate the highly controlled and manipulate media held in the hands of very few large multinationals with their own agendas to sell to the masses. For that reason I rely on other to tell me the news and focus only on the real stories told by those I love and trust and live lives full of beauty, passion, heartache and more. Reality is so much more real than fiction. And I can proudly say that I do not own a TV and have no desire to buy one to be brainwashed by the media moguls and the lies they sell. If we did not buy it Californication, the demi gods of sports, fashion and Hollywood would go crashing down in flames. Takes one to start.
Oh yes, I hear you Terry. Modern secular media thrives off of sensationalism. It also forms mindsets.
Hope you’re doing well.
🙂
The multi-billion dollar diet industry gets its money by telling people who aren’t extremely thin that they are somehow horrifying monsters, failures for being horrifying monsters, and that they are unworthy of love. Restrictive diets do not work in the long term, but people try them over and over again in an attempt to become what the media has told them they “should” be. The only winner in this game is the company taking people’s money repeatedly. If a person drove a car that kept breaking down, they’d rightfully point out the flaws of the car’s manufacturer. But people believe themselves, and not the diets to be a failure, because this is what they are constantly told.
I don’t think I know one single woman who is happy with how she looks. A person should not have to achieve some sort of arbitrary perfection to be happy with themselves. It is a terrible thing that our society is done, and yes, the media is complicit in this.
Thank you for such an intelligent comment on such a strong topic in today’s western world. Each culture has its standards for physical beauty, but the western world has the podium when it comes to what is globally acceptable and appreciated. The media, along with the fashion industry feed into this need to be ultra-thin and unfortunately has caused horrid effects of the lives of so many girls, physically, mentally and emotionally. Even men are becoming affected by it now too. In Mauritania, the standard for physical beauty is when a woman is grossly overweight. Parents will send their daughters to comps where they are required to eat 5000 calories a day.
I wrote a post called, “Your butt is too small… What?” some time back that goes further into this issue of striving for physical perfection. If you would like to read it, you can do so here:
https://stacilys.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/your-butt-is-too-small-what/
Thanks again.
🙂