Ideal American Woman

Every single day millions of American women turn on their television or flip through their magazines looking at the women in them and think to themselves “I wish I looked like that”. The media has formed their own idea of the “ideal woman”, and this is shown through all of the actresses and models that we so fondly look up to. All have specific characteristics in common: unrealistically skinny & many times underweight, perfect style (which is quite expensive), they are always filthy rich, and of course happy. As a society, we get the idea that all of these things that they possess are what makes them happy, and what gives them the perfect life; so of course pretty much every woman wants to be like these “ideal women” and have their sort of lifestyle. However, what many but not all Americans have realized is that this is in no way a realistic lifestyle. These celebrities that everybody wants so badly to be like are only a minute percentage of the American population, and it is not healthy for these women to live their lives striving to be like them. This image of the ideal woman that the media puts out is changing American women’s lives in a negative manner and should be more realistic. The average American girl spends 25% of their day watching television. During this time is where they are exposed to the stereotype that the media has formed that thinness is what leads to happiness and attractiveness. This idea is planted into a women’s mind at a very young age, and they form a mental block that anything else is unacceptable and they become unsatisfied with their own bodies. After all, these movie stars are beautiful and extremely well like because of how they look, right? This is the message that viewers get, especially ones with low self esteem. However in reality, these women have personal trainers and chefs and sometimes undergo plastic surgery to maintain their slim body. Out in the “real world” everyday women have jobs and bills to pay and can’t

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