Millions of Americans spend their weeknights around the television catching their favorite programs. Since the 1950’s when the TV craze began, we’ve grown connected to our watching our favorite actors and keeping up with the storylines of sitcoms. The widespread love of television and mass media created a struggle to appreciate personal identity outside of produced public figures.
Jennifer Aniston’s do-no-wrong character on the mid-90’s explosion, “Friends” is a vital example. The 1990’s Aniston hair craze proves the strength of public emulation of stars. Television became a place to subconsciously trend shop, picking and choosing favorite aspects from clothing, to personality traits.
The portrayal of women on screen has been a long time issue argued in many forms from feminism to media and psychology classes. Our favorite on screen personalities usually fit the 36-24-36 “perfect woman” mold. Female roles, villains or heroines alike, are rarely cast to over weight actresses in attempts for drama as viewers consider which beautiful woman to side with.
Even in television shows like “Scrubs”, the only large woman character is Nurse Laverne Roberts (played by Aloma Wright). Wright’s character is loved for her harsh attitude and despite finding pictures of Wright smiling; you would never catch her character with a grin.
Continuing the trend, in the sitcom “The King of Queens”, and even in the cartoon “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s”, it’s made to believe that all three wives, slender in body type and kind, loving and always understanding in nature, would stand by their large husbands despite a show that thrives on their mistakes and antics.
Leah Remini’s character, Carrie Heffernan, although shown in a more powerful business position than her overweight husband Kevin James’ character Doug Heffernan, relies often on her looks as the punch line of jokes and despite arguments, accepts all of Doug’s mistakes and accidental destruction.
James’ character, alike the husband figures in “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s” relies on his weight for humor, and no matter his faults or incompetence, always returns to the loveable teddy bear figure at the end of each show. This misconception shows the public acceptance of larger men.
Among a sea of actresses in the ‘perfect’ body type, a few have broken through. Roseanne Barr had great success with her show “Roseanne”, although she might not have had such luck if she tried portraying her character as high class.
Even America Ferrara’s character in “Ugly Betty” has been noticeably compromised on the cover of Glamour Magazine. Her slimmer arms, face and less curvaceous body have raised concern over the photo alterations of stars that have made their way to fame in larger figures.
While the average American woman wears a size 14, the average actress is a size 8 and shrinking. Television continues to portray the average woman far from what she actually is, while real women feel the wrath of these fake standards.
Even America Ferrara’s character in “Ugly Betty” has been noticeably compromised on the cover of Glamour Magazine. Her slimmer arms, face and less curvaceous body have raised concern over the photo alterations of stars that have made their way to fame in larger figures.
