Sexist Role Model Research Paper

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, an announcer noted that the female gymnasts “might as well be standing in the middle of a mall”, while a twitter post congratulated Hungarian Swimmer Katinka Hosszu’s husband and coach for being “the man responsible” for her win (Melton). These are subtle examples of sexism which lower the self-esteem of women because even after a victory, there is always a man to take the credit. This does not set a good example for young girls and they will grow up believing they are inferior and their place in society is the mall or the kitchen. This is one of the lessons we can learn from The Simpsons. In the episode “Lisa v Malibu Stacy”, Lisa and her friends rush to buy the new Malibu Stacy doll, which resembles the popular Barbie doll. But after purchasing it, Lisa realizes that the doll represents “the perfect woman” to society but is an unrealistic role model to young girls. The writers of the episode use invective, irony, and hyperboles to reveal that the media and corporate America make sexist statements about the role of a woman. This can have negative effects, like low self esteem, on the mind of young girls who are

The role of a woman has changed dramatically from women gaining rights in the 1990’s to Hillary Clinton running for president. But in all of this, the shadows of sexism still linger in the dark corners of the media and big corporations who just want to profit. What they don’t know is that for every dollar they earn from that toy, magazine, or commercial, one more girl thinks she is not good enough, pretty enough, or inferior to a man. As viewers, we just call the show “funny” and take satire lightly, but we fail to recognize that issues like sexism and female stereotypes are real and present in our lives today. As a young girl growing up, I cannot say I have never once doubted my self-image and compared myself to others. When corporations or media include sexism in their products, it just makes it harder on us girls out