Okay, this post backs up to my last one in a way-- I'm aiming to work through perceptions of gender first, then move on to more gender neutral territory as the blog progresses. Todays post concerns a niche, but rapidly growing sector of content; the fitness media.
Millions upon millions of dollars are spent every year trying to shed 'unsighly' extra pounds off of the US population. The company behind Golds' Gym released a 2010 'Fitness Census' of health related data collected from the U.S. population. (http://www.goldsgym.com/healthy/newsletter/2010-04/2010-fitness-census) According to their data, there are 32 states with over a quarter of the population suffering from obesity, and two out of every three Americans are overweight. According to a CBS Money Watch article from 2002 (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_3_20/ai_86230655/) the number of health clubs increased by nearly 40% from 92'-2002.
Keeping fit is big business, it seems. Magazines, websites and whole television channels are devoted to health and fitness, but I have noticed something in the accompanying visual media that gets little comment; the way women and men are depicted in the midst of a work out seems to vary wildly depending on who is being portrayed.
I'll come out and say it now. For a lot of people out there, working out is pretty terrible. Get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush at the Huff, fight tooth and nail to get a free squat rack or bench, get sweaty, tired and stumble home feeling physically defeated.
Why, then, do photos of women working out always look like this?
(All of these photos were collected at random cruising google for about ten minutes. I used combinations of "women, men, workout, weight, lifting" to gather these results.)
Women working out range from utterly elated (yeah, right) to occasionally slightly pensive. Men (save a couple of weird examples) seemed to fare much better. Expressions were usually neutral, with some verging on uncomfortable. I left out power lifting/body building websites, for obvious reasons; they make it a point to have their photos look like this:
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| Ronnie Coleman looks as if he's about to explode. |
but while we're here compare that to these photos (also on bodybuilding.com) under 'workouts for women'
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| Our friend the five pound dumbbell is back! |
Interesting differences, I'd say. I can't help but wonder what they are promoting with the images. Must women have a great time while pumping iron?
More importantly, why are all those models holding weights in the 2.5-10 pound range? I would bet you any amount of money they used weights orders of magnitude larger to get the results they have.
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| For as much as those weigh she may as well be curling a 1980's era cell-phone. |
The men may be lifting slightly heavier weights, but they're still in the pretty ridiculous 20-30 pound range. Why do we, as media and consumers, insist on 'dumbing-down' fitness?
I believe much of the industrialized, western world has gown an aversion to sweat. Namely, I think that we are being peddled the images of people getting huge results with no input the same way Gillian Michaels tells you can get fit on your Wii Board, or the way Ephedra products claimed you could eat whatever you wanted and still lose weight*
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| *until your heart exploded. |
I only wonder how many people don't perform to their full potential, or quit because going to the gym isn't as 'fun' as all those smiling models seemed to suggest.
What do you guys think? Am I way off base? Are there other industries doing the same thing?
I think you make really good points in this post. The media is forever trying to portray the best side or the perfection of things. They rarely are looking for the reality. It is one small reason that I am much happier in the field of writing, where I try to present an unbiased truth, than in the field of promotion. I'm better at being frank then trying to sell a product.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you pointed out the faces that people are making. I think that is very interesting. Biologically, working out should make us happy, but often it is also stressful. When you elevate your heart rate, your body releases happy endorphins, which should make it an enjoyable experience, but I agree it doesn't always.
I agree totally-- you should feel great after working out, but usually during the act, I don't see many happy faces in the weight room, haha. I do admit, the results don't really scale for other types of activities, save running or heavy aerobics.
ReplyDeleteWow Ame, awesome post. Of course I liked the obesity statistics.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, in my Human Sexuality class this semester, right now we are focusing on gender vs. sex, gender diversity, and gender stereotypes. The images you chose to exemplify what media "says" on working out really tie in well to the stereotypes. In particular, the image where the woman is holding the extremely small hand weights, but looks physically fit is so unrealistic and actually could be demeaning to some women.
The message I am getting though may not be on the same target as you pointed out, "quit because going to the gym isn't as 'fun' as all those smiling models seemed to suggest." I feel like, besides the demeaning small weights fact, the media wants to put "happy faces" on the models because they want to encourage people to go work out. Anyone who has worked out knows its not always a fun thing to do, but for the people who don't exercise regularly, it could be a way to get them more active in order to achieve weight loss/toning results. Because some of the people who would stick with going to the gym possibly have a mindset of "getting fit will make me as happy as that woman in the pic."
I see what you mean, Megan. If it does get people into the gym then I'm all for it
ReplyDelete--perhaps I'm just too cynical. I lump it in with wrinkle creams being advertised by 28-year-old models; the idea seems to be "Buy this and you'll look like this! " when it often is not the case at all.
Thanks for bringing it up!