I think the best images in the media would be images of diverse women with diverse interests. Women doing things that truly makes them satisfied. I believe this can help women and men see, it's normal to be different from each other.  I want the images to show women in love with something and even if it is different. Their passion in whatever interest is the new form of beauty. The new beauty is not just a look or action.

The reason why I say diverse women so is that women can consume media and feel like I have to be different. The answer isn't to say there are too many skinny ads so lets do plus size models only etc. All the skinny women would feel insecure now. That would only change the details of the beauty myth but not actually take it out. When I diverse I also mean across race as well. I think more even race representation would dispel the idea of I gave to be thin and have white features to be beautiful. Freeing them from being " the self-hating, ever failing, hungry, and sexually insecure state of being aspiring 'beauties'."(66 Wolf)

Women are also pressured not only to look a certain way but also act a certain way. "Boys are generally shown in ads as active , rambunctious, while girls are more often passive and focused on their appearance."( 142 Kilbourne) Again images of girls being passionate about different things It can dilute the image of what the girls is supposed to act like. It can also encourage girls to pursue interests they otherwise wouldn't pick up. They wouldn't have to look or act like anything in particular. If they really do like to mess around with fashion or muay thai, both are fine.

 I remember in class the professor said, "We can't be what we can't see." I once saw this guy who had his mac book pro cracked by this guys car and he didn't get mad. After that I thought if he could have that much self control, I can suck it up a bit, too. Just by having those images present can help people explore out of the current white male gaze.

In the beauty myth, they speak of "all media incresingly depending on the myth."(78 Wolf) That media is under pressure to produce the myth due to large chunk of their revenue comes from their advertisers. I suggest look for new ones perhaps something that doesn't rely on "the myth" to sell their products Reach out to those unconventional interests and work with them. Those company can tap into a new customer base. Having more variety of different women displayed in ads can also help new ethnic groups to identify with their product. The emphasis on passion rather then sex would divert the thought of women as items.

Works Cited

Naomi Wolf - "Culture" from The Beauty Myth
Bell Books - "The Oppositional Gaze "
Jean Kilbourne - "The More You Subtract The More You Add: Cutting Girls Down to Size"