9781422288467

Media messages? you might wonder. What media messages? Think about the last movie you saw in the theaters. What kind of people played the “good” guys, the heroes, the heroines, or the positive role models? Were any of them fat, covered with acne, disfigured, or physically chal- lenged? Did any of them have bad hair, terrible makeup, crossed eyes, or clashing wardrobes? Now think about your favorite television shows, commercials, and record- ing artists. Ask the same questions. How many of these idols are less-than- attractive people? How about the bad guys? How do they dress? What do they look like? What about the creatures who scare us? How do they appear? How do movies portray evil? We have only to look at Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street film series or Two Face from the Batman films to know. The message behind these images is this: Good guys are beautiful; bad guys are not. People who have something to offer are handsome or pretty

12 / Looking & Feeling Good in Your Body