It’s safe to say that today’s world is completely different than the one our grandparents, or even our parents, were raised in. The media and its coverage have soared from just covering news to covering every aspect of every celebrity’s life. Today’s media is a prime example on how there are double standards for men and women.
Surely everyone remembers Miley Cyrus dancing very roughly on Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV VMAs. People were appalled at the former Disney star swinging on a wrecking ball naked, but no one was ready for this dancing performance. Online publications like Sugarscape and BuzzFeed were quick to headline articles calling her out and saying what she did was vile and wrong. I’m not disagreeing with them, I was an avid "Hannah Montana" watcher and was completely surprised by her performance. I understand her wanting to change her image, which she has a right to do; it was just a bit much all at once.
On the male side of the spectrum, we have Nick Jonas. Nick was a Disney singer with his two older brothers Joe and Kevin. Here recently, the youngest Jo Bro posed for a Calvin Klein-esque photo shoot. The pictures left very little to the imagination and swarmed social media sites. The same online publications that branded Cyrus were practically drooling over the shirtless Disney boy. Some were even congratulating him on stepping away from his Disney past.
So is it okay for guys to change their image by being half naked but not okay for girls to change their image by being half naked? Jonas and Cyrus are both former Disney stars and have no shame when it comes to their bodies. There’s no difference between the two, so why were the headlines and articles praising and shaming respectively? I see a double standard here and it’s driven by the media. Once the articles are written and published, the public forms its opinion. The process is completely biased, but it works to target someone’s subconscious by wording their opinions like facts.
Everyone has the right to do what they want with their own body, famous or not. Just because the media portrays double standards doesn’t mean they should exist. Men get praised for showing their bodies while women get told to cover up. The media has so much power in shaping public thoughts and forming the voice for society. It’s time to finally show men and women as equal and not hold one gender above another.