Television is the most powerful form of media in our society. The American society is probably the most visually oriented society in the world. It is hard for one to go through a day without placing his eyes on the television at least one time (Munger 23). Many look to the television in order to catch a glimpse of what is going on outside of their world, and also as a mode for entertainment. When making different television programs, a wide variety of people are used to tell a story or sell something. A few years back, a big issue came to rise; it was over how women are portrayed in the media. Many people seem to think that women are negatively portrayed in the media, and that leads towards negative effects on how women are treated. On the other hand, some believe that women are being portrayed well in the media, and that is leading them to think better of themselves.
There are many sitcoms and dramas aired to the public on a daily basis. Many have taken note that the lead actresses for these shows are very thin. A show that has recently become popular is the comedy, Ally McBeal. Ally McBeal or Calista Flockhart, the actress who plays Ally is an extremely thin girl. She plays a successful lawyer. After viewing a show like this, a show that has a thin and successful lead actress, some think the message sent out is that in order to be successful, one must also be extremely thin. But there is also another message that can be driven out of a show like Ally McBeal. The show consists of many women who are lawyers, that are pretty successful, these women can stand up for themselves and do not need a man to depend on. Ally McBeal also shows how strong women are, it shows how far they can go in their lives and it gives girls hope that they can one day also be like the characters on Ally McBeal. Two things can be interpreted from the show, that one must be tall and thin in order to be successful or that woman do have the potential to be successful, and that they are strong characters (Defilippis 20).