This may sound simply personal, but it definitely relates to the documentary we watched in class on Friday. While reading a book by Carolyn G. Heilbrun entitled "Writing a Woman's Life" I found myself extremely angry at the way media has conditioned women to believe they have to be certain ways. Using myself as an example, I really am upset that the things I want in my life are really dependent on male acceptance and I can't get that because I just haven't found the right person. And it's been stressing me out so much in the past couple of years that it's leaving a mark on my health and my sanity.

I grew up believing that I someday I'd get married and have kids. Or rather I'd go to college get married and have kids. And now I'm less than two years from graduating and I'm worried about being an old maid. I blame society and the media for this. There's too much of the "perfect life" in the television world and this clearly isn't how it works. Happy endings are rare and the media plays it out like it's a way of life. As a result people like myself, especially women, are work themselves up about men and "having to be in a relationship" and this mindset is detrimental to the growth of other talents within us. I'm so upset that this idea is engrained in me. I don't want enough of what I should be wanting. And I blame myself because I feel my body image isn't good enough. I must not be sexy enough. I must not know enough about sports or want something more than just sex. (which seems to be all that I'm told guys want) And can I also say that I hate how men are conditioned in the same way as women, except that though they might not want a cinderella ending, but they still want the "perfect girl" on their arm? This is unfair to us all and I'm so sick of it. Media, Society and Culture needs to change before we all commit emotional suicide.