All posts in category Media Portrayals of Lebanese Stereotypes

Media Tool for Lebanese Advertisements

The media literacy tool is meant to help audiences and society become more critical about the media around them. Lebanese should not let the advertisements they see influence or change their behavior. In particular, Lebanese girls should not let the amount of cosmetically fixed women in billboards sway them into getting plastic surgery – its most probably not necessary. Thus, when viewing ads viewers should keep in mind the following points:

  1. Do not feel that a person in an ad represents how you should look
  2. If you feel that the ad is offensive, call the agency or the company and file a complaint
  3. Keep in mind that the purpose of an ad is to influence your behavior, so take control over your emotions
  4. Do not take impulsive decisions after viewing an advertisement
  5. Take initiatives!Screen Shot 2013-05-20 at 2.31.43 PM
    1. A student at the American University of Beirut, Nadine Razzouk, has taken an initiative against these stereotypes in advertisements and posters found along Beirut’s streets. For each ad objectifying women, she puts up a sign that demands that these girls do not represent all Lebanese women.” Razzouk claims, “according to a study, one out of three women get plastic surgery…everyone knows about objectification of women in advertising, but no one knows how it effects us” (N. Razzouk, personal communication, May 20, 2013).

Instead of reinforcing what are – in my opinion – demeaning stereotypes in their own media, Lebanese advertising should take a different approach.

  1. Rather than alcoholic companies promoting beer, they should promote social issues such as no drinking and driving
  2. The should not objectify women
  3. The should not only feature women who have evidently gotten cosmetic surgery
  4. They should show products in different environments (e.g. alcohol ads do not always have to be associated with partying)
  5. They should properly reflect the Lebanese community, and not what the world stereotypes the community to be

An example of such an ad is the Live Love Beirut Campaign video that shows the beauty of the city, but not once refers to Beirut nightlife or features any girls who seem to be fixed with plastic surgery.

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by dalia813 on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Media Portrayals of Lebanese Stereotypes
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Posted by dalia813 on May 17, 2013

https://daliamediablog.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/media-portrayals-of-lebanese-stereotypes-media-tool/

Conclusion

At the end of the day, media will always take a small bite out of the bigger picture. An article in the Cyprus Mail, titled “Party Society, Lebanon” begins like this, “Want to party like there’s no tomorrow? Go to Lebanon. Want to change your face so it looks ten years younger? Go to Lebanon” (Christodoulides, 2010). The world has taken two aspects of the Lebanese society and built a stereotype out of it, but it doesn’t stop there; Lebanon has taken these stereotypes with pride and applauded them in their own media.

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by dalia813 on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Conclusion, Media Portrayals of Lebanese Stereotypes
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Posted by dalia813 on May 17, 2013

https://daliamediablog.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/media-portrayals-on-lebanese-stereotypes-conclusion/

References

Advertising dangers: Racial stereotyping, inequality, sexualization, panel says. (2001). Media Report to Women, 29(3), 5-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/210171990?accountid=8555

Are Lebanese women afraid of being natural? (2011, December 27).  Now. Retrieved from https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/reportsfeatures/are_lebanese_women_afraid_of_being_natural

Blech, G. E. & Blech, M. A. (2012). Evaluating the social, eithical, and economic aspects of advertising and promotion. Advertising and Promotion (9th ed) (pp. 676-704). Singeapore: McGraw-Hill

Bontems, N. (2009, June 3). Deconstructing the ‘Lebanese bimbo.’ Kipper Report. Retrieved from http://www.kippreport.com/fcs/deconstructing-the-%E2%80%98lebanese-bimbo%E2%80%99/2/

Brunt, L. (2013, March 26). 10 Best Bars in Beirut. CNN. Retrieved from http://travel.cnn.com/10-best-bars-beirut-822916

Christodoulides, Z. (2010, January 24). Party Society, Lebanon. Cyprus Mail. Retrieved from http://www.cyprus-mail.com/living/travel-party-society-lebanon/20100124

Cochrane, P. (2008, September 13). Into The Lebanese Night. Back In Beirut. Retrieved from http://backinbeirut.blogspot.com/2008/09/into-lebanese-night.html

CNN: Beirut #1 Desitnation City in the World. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBSYfLI6yA

CNN: Beirut Best Party City. [Video Blog]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phjqVkmJx7Y

CNN: Beirut Nightlife-Summer 2011. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hxTK1Hy8B8

Crepaway’s ‘All Good’: Absurdity abused. (2013, April 13). Brofessional Review. Retrieved from http://brofessionalreview.com/2013/04/13/crepaways-all-good-absurdity-abused/

Egan, M. (2010, March 28). Remix; The Scene-Beirut. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E2DD163DF93BA15750C0A9669D8B63

Haibi, C. (2010, July 12). Breaking Bread and Stereotypes. Out Of Lebanon. Retrieved from http://outoflebanon.wordpress.com/tag/stereotypes/

Healy, P. (2009, July 9). Beirut, The Provincetown of the Middle East. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/travel/02gaybeirut.html?_r=0

Heather, M. (2010, November 10). Cosmetic surgery puts new face on Lebanon. The Washington Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/10/cosmetic-surgery-puts-new-face-on-lebanon/?page=all

Hume, T. (2012, August 10). Beirut: The Middle East’s party capital. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/09/world/meast/beirut-middle-east-party-capital/

Live Love Beirut. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w775PdLD1oY

Lebanese Brew’s “Try Something Brave” (2012, June 15). Brofessional Review. Retrieved from http://brofessionalreview.com/2012/06/15/lebanese-brews-try-something-brave-2012/

Lutz, M. (2009, May 30). Lebanon: Hot political ads spice up election season. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/05/a-beautiful-woman-gently-parts-her-glossed-lips-and-glances-seductively-over-her-shoulder-from-a-billboard-overlooking-beiru.html

Neild, B. (2010, November 19). Lebanon emerges as Mideast’s ‘mecca’ for cosmetic surgery. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/19/Lebanon.plastic.surgery/index.html

Russeau, S. Culture of Racism In Lebanon. Coordination Committee of Organizations for Voluntary Service. Retrieved from http://simbarusseau.com/reports/cultureofracisminlebanon_en.pdf

Sherwood, S. (2010, April 29). 36 Hours in Beirut. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/travel/02hours.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&

Smirnoff launches the world’s first nightlife exchange. (2010, Sep 12). Canada NewsWire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/750279955?accountid=8555

The New Party Capital: Beirut. (2009, August 2). The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/08/02/travel/20090802-beirut-slide-show_index-5.html

Tourists flock to lebanon for plastic surgery. (2010, Nov 15). Global Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/765003035?accountid=8555

Wazeer, G. (2012, October 14). Advertisements and Self-Esteem. Across Cultures. Retrieved from http://lebanonglc.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/advertisements-and-self-esteem/

Wells, R. (2009, Americans discover the delights of Lebanon. Middle East, 69-70. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220632212?accountid=8555

1 Comment
by dalia813 on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Media Portrayals of Lebanese Stereotypes, References

Posted by dalia813 on May 17, 2013

https://daliamediablog.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/references/

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